Six-spot step test under three different task conditions to assess dual-task ability in people with multiple...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• The Six-Spot Step Test (SSST) is validated for assessing balance in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) during walking.
• This study investigates SSST performance across different conditions in pwMS and healthy controls (HC).
• The research explores if cognitive tasks enhance the SSST's ability to detect differences by increasing cognitive load.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare SSST performance in pwMS and HC under conventional and dual-task conditions.
• To determine if incorporating cognitive tasks (word-list generation, serial-7 backward) improves the SSST's discriminative capacity.
• To assess the dual-task cost (DTC) in pwMS and HC.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-two pwMS and 19 HC participated.
• Participants completed the SSST under three conditions: conventional, with word-list generation (WLG), and with serial-7 backward task.
• Dual-task cost (DTC) was calculated for cognitive task conditions.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in SSST conditions were observed between groups, with pwMS taking longer durations.
• The dual-task cost (DTC) for cognitive tasks was higher in pwMS than HC.
• All SSST conditions demonstrated excellent discriminative ability between pwMS and HC (AUC > 0.8).

Conclusions:

• The SSST effectively discriminates between pwMS and HC, both in its conventional form and when combined with cognitive tasks.
• The SSST is suitable for evaluating early walking and dual-task deficits in pwMS with mild disability.
• Findings support the SSST's utility in future research and clinical practice for pwMS assessment.