Many activities of daily life involve the simultaneous performance of multiple tasks concurrently challenging motor and cognitive functions. In aging, the ability to perform multiple tasks common in daily living such as walking while engaged in a concurrent mental task (e.g., walking and talking) becomes impaired .

Researchers frequently adopt the dual task (DT) technique (i.e., simultaneous performance of two tasks) to explore multitasking ability as well as the effects of different activities or training on executive function. Based on the postulate that the attentional system has a limited pool of resources, it is expected that the concomitant performance of different tasks competing for the same resources could be worse with respect to the independent performance of each task. Significant decrements in gait and/or cognitive performance are observed in older adults when cognitive tasks are performed while walking. Such performance decrements are referred to as DT interference and commonly evaluated as the difference between the single and DT performance in relation to the first (DT cost).

One relevant factor underlying this loss seems a disproportional age-related decrease in higher-level cognitive function, the executive. Executive functions are responsible for planning, initiating, sequencing, and monitoring complex goal-directed behaviour as well as controlling complex activities and therefore indispensable for independent daily living and behavioural adaptability.