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The effects of dual tasks on gait in children with cerebral palsy

Lena Carcreff1, Joel Fluss2, Gilles Allali3

  • 1Willy Taillard Laboratory of Kinesiology, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland; Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Pediatric Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland.

Gait & Posture
|March 16, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) show greater gait impairments during dual tasks (DT) compared to typically developing children. However, their dual-task cost (DTC) was similar, suggesting potential underestimation of difficulties in daily life.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Cerebral palsy (CP) affects motor function, impacting gait.
  • Dual tasks (DT), common in daily life, challenge motor and cognitive systems.
  • Understanding DT performance in children with CP is crucial for rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare gait and cognitive performance during DT in children with CP versus typically developing (TD) children.
  • To analyze the effect of increasing cognitive load on gait parameters during DT.
  • To determine if dual-task cost (DTC) differs between children with CP and TD children.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, observational, case-control study involving 18 children with CP and 19 TD children.
  • Gait analysis using an optoelectronic system during simple walking and 5 DT with varying cognitive loads.
  • Cognitive performance assessment and calculation of DTC for each DT.

Main Results:

  • Gait performance significantly decreased in both groups as cognitive load increased.
  • Children with CP exhibited significantly worse performance than TD children across all tasks.
  • Despite performance differences, DTC were comparable between the CP and TD groups.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights that children with CP experience greater gait decrements under DT conditions.
  • Similar DTC suggest that the relative challenge of DT is comparable, but the baseline performance is lower in CP.
  • Clinical assessments should consider the impact of DT on gait to avoid underestimating functional limitations in children with CP.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cerebral palsyCognitive-motor interferenceDual tasksGait

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