The role of cognition is becoming increasingly central to our understanding of the
complexity of walking gait. In particular, higher-level executive functions are suggested to
play a key role in gait and fall-risk, but the specific underlying neurocognitive processes
remain unclear. Here, we report two experiments which investigated the cognitive and
neural processes underlying older adult gait and falls. Experiment 1 employed a dualtask
(DT) paradigm in young and older adults, to assess the relative effects of higherlevel
executive function tasks (n-Back, Serial Subtraction and visuo-spatial Clock task)
in comparison to non-executive distracter tasks (motor response task and alphabet
recitation) on gait. All DTs elicited changes in gait for both young and older adults, relative
to baseline walking. Significantly greater DT costs were observed for the executive tasks
in the older adult group. Experiment 2 compared normal walking gait, seated cognitive
performances and concurrent event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in healthy young and
older adults, to older adult fallers. No significant differences in cognitive performances
were found between fallers and non-fallers. However, an initial late-positivity, considered
a potential early P3a, was evident on the Stroop task for older non-fallers, which was
notably absent in older fallers. We argue that executive control functions play a prominent
role in walking and gait, but the use of neurocognitive processes as a predictor of fall-risk
needs further investigation