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Dual tasking in Parkinson's disease: Cognitive consequences while walking.
Robert D Salazar1, Xiaolin Ren2, Terry D Ellis2
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University.
Neuropsychology
|April 18, 2017
Summary
Dual tasking significantly impacts cognition and walking in Parkinson's disease (PD) more than in normal controls (NC). This highlights the need to address both gait and cognitive deficits in PD management.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Cognitive deficits are prevalent in Parkinson's disease (PD), worsening motor symptoms like impaired walking.
- Research on dual cognitive-locomotor tasks has focused on walking, with less attention to cognitive effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between gait and executive function in PD during dual-task conditions.
- To test the hypothesis that dual tasking exacerbates cognitive impairments and is associated with gait disturbances in PD.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen individuals with mild-moderate PD and 13 age/education-matched normal controls (NC) participated.
- Executive function (set-shifting) and walking were assessed individually and during dual-tasking.
Main Results:
- Dual tasking impaired cognition (set-shifting) and walking (speed, stride length) in both PD and NC groups.
- PD patients showed greater dual-tasking effects on walking speed and stride frequency compared to NC.
- PD patients exhibited greater cognitive variability under dual tasking, while motor performance variability remained unaffected.
Conclusions:
- Dual tasking disproportionately affects cognition and gait in PD patients compared to NC.
- Assessment and treatment strategies for PD should integrate both cognitive and gait evaluations under dual-task conditions.