title: Motor-cognitive dual-task deficits in individuals with early-mid stage Huntington disease.
abstract: Huntington disease (HD) results in a range of cognitive and motor impairments that progress throughout the disease stages; however, little research has evaluated specific dual-task abilities in this population, and the degree to which they may be related to functional ability.
  
  
  
  The purpose of this study was to a) examine simple and complex motor-cognitive dual-task performance in individuals with HD, b) determine relationships between dual-task walking ability and disease-specific measures of motor, cognitive and functional ability, and c) examine the relationship of dual-task measures to falls in individuals with HD.
  
  
  
  Thirty-two individuals with HD were evaluated for simple and complex dual-task ability using the Walking While Talking Test. Demographics and disease-specific measures of motor, cognitive and functional ability were also obtained.
  
  
  
  Individuals with HD had impairments in simple and complex dual-task ability. Simple dual-task walking was correlated to disease-specific motor scores as well as cognitive performance, but complex dual-task walking was correlated with total functional capacity, as well as a range of cognitive measures. Number of prospective falls was moderately-strongly correlated to dual-task measures.
  
  
  
  Our results suggest that individuals with HD have impairments in cognitive-motor dual-task ability that are related to disease progression and specifically functional ability. Dual-task measures appear to evaluate a unique construct in individuals with early to mid-stage HD, and may have value in improving the prediction of falls risk in this population.
authors.affiliation: Wayne State University, Program in Physical Therapy, Detroit, MI, USA. Electronic address: nora.fritz@wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Nora E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.affiliation: School of Health Care Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. Electronic address: debonok1@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Katy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamana
authors.affiliation: Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. Electronic address: kelsonmj@cf.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelson
authors.affiliation: Schools of Medicine and Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. Electronic address: rosserae@cf.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosser
authors.affiliation: School of Health Care Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. Electronic address: busseme@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busse
authors.affiliation: School of Health Care Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: lq2165@tc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quinn
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cognitive; Dual-task; Falls; Huntington’s disease; Motor