title: Fallers choose an early transfer gaze strategy during obstacle avoidance in dual-task condition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study is to compare the gaze behavior between fallers and non-fallers during obstacle avoidance in dual-task conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine older adults who had no experience of falling (mean age 79.9 ± 5.4) and 9 older adults with known experience of falling (83.4 ± 3.6) participated in the study. We examined their gaze behavior during obstacle avoidance in singletask (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the ST condition, compared with the faller group, the non-faller group showed no significant difference in timing of gaze transfer from the obstacle (faller: gaze transfer from obstacle when 1.6 ± 1.1 steps before; non-faller: 1.9 ± 0.7 steps before, p=0.493). In the DT condition, the faller group chose a transfer of gaze strategy significantly earlier than the non-faller group (faller: 2.7 ± 1.4 steps before; non-faller: 1.6 ± 0.5 steps before, p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that fallers chose an early transfer of gaze strategy when challenged with an obstacle in DT conditions.
authors.affiliation: Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan. yamada@hs.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Koutatsu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Buichi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tomoki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoyama
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichihashi
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking