Gait speed significantly reduced with the addition of a dual task , with increasing complexity showing greater decrements .
Cadence , stride time , and measures of gait variability were all negatively affected under the dual-task condition .
In older adults , the addition of a dual task significantly reduces gait speed and cadence , with possible implication s for the assessment of older people , as the addition of a dual task may expose deficits not observed under single-task assessment
This review examines the effect of a dual task on the gait parameters of older adults with a mean gait speed of 1.0 m/s or greater , and the effect of type and complexity of task .
Executive Function and Falls in Older Adults: New Findings from a Five-Year Prospective Study Link Fall Risk to Cognition
Background Recent findings suggest that executive function ( EF ) plays a critical role in the regulation of gait in older adults , especially under complex and challenging conditions , and that EF deficits may , therefore , contribute to fall risk . The objective of this study was to evaluate if reduced EF is a risk factor for future falls over the course of 5 years of follow-up . Secondary objectives were to assess whether single and dual task walking abilities , an alternative window into EF , were associated with fall risk . Methodology /Main Results We longitudinally followed 256 community-living older adults ( age : 76.4±4.5 yrs ; 61 % women ) who were dementia free and had good mobility upon entrance into the study . At baseline , a computerized cognitive battery generated an index of EF , attention , a closely related construct , and other cognitive domains . Gait was assessed during single and dual task conditions . Falls data were collected prospect ively using monthly calendars . Negative binomial regression quantified risk ratios ( RR ) . After adjusting for age , gender and the number of falls in the year prior to the study , only the EF index ( RR : .85 ; CI : .74–.98 , p = .021 ) , the attention index ( RR : .84 ; CI : .75–.94 , p = .002 ) and dual tasking gait variability ( RR : 1.11 ; CI : 1.01–1.23 ; p = .027 ) were associated with future fall risk . Other cognitive function measures were not related to falls . Survival analyses indicated that subjects with the lowest EF scores were more likely to fall sooner and more likely to experience multiple falls during the 66 months of follow-up ( p<0.02 ) . Conclusions / Significance These findings demonstrate that among community-living older adults , the risk of future falls was predicted by performance on EF and attention tests conducted 5 years earlier . The present results link falls among older adults to cognition , indicating that screening EF will likely enhance fall risk assessment , and that treatment of EF may reduce fall risk
Gait speed significantly reduced with the addition of a dual task , with increasing complexity showing greater decrements .
Cadence , stride time , and measures of gait variability were all negatively affected under the dual-task condition .
In older adults , the addition of a dual task significantly reduces gait speed and cadence , with possible implication s for the assessment of older people , as the addition of a dual task may expose deficits not observed under single-task assessment
This review examines the effect of a dual task on the gait parameters of older adults with a mean gait speed of 1.0 m/s or greater , and the effect of type and complexity of task .