The effect of distraction and feedback on prefrontal cortex activity and balance in middle-aged adults: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy pilot study.

Maintaining balance while simultaneously performing other tasks is common during everyday activities. However, this dual-tasking (DT) divides attention and increases cognitive demand, which can be detrimental to stability in older adults. It is unknown if the focus of attention influences how a dual-task affects balance and whether this is detectable in middle-aged adults.