title: A training program to improve gait while dual tasking in patients with Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.
abstract: Impairments in the ability to perform another task while walking (ie, dual tasking [DT]) are associated with an increased risk of falling. Here we describe a program we developed specifically to improve DT performance while walking based on motor learning principles and task-specific training. We examined feasibility, potential efficacy, retention, and transfer to the performance of untrained tasks in a pilot study among 7 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Seven patients (Hoehn and Yahr stage, 2.1±0.2) were evaluated before, after, and 1 month after 4 weeks of DT training. Gait speed and gait variability were measured during usual walking and during 4 DT conditions. The 4-week program of one-on-one training included walking while performing several distinct cognitive tasks. Gait speed and gait variability during DT significantly improved. Improvements were also seen in the DT conditions that were not specifically trained and were retained 1 month after training. These initial findings support the feasibility of applying a task-specific DT gait training program for patients with PD and suggest that it positively affects DT gait, even in untrained tasks. The present results are also consistent with the possibility that DT gait training enhances divided attention abilities during walking.
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Galit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yogev-Seligmann
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giladi
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brozgol
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hausdorff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology