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The Effect of Two Different Cognitive Tests on Gait Parameters during Dual Tasks in Healthy Postmenopausal Women
Magdalena Hagner-Derengowska1, Krystian Kałużny2, Wojciech Hagner2
1Chair of Clinical Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 9 Street, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Introduction:
The paper aims to evaluate the influence of two different demanding cognitive tasks on gait parameters using BTS SMART system analysis.
Patients And Methods:
The study comprised 53 postmenopausal women aged 64.5 ± 6.7 years (range: 47-79). For every subject, gait analysis using a BTS SMART system was performed in a dual-task study design under three conditions: (I) while walking only (single task), (II) walking while performing a simultaneous simple cognitive task (SCT) (dual task), and (III) walking while performing a simultaneous complex cognitive task (CCT) (dual task). Time-space parameters of gait pertaining to the length of a single support phase, double support phase, gait speed, step length, step width, and leg swing speed were analyzed.
Results:
Performance of cognitive tests during gait resulted in a statistically significant prolongation of the left (by 7%) and right (by 7%) foot gait cycle, shortening of the length of steps made with the right extremity (by 4%), reduction of speed of swings made with the left (by 11%) and right (by 8%) extremity, and reduction in gait speed (by 6%).
Conclusions:
Performance of cognitive tests during gait changes its individual pattern in relation to the level of the difficulty of the task.
