Walking, talking, and suppressing: Executive functioning mediates the relationship between higher expressive suppression and slower dual-task walking among older adults

Objective: Dual-task walking, which is related to fall risk, has also been shown to relate to executive functioning (EF). EF is known to be vulnerable to the effects of an emotion-regulation strategy known as expressive suppression, such that higher engagement in expressive suppression is related to subsequent decrements in EF. However, it is unknown whether expressive suppression is also associated with slower dual-task walking. In addition, if such an association exists, it is unknown whether EF mediates the relationship between expressive suppression and dual-task gait speed.Methods: Ninety-five community-dwelling older adults completed tasks of EF and lower-order component process using the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), as well as self-report measures of expressive suppression use in the 24 hours prior to testing and a measure of depressive symptoms.Results: Higher self-reported expressive suppression not only related to poorer EF, but also to slower dual-task walking beyond age and depressive symptoms; however these results did not hold when individuals with possible undiagnosed MCI were excluded. EF mediated the relationship between expressive suppression and dual-task walking speed.Conclusion: Expressive suppression appears to weaken EF, which in turn impacts executive aspects of motor functioning (such as walking under cognitive load) for cognitively vulnerable individuals. Quantifying and accounting for the taxing effect of effortful emotion regulation may improve the accuracy of EF assessment. Expressive suppression represents a potentially modifiable target to help reduce EF lapses and motor failings among older adults.