Carotid flow pulsatility is higher in women with lower cognitive capacity to walk and perform concurrent tasks

Purpose: Central arterial hemodynamics is associated with cognitive impairment. Reductions in gait speed during walking while performing concurrent tasks known as dual-tasking (DT) or multi-tasking (MT) is thought to reflect the cognitive cost that exceeds neural capacity to share resources. We hypothesized that central vascular function would associate with decrements in gait speed during DT or MT. Methods: Gait speed was measured using a motion capture system in 56 women (30-80y) without mild-cognitive impairment. Dual-tasking was considered walking at a fast-pace while balancing a tray. Multi-tasking was the DT condition plus subtracting by serial 7’s. Applanation tonometry was used for measurement of aortic stiffness and central pulse pressure. Doppler-ultrasound was used to measure blood flow velocity and -stiffness index in the common carotid artery. Results: The percent change in gait speed was larger for MT than DT (14.1±11.2 vs. 8.7±9.6%, p<0.01). Tertiles were f