Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
Motor Dual-Tasks for Gait Analysis and Evaluation in Post-Stroke Patients
Published on: March 11, 2021
Age-associated effects of a concurrent cognitive task on gait speed and stability during narrow-base walking
Valerie E Kelly1, Matthew A Schrager, Robert Price
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-6490, USA. vekelly@u.washington.edu
Background:
In older adults, changes in speed and stability during walking are associated with impaired balance and increased fall risk. Narrow-base walking requires increased frontal plane stability and can be used to assess postural control while walking. Performance of a concurrent cognitive task (dual task) may further increase the complexity of walking, potentially allowing identification of individuals with instability that is not detected under single-task conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine age-associated effects of a cognitive task on speed and frontal plane stability during narrow-base walking.
Methods:
Thirty-four healthy adults participated, categorized by age: <65, 65-74, and > or =75 years. Participants walked at a comfortable pace within a narrow path under both single- and dual-task conditions. We examined spatiotemporal variables and frontal plane center of mass (CoM) parameters using a 13-segment biomechanical model.
Results:
Increasing age (p <.001) and the performance of a concurrent cognitive task (p <.001) were both associated with decreased speed, with no interaction between these factors. Frontal plane CoM displacement and velocity increased with increasing age (both p <.001), but dual-task performance had no effect on these variables (both p >.450).
Conclusions:
Age-associated changes in both speed and stability are observed during narrow-base walking. Among this sample of healthy older adults, the addition of a concurrent cognitive task resulted in reduced speed, with no effect on frontal plane stability. Further research is needed to determine if dual-task, narrow-base walking is a sensitive and specific approach to identifying older adults at risk for falls.
