title: Cellular Telephone Dialing Influences Kinematic and Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Healthy Adults.
abstract: Gait speed is typically reduced when individuals simultaneously perform other tasks. However, the impact of dual tasking on kinetic and kinematic gait parameters is unclear because these vary with gait speed. The objective of this study was to identify whether dual tasking impacts gait in healthy adults when speed is constant. Twenty-two healthy adults dialed a cell phone during treadmill walking at a self-selected speed while kinetic, kinematic, and spatial parameters were recorded. Results indicated that dual tasking did not impact phone dialing speed, but increased stride width, peak knee flexion during stance, and peak plantarflexion, and decreased knee and ankle range of motion. Dual tasking appears to influence kinematic gait variables in a manner consistent with promotion of stability.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Delaware , Newark , Delaware.
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Loyola University Maryland , Baltimore , Maryland.
authors.forename: Christopher I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Higginson
authors.affiliation: c Department of Engineering & Physics , Elizabethtown College , Elizabethtown , Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Kurt M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: DeGoede
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Loyola University Maryland , Baltimore , Maryland.
authors.forename: Morgan K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bifano
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Loyola University Maryland , Baltimore , Maryland.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.affiliation: a Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Delaware , Newark , Delaware.
authors.forename: Jill S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Higginson
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: age; controlled speed; dual task; gait; healthy; kinematics