Analysis of the impact of a cognitive task on the posture of elderly subjects with depression compared with healthy elderly subjects

Objective: While previous studies have demonstrated that depressive elderly subjects (DES) experience difficulties in the processing of simultaneous cognitive tasks, few have examined the coupling of cognitive tasks with seemingly `automatic' tasks, such as standing upright. Current patient management focuses on pharmacological treatments and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Methods: Healthy elderly (HES) and non-treated DES were included. Postural sway in DES was compared with that in HES while in single-task and dual-task conditions. The single-task consisted of standing upright. For the dual-task, the subjects recalled various items from memory or counted while standing upright. Postural sway was evaluated by computing the center of pressure (CoP) area and path length. Results: DES showed greater postural sway than HES in all conditions. The HES showed a greater CoP area in the dual-task than in the single-task conditions. In DES, the CoP area in the single-task condition was similar to that in the dual-task condition. Conclusions: The greater postural sway observed in DES may be a cause of a greater risk of falls. We showed that even seemingly automatic tasks, such as maintaining an upright posture, are affected by depression. Significance: These results are important for the management of DES. (C) 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.