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Dual-task-related gait changes in the elderly: does the type of cognitive task matter?
O Beauchet1, V Dubost, K Aminian
1Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, CH-1226 Thonex-Geneva, Switzerland. olivier.beauchet@hcuge.ch
Journal of Motor Behavior
|June 22, 2005
Summary
Dual-tasking affects older adults' gait. The type of verbal task performed while walking significantly impacts stride time and its variability, suggesting task-specific gait modifications in frail individuals.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Dual-tasking, performing a cognitive task while walking, frequently alters gait in older adults.
- Understanding these gait changes is crucial for fall prevention and maintaining mobility in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the specific type of spoken verbal task influences dual-task-related gait changes in transitionally frail older adults.
- To compare gait alterations during walking combined with arithmetic versus verbal fluency tasks.
Main Methods:
- Sixteen transitionally frail older adults participated in the study.
- Gait parameters, including mean stride time and its coefficient of variation, were measured during single-task walking and dual-task conditions (walking while performing arithmetic or verbal fluency tasks).
Main Results:
- Mean stride time significantly increased under both dual-task conditions compared to single-task walking (p < .001).
- The coefficient of variation for stride time significantly increased only during the arithmetic dual-task (p = .005), not the verbal fluency task (p = .134).
Conclusions:
- The type of cognitive task performed concurrently with walking affects gait variability in older adults.
- Stride time variability during dual-tasking is dependent on the specific cognitive demands of the verbal task, highlighting task-specific gait adaptations.