title: The effect of divided attention on gait stability following concussion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The need to identify functional impairment following a brain injury is critical to prevent re-injury during the period of recovery. While many neuropsychological tests have been developed to assess cognitive performance, relatively little information on gait and dynamic stability is available on motor task performance for young adults following concussion. This study was performed to investigate the effect of divided attention following concussion on various gait variables. It was hypothesized that, when compared to uninjured controls, concussed subjects would demonstrate deficits in maintenance of dynamic stability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten subjects with Grade 2 concussion completed testing within 48 h of injury as well as 10 age-, height-, weight-, and activity-matched controls. The gait protocol consisted of level walking under two conditions: (1) undivided attention (single-task) and (2) while simultaneously completing simple mental tasks (dual-task). Whole-body motion data were collected using a six-camera motion analysis system. A 13-segment biomechanical model was used to compute whole body center of mass motion and velocity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Walking with a concurrent cognitive task resulted in significant changes in gait and center of mass measurements for both groups. Concussed subjects were found to be able to conservatively adjust their whole body center of mass motion to maintain dynamic stability while walking without divided attention. However, while walking with divided attention, subjects with concussion demonstrated a significantly greater medio-lateral center of mass sway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that the ability to control and maintain stability in the frontal plane during walking is diminished under divided attention in individuals following a concussion.
authors.affiliation: Motion Analysis Laboratory, Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
authors.forename: Tonya M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Louis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Osternig
authors.forename: Heng-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Paul van
authors.initials: Pv
authors.lastname: Donkelaar
authors.forename: Li-Shan
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis