• Chiara Gattoni, Borja Martinez-Gonzalez, Caroline Li, and Samuele Maria Marcora.
• School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH, UK.
• Mil Med. 2023 Aug 29; 188 (9-10): e2900e2908e2900-e2908.

IntroductionCognitive-motor interference is the decrease in cognitive performance and/or physical performance occurring when a cognitive task and a physical task are performed concurrently (dual task) compared to when they are performed in isolation (single task). The aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity and test-retest reliability of two cognitive-motor interference tests in military contexts.Materials And MethodsTwenty-two soldiers, officers, and cadets performed a 10-min loaded marching, a 10-min Psychomotor Vigilance Task, and the two tasks combined (visit 1). During visit 2, a 5-min running time trial, a 5-min Word Recall Task, and the two tasks combined. These tests were repeated by 20 participants after 2 weeks (visits 3 and 4).ResultsSignificant impairments were shown on both running distance (P < .001) and number of words recalled (P = .004) in the dual-task condition compared to the single-task condition. Significantly shorter step length (P < .001) and higher step frequency (P < .001) were found during the loaded marching in the dual-task condition compared to the single-task condition. No significant differences were observed in mean reaction time (P = .402) and number of lapses (P = .479) during the Psychomotor Vigilance Task. Good-to-excellent reliability was found for all the cognitive and physical variables in both single- and dual-task conditions, except for the number of lapses.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the Running + Word Recall Task test is a valid and reliable dual-tasking test that could be used to assess cognitive-motor interference in military contexts.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2023.

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