title: Test-Retest Reliability of Dual-Task Outcome Measures in People With Parkinson Disease.
abstract: Dual-task (DT) training is gaining ground as a physical therapy intervention in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Future studies evaluating the effect of such interventions need reliable outcome measures. To date, the test-retest reliability of DT measures in patients with PD remains largely unknown.
  
  
  
  The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of DT outcome measures in patients with PD.
  
  
  
  A repeated-measures design was used.
  
  
  
  Patients with PD ("on" medication, Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥24) performed 2 cognitive tasks (ie, backward digit span task and auditory Stroop task) and 1 functional task (ie, mobile phone task) in combination with walking. Tasks were assessed at 2 time points (same hour) with an interval of 6 weeks. Test-retest reliability was assessed for gait while performing each secondary task (DT gait) for both cognitive tasks while walking (DT cognitive) and for the functional task while walking (DT functional).
  
  
  
  Sixty-two patients with PD (age=39-89 years, Hoehn and Yahr stages II-III) were included in the study. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) showed excellent reliability for DT gait measures, ranging between .86 and .95 when combined with the digit span task, between .86 and .95 when combined with the auditory Stroop task, and between .72 and .90 when combined with the mobile phone task. The standard error of measurements for DT gait speed varied between 0.06 and 0.08 m/s, leading to minimal detectable changes between 0.16 and 0.22 m/s. With regard to DT cognitive measures, reaction times showed good-to-excellent reliability (digit span task: ICC=.75; auditory Stroop task: ICC=.82).
  
  
  
  The results cannot be generalized to patients with advanced disease or to other DT measures.
  
  
  
  In people with PD, DT measures proved to be reliable for use in clinical studies and look promising for use in clinical practice to assess improvements after DT training. Large effects, however, are needed to obtain meaningful effect sizes.
authors: C. Strouwen, PT, PhD, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Carolien
authors: C
authors: Strouwen
authors: E.A.L.M. Molenaar, PT, MSc, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen Centre for Evidence Based Practice, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors: Esther A L M
authors: EA
authors: Molenaar
authors: S.H.J. Keus, PT, PhD, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen Centre for Evidence Based Practice, Radboud University Medical Center.
authors: Samyra H J
authors: SH
authors: Keus
authors: L. Münks, PT, MSc, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation, KU Leuven.
authors: Liesbeth
authors: L
authors: Münks
authors: B.R. Bloem, PhD, MD, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center.
authors: Bastiaan R
authors: BR
authors: Bloem
authors: A. Nieuwboer, PT, PhD, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101 Bus 1501, 3001 Leuven, Belgium. Alice.Nieuwboer@faber.kuleuven.be.
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Nieuwboer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011930:Reaction Time; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057190:Stroop Test; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016138:Walking