Compensation Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH) of Electrocortical Data during Walking on Uneven Terrain

Mobility limitations are common in older age, but the association of age-related changes in the neural control of walking are not well understood. We investigated whether the Compensation Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis (CRUNCH) – a model that describes age differences in brain activity with increasing cognitive demand – applies to walking under varying levels of task difficulty. We assessed the electrocortical data of younger and older adults walking on a treadmill with varied levels of uneven terrain (i.e., varying difficulty levels). We observed CRUNCH effects in the posterior parietal regions, which are thought to be associated with planned movements, spatial reasoning, and attention. We found older adults displayed greater alpha desynchronization than younger adults at low terrain unevenness, and younger adults displayed greater range in utilized spectral power in the alpha band across levels of terrain unevenness than older adults. These results demonstrate both over-recruitment and ceiling effects, respectively, of neural resources in older adults compared to younger adults, as predicted by the CRUNCH model. These findings provide novel insights into age differences in the neural control of mobility and may lead to new interventions for maintaining function in older age.