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Changes in Gait Parameters and Gait Variability in Young Adults during a Cognitive Task while Slope and Flat Walking
Ga Young Park1, Sang Seok Yeo2, Young Chan Kwon2
1Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School, Dankook University, Dandae-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, 330-714, Korea.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 8, 2020
Summary
Performing cognitive tasks while walking alters gait parameters. Uphill and flat walking with cognitive load caused significant changes, while downhill walking showed increased variability, suggesting higher fall risk.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Gait analysis is crucial for understanding locomotion.
- Cognitive-motor interference during walking is a growing research area.
- Assessing gait under dual-task conditions provides insights into neural control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a cognitive task on gait parameters and variability during level, uphill, and downhill walking.
- To compare the effects of cognitive load across different walking inclines.
- To determine the relationship between gait adjustments and fall risk under dual-task conditions.
Main Methods:
- Thirty healthy young adults participated.
- A wearable inertia measurement unit (IMU) system captured gait data.
- Participants performed a cognitive task (backward word articulation) during level, uphill, and downhill walking, with and without the cognitive task.
Main Results:
- Cognitive tasks during flat and uphill walking significantly altered stride time, gait speed, and cadence.
- Downhill walking with a cognitive task (DGC) showed no significant change in spatiotemporal parameters but increased stride time and gait speed variability compared to normal downhill walking (DG).
- Gait variability did not significantly differ between dual-task and single-task conditions for flat and uphill walking.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive tasks during flat and uphill walking induce adaptive changes in gait for safe task performance.
- Downhill walking under cognitive load presents a higher complexity, necessitating increased gait variability to mitigate fall risk.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering surface inclination in dual-task gait research and fall prevention strategies.
