Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of 2 different dual tasks on gait variability
in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared with control subjects.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Memory clinic at a university hospital.
PARTICIPANTS: Older adults with MCI (n=43) and cognitively normal control
subjects (n=25) from the community. Gait was assessed under single (usual
walking) and dual tasking (naming animals and subtracting serial 7s), using an
electronic walkway. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
dependent variable was the coefficient of variation of gait variability, a marker
of gait stability and an established risk factor for falls. Two-way
repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine main effects (group,
task) and their interaction. RESULTS: A significant difference was found within
and between groups (P=.016) of increasing gait variability as dual-task
complexity increased. Gait velocity decreased within groups as dual-task
complexity increased. The magnitude of increased gait variability across tasks
was greater for the MCI group (2.68%- 9.84%) than for the control group
(1.86%-3.74%), showing a significant between-group difference (P=.041).
CONCLUSIONS: Dual-task load significantly increased gait variability in the MCI
group compared with the control group, an effect that was larger than the changes
in gait velocity. The magnitude of this impairment on gait stability was related
to the complexity of the dual task applied. Our findings help to explain the high
risk of falls recently described in older adults with MCI, and may help in the
identification of fall risk in cognitively impaired persons.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS