Dual-Task Does Not Increase Slip and Fall Risk in Healthy Young and Older Adults during Walking

Authors

Rahul Soangra, Chapman UniversityFollow
Thurmon Lockhart, Arizona State University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-31-2017

Abstract

Dual-task tests can identify gait characteristics peculiar to fallers and nonfallers. Understanding the relationship between gait performance and dual-task related cognitive-motor interference is important for fall prevention. Dual-task adapted changes in gait instability/variability can adversely affect fall risks. Although implicated, it is unclear if healthy participants’ fall risks aremodified by dual-task walking conditions. Seven healthy young and seven healthy older adults were randomly assigned to normal walking and dual-task walking sessions with a slip perturbation. In the dual-task session, the participants walked and simultaneously counted backwards from a randomly provided number. The results indicate that the gait changes in dual-task walking have no destabilizing effect on gait and slip responses in healthy individuals.We also found that, during dual-tasking, healthy individuals adopted cautious gait mode (CGM) strategy that is characterized by reduced walking speed, shorter step length, increased step width, and reduced heel contact velocity and is likely to be an adaptation to minimize attentional demand and decrease slip and fall risk during limited available attentional resources. Exploring interactions between gait variability and cognitive functions while walking may lead to designing appropriate fall interventions among healthy and patient population with fall risk.

Comments

This article was originally published in Applied Bionics and Biomechanics in 2017. DOI:10.1155/2017/1014784

Recommended Citation

Soangra R, Lockhart TE. Dual-task does not increase slip and fall risk in healthy young and older adults during walking. Appl Bionics Biomech. 2017:1014784. doi:10.1155/2017/1014784

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.