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Updated: Sep 28, 2025
Motor Dual-Tasks for Gait Analysis and Evaluation in Post-Stroke Patients
Published on: March 11, 2021
Effect of Dual-Task Training on Gait and Balance in Stroke Patients: An Updated Meta-analysis
Yue Shu1, Meng Meng Bi, Tian Tian Zhou
1From the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang City, China (YS, MMB, TTZ, LL, CZ); and Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, Nanchang Jiangxi, China (YS).
Objective:
The main purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of dual-task training on gait and balance improvement in stroke patients.
Design:
The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, CNKI, Wan Fang, and VIP databases were searched from inception to January 28, 2021, for randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of dual-task training on gait and balance intervention in stroke patients.
Results:
A total of 17 studies with 575 stroke patients that compared the efficacy and safety of dual-task training with those of conventional physical therapy or single-task training were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the data were as follows under the dual-task training: step length (mean difference = 2.7, 95% confidence interval = 1.33 to 4.08, P = 0.0001); cadence (mean difference = 5.06, 95% confidence interval = 3.37 to 6.75, P < 0.00001); stride length (mean difference = 7.34, 95% confidence interval = 5.47 to 9.22, P < 0.00001); 10-meter walk test times (mean difference = -2.36, 95% confidence interval = -3.70 to -1.02), P = 0.0006); Berg Balance Scale (mean difference = 3.8, 95% confidence interval = 0.04 to 7.55, P = 0.05); Fugl-Meyer motor assessment of lower extremities (mean difference = 2.27, 95% confidence interval = -1.04 to 5.59, P = 0.18).
Conclusions:
This meta-analysis showed that dual-task training can improve stroke patients' step length, cadence, stride length, and 10-meter walk test. However, possible advantages in improving balance function need further exploration.
