The functional relevance of dual task tolerance has been a widely-studied phenomenon in aging and across a broad range of diagnoses. While there is work to be done, scientists have largely defined the neural networks and neurotransmitters supporting divided attention. As for examination of dual task tolerance, there is much more work to be done in aging and neurologic rehabilitation. While clinician-scientists have developed and validated many tests of divided attention, there are only a few gold standards, largely based in combination with standing balance or ambulation. The clinical application of dual task interference has been widely studied across efforts to slow expected changes with aging, mitigate known disease, or accelerate rehabilitation. The clinical practice of providing a well-timed concurrent distractor and creating a dual task interference that will accomplish preventative or rehabilitative goals, also lags behind. We still know very little about the differences and overlap between modes of divided attention, the dosage required for improvement, and the degree of intensity required to effect change. There is additionally very little science that informs us how to maximize patient engagement when they are being simultaneously challenged in cognition and motor control. In this paper, the authors aim to bridge key gaps in dual-task rehabilitation by providing clinical tools for application, specifically introducing the Rate of Perceived Difficulty (RPD) as a pragmatic framework to support person-specific, measures of intensity, and engaging dual-task prescriptions through shared decision-making, autonomy, and salience.
Citation: Studer, M; Reedy, K; and Campbell, J. (2026). Two Goals with One Approach: Elevating Patient Engagement and Outcomes through a Person-Specific Dual Task Prescription. J Psychol Neurosci; 8(4):1-7.
DOI : https://doi.org/10.47485/2693-2490.1166