Dual-task standing and walking in people with lower limb amputation: A structured review

People with lower limb amputation report the need to concentrate on walking. Dual-task paradigms are often used to study such interactions between cognition and the control of balance and gait in people with lower limb amputation.

To summarize evidence related to dual-task standing and walking in people with lower limb amputation and discuss implications for future research.

Structured review.

A structured search was completed in PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science from database inception to May 2017. Eligible articles were in English, included participants with lower limb amputation, and assessed dual-task standing or walking. Study information was extracted by one reviewer and assessed for accuracy by a second.

A total of 12 articles met eligibility criteria. Seven examined differences in dual-task standing or walking, and five assessed dual-task walking across microprocessor-controlled and non-microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee conditions.

Results suggest that (1) dual-task interference in standing is greater for people with lower limb amputation than non-amputees and (2) the use of microprocessor-controlled knees improves dual-task performance for people with limited mobility compared to non-microprocessor-controlled knees. The small number of studies, diversity of dual-task methods, and methodological limitations challenge the synthesis of study results. Future research should assess specific clinical characteristics that can affect dual-task performance in people with lower limb amputation.

Understanding how people with lower limb amputation use increased attention in balance and gait to compensate for limb loss can inform prosthetic interventions and training. Dual-task research suggests that people with amputation use increased cognitive control for standing compared to controls and microprocessor-controlled knees improve dual-task walking in people with limited mobility.