Evidence from subgroup comparisons showed no difference in treatment-related changes between cognitive-motor and motor-motor dual tasks , or when interventions were compared to active or inactive controls .
In summary , physical exercise interventions can improve dual-task walking in older adults primarily by increasing the speed at which individuals walk in dual-task conditions .
Currently , evidence concerning whether physical exercise interventions reduce DTC or alter the self-selected dual-task strategy during unobstructed walking is greatly lacking , mainly due to the failure of studies to measure and report reciprocal dual-task effects on the non-gait task
Dual-task interference during walking can substantially limit mobility and increase the risk of  falls among community-dwelling older adults .
Previous systematic review s examining intervention effects on dual-task gait and mobility have not assessed relative dual-task costs ( DTC ) or investigated whether there are differences in treatment-related changes based on the type of dual task or the type of control group .
The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of physical exercise interventions on dual-task performance during walking in older adults .
Effects of single-task versus dual-task training on balance performance in older adults: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE To compare the effect of 3 different approaches to balance training on dual-task balance performance in older adults with balance impairment . DESIGN A double-blind , r and omized controlled trial . SETTING University research laboratory . PARTICIPANTS Older adults ( N=23 ) with balance impairment ( mean age , 74.8y ) . They scored 52 or less on the Berg Balance Scale ( BBS )  and /or walked with a self-selected gait speed of 1.1 m/s or less . INTERVENTIONS Participants were r and omly assigned to 1 of 3 interventions : single-task training , dual-task training with fixed-priority instructions , and dual-task training with variable-priority instructions . Participants received 45-minute individualized training sessions , 3 times a week for 4 weeks . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Gait speed under single-task and dual-task conditions was obtained at baseline , the second week , the end of training , and the twelfth week after the end of training . Other measures , including the BBS and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence ( ABC ) Scale , were collected at baseline and after training . RESULTS Participants in all groups improved on the BBS ( P<.001 ; effect size [ES]=.72 ) , and walked significantly faster after training ( P=.02 ; ES=.27 ) . When a cognitive task was added , however , only participants who received dual-task training with fixed-priority instructions and dual-task training with variable-priority instructions exhibited significant improvements in gait speed ( P<.001 , ES=.57 ; and P<.001 , ES=.46 , respectively ) . In addition , only the dual-task training with variable-priority instructions group demonstrated a dual-task training effect at the second week of training and maintained the training effect at the 12-week follow-up . Only the single-task training group showed a significant increase on the ABC after training ( P<.001 ; ES=.61 ) . CONCLUSIONS Dual-task training is effective in improving gait speed under dual-task conditions in elderly participants with balance impairment . Training balance under single-task conditions may not generalize to balance control during dual-task context s. Explicit instruction regarding attentional focus is an important factor contributing to the rate of learning and the retention of the dual-task training effect
Evidence from subgroup comparisons showed no difference in treatment-related changes between cognitive-motor and motor-motor dual tasks , or when interventions were compared to active or inactive controls .
In summary , physical exercise interventions can improve dual-task walking in older adults primarily by increasing the speed at which individuals walk in dual-task conditions .
Currently , evidence concerning whether physical exercise interventions reduce DTC or alter the self-selected dual-task strategy during unobstructed walking is greatly lacking , mainly due to the failure of studies to measure and report reciprocal dual-task effects on the non-gait task
Dual-task interference during walking can substantially limit mobility and increase the risk of  falls among community-dwelling older adults .
Previous systematic review s examining intervention effects on dual-task gait and mobility have not assessed relative dual-task costs ( DTC ) or investigated whether there are differences in treatment-related changes based on the type of dual task or the type of control group .
The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of physical exercise interventions on dual-task performance during walking in older adults .