Effect of task difficulty on dual-task cost during dual-task walking in people with multiple sclerosis


Gulsen C., Soke F., Aydin F., ÖZCAN GÜLŞEN E., YILMAZ Ö., Kocer B., ...More

GAIT & POSTURE, pp.95-100, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2024.09.003
  • Journal Name: GAIT & POSTURE
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, SportDiscus
  • Page Numbers: pp.95-100
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background: Cognitive-motor dual-task walking results a decrease in walking performance of patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and it is known as dual-task cost (DTC). However, there is a lack of evidence about the effects of dual-tasks with hierarchical difficulty on DTC in PwMS. Research question: This study aimed to investigate the effect of task difficulty on DTC during cognitive-motor dual-task walking in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods: 32 PwMS and 32 healthy controls were included. The 6-meter walking test (6-Meter WT) with comfortable speed was used as single-task walking condition. For dual-task conditions, walking tasks and cognitive tasks at two difficulty levels (simple and difficult) were combined and DTC for four cognitive-motor dual-task walking conditions as simple motor-simple cognitive (SM-SC), simple motor-difficult cognitive (SMDC), difficult motor-simple cognitive (DM-SC) and difficult motor-difficult cognitive (DM-DC) were calculated. The 6-Meter WT was used also for simple dual-task walking task. The 6-Meter WT was applied by walking in a narrow base condition for creating a difficult dual-task walking task. For cognitive task difficulty, participants were asked to count backwards by 3 as simple cognitive task and by 7 as difficult cognitive task. Results: DTC was higher in PwMS than control subjects. DTC in all conditions were different (SM-SC