Determinants of Dual-task Gait Speed in Older Adults with and without Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Mobility difficulties for people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD) are more pronounced when they perform a simultaneous cognitive task while walking. Although it is known that neurodegeneration results in widespread motor and brain impairments, few studies have comprehensively examined possible physical and mental determinants of dual task walking in PwPD. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate if and how muscle strength (sit-to-stand 30s test), cognition (mini-mental state examination) and functionality (timed up and go test) affect walking performance (10-meter walking test) with and without arithmetic dual task from older adults with and without Parkinson’s disease. Walking speed was reduced by 16% and 11% with arithmetic dual task for PwPD (from 1.07 ± 0.28 to 0.91 ± 0.29 m.s-1, p < 0.001) and older adults (from 1.32 ± 0.28 to 1.16 ± 0.26 m.s-1, p = 0.002) compared to essential walking. The cognitive state was similar among the groups, but it was only associated with the dual-task walking speed in PwPD. In PwPD, lower limb strength was the better predictor of speed, whereas mobility was more related to it in older adults. Therefore, future exercise interventions aiming to improve walking in PwPD should consider these findings to maximize their effectiveness.

Effects of Smartphone Activities on Postural Balance in Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities

“…Significantly, these results show a more pronounced increase in ∆ TUGT% among IDG participants compared to TDG participants. This finding aligns with a previous study involving older adults with Parkinson's disease, where, when presented with a dual task, they demonstrated a significant reduction in walking speed compared to older adults without Parkinson's disease [7]. In both cases, the dual-task scenario and the shared impact on dynamic balance underscore the common challenges individuals with specific conditions face when multitasking during walking.…”

“…However, when adolescents engage in multiple tasks simultaneously, a phenomenon known as dual-tasking postural control [6], their postural balance can be compromised due to divided attention. Previous research has explored dual-task models, particularly in the context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases, shedding light on the intricate interplay between cognitive and motor functions [7]. Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated that individuals with intellectual disabilities, including children and adults, experience alterations in postural balance when simultaneously engaging in supplementary tasks, affecting both static [6,8] and dynamic [9][10][11] balance compared to their counterparts with typical development.…”