title: Effect of dual-tasking on the center of pressure trajectory at gait initiation in elderly fallers and non-fallers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the center of pressure (COP) trajectory at gait initiation in single- and dualtask conditions between elderly Fallers and Non-fallers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one community-dwelling elderly people (mean age 80.5 ± 7.6 years) voluntarily participated in this study. Participants were categorized as Fallers or Non-fallers on the basis of previous fall experience. In single- and dual-task conditions, participants performed gait initiation trials from a starting position on a force platform while COP data were collected. Steady-state walking time on a 10-m straight walkway in single- and dual-task conditions was also measured. In the dual-task condition, participants performed individual tests with simultaneous backward counting. Maximum COP displacements and velocities were calculated in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the dual-task condition, Fallers had significantly smaller backward displacements and slower backward velocities of COP than Non-fallers, although there was no significant difference in these values in the single-task condition between groups. Steadystate walking time was also not significantly different in both single- and dual-task conditions between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gait-initiation performance in dual-task conditions may be a good discriminator between Fallers and Non-fallers.
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. kazuki.uemura@gmail.com
authors: Kazuki
authors: K
authors: Uemura
authors: Minoru
authors: M
authors: Yamada
authors: Koutatsu
authors: K
authors: Nagai
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Shinya
authors: Noriaki
authors: N
authors: Ichihashi
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology