Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • FAQ
    • Log in

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    The effects of a concurrent motor task on walking in Alzheimer's disease

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Wittwer, J.
    Webster, K.
    Hill, Keith
    Date
    2014
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Type
    Journal Article
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract

    The important relationship between cognition and gait in people with dementia has been explored with dual-task studies using added cognitive tasks. Effects of less commonly studied but also attention-dividing motor dual-tasks are important to assess in this group as they are common in everyday function and may affect gait differently from cognitive dual-tasks. They may also be easier to comprehend allowing their application with more severe cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and feasibility of a motor dual-task (MDT) on gait measures in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thirty people (15 men, mean age ± SD, 80.2 ± 5.8 years) with a diagnosis of probable AD (MMSE range 8–28) walked on an electronic walkway (i) at self-selected comfortable pace and (ii) at self-selected comfortable pace while carrying a tray and glasses. The MDT produced significant decreases in velocity (Baseline = 111.5 ± 26.5 cm/s, MDT = 96.8 ± 25.7 cm/s, p < 0.001) and stride length (Baseline = 121.4 ± 21.6 cm, MDT = 108.1 ± 21.0 cm, p < 0.001) with medium effect sizes, and increased stride time (Baseline = 1.11 ± 0.11 s, MDT = 1.14 ± 0.12 s, p = 0.001) with small effect size. Measures of spatial (Baseline = 3.2 ± 1.0%, MDT = 3.9 ± 1.5%, p = 0.006) and temporal (Baseline = 2.4 ± 0.8%, MDT = 2.8 ± 0.8%, p = 0.008) variability increased with the motor dual-task, with medium effect sizes. A trend for motor dual-task changes in gait measures to increase with greater disease severity did not reach significance. The tray-carrying task was feasible, even for participants with severe cognitive decline. Further comparison of different types of motor and cognitive dual-tasks may contribute to development of a framework for clinical intervention to improve reduced dual-task walking capacity in people with AD.

    Citation
    Wittwer, J. and Webster, K. and Hill, K. 2014. The effects of a concurrent motor task on walking in Alzheimer's disease. Gait and Posture. 39 (1): pp. 291-296.
    Source Title
    Gait and Posture
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17521
    DOI
    10.1016/j.gaitpost.2013.07.126

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Effectiveness of dual-task functional power training for preventing falls in older people: Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
      Daly, R.; Duckham, R.; Tait, J.; Rantalainen, T.; Nowson, C.; Taaffe, D.; Sanders, K.; Hill, Keith; Kidgell, D.; Busija, L. (2015)
      Background: Falls are a major public health concern with at least one third of people aged 65 years and over falling at least once per year, and half of these will fall repeatedly, which can lead to injury, pain, loss of ...
    • Effect of rhythmic auditory cueing on gait in people with Alzheimer disease
      Wittwer, J.; Webster, K.; Hill, Keith (2013)
      Objective: To determine whether rhythmic music and metronome cues alter spatiotemporal gait measures and gait variability in people with Alzheimer disease (AD). Design: A repeated-measures study requiring participants to ...
    • Functional adaptation to exercise in elderly subjects.
      Brown, Annette (2002)
      Maintenance of physical function with advancing age is vital to continued independent living, which is highly valued by older people. Although commonly associated with the ageing process, loss of functional ability may ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDocument TypesThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDocument Types

    My Account

    Log in

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Connect with Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Send FeedbackContact Us
    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2015  DuraSpace