Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 5, 2026
Motor Dual-Tasks for Gait Analysis and Evaluation in Post-Stroke Patients
Published on: March 11, 2021
Brain activity during dual task gait and balance in aging and age-related neurodegenerative conditions: A systematic
Melike Kahya1, Sanghee Moon1, Maud Ranchet2
1Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Health Professions, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Abstract:
The aims of this systematic review were to investigate (1) real-time brain activity during DT gait and balance, (2) whether changes in brain activity correlate with changes in behavioral outcomes in older adults and people with age-related neurodegenerative conditions. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched from 2009 to 2019 using the keywords dual task, brain activity, gait, balance, aging, neurodegeneration, and other related search terms. A total of 15 articles were included in this review. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy and electroencephalogram measures demonstrated that older adults had higher brain activity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), compared to young adults during dual task gait and balance. Similar neurophysiological results were observed in people with age-related neurodegenerative conditions. Few studies demonstrated a relationship between increased brain activity and better behavioral outcomes. This systematic review supports the notion that aging and age-related neurodegenerative conditions are associated with neuronal network changes, resulting in increased brain activity specifically in the PFC. Further studies are warranted to assess the relationship between increased PFC activation during dual task gait and balance and behavioral outcomes to better optimize the rehabilitation interventions.
