Entrainment emerges when oscillatory movements synchronize with environmental stimuli processing. The purpose of this experiment was to assess how cognitive-motor entrainment during a dual-task would influence the quality of gait and affect episodic long-term memory. Twenty-one participants (22.56 y/o; 64 % F) walked at preferred paces while listening to 40-item word lists. In separate sessions, unique word lists were presented predictably on every fourth stride, unpredictably related to stepping, or predictably while standing. Memory tests administered 24-hr after encoding revealed that predictable word presentation led to better free-recall performance than unpredicted (p = .044); recognition memory was not impacted. Gait phase parameters during the predicted condition were more stable than the unpredicted condition or baseline assessments. Cognitive-motor entrainment may alleviate dual-task costs and enhance memory retention.
Keywords: Cognitive motor interference; Dual-task; Episodic memory; Free-recall memory; Physical activity and cognition; Recognition memory.
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