Voice changes during dual task walking in Parkinson's disease.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Motor Control
• Speech Science

Background:

• Concurrent talking and walking are essential daily activities.
• Understanding dual-tasking challenges in Parkinson's disease (PD) is crucial for maintaining independence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of dual-task walking with spontaneous speech on phonatory and gait parameters in individuals with PD.
• To compare these effects between PD patients and healthy older adults (HOA).

Main Methods:

• Thirty-six individuals with PD and 11 HOA performed single and dual tasks (monologue + simple/complex gait).
• Phonatory parameters (SPL, F0) and gait variables (velocity, stride length, eGVI) were analyzed.
• Multilevel linear models assessed group and condition effects.

Main Results:

• Both groups increased vocal sound pressure level (SPL) and fundamental frequency (F0) during dual tasks.
• The PD group exhibited significant reductions in gait velocity and stride length, especially during complex gait.
• PD patients showed greater gait impairment compared to HOA under dual-task conditions.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with PD prioritize vocal output over gait stability during dual tasks, similar to HOA but with greater gait compromise.
• This suggests a task prioritization favoring speech in PD.
• Motor symptoms and balance control may modulate the benefits of dual-tasking for voice production in PD.