title: Maintaining gait stability during dual walking task: effects of age and neurological disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dual task paradigm is a common mechanism of daily life, and it is often used for investigating the effect on cognitive processing of motor behavior.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In the present study we investigate the dual task interference during walking on upright gait stability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient neurorehabilitation unit and children neurorehabilitation unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-five subjects were enrolled, divided into five groups: healthy young, healthy elderly, children with typical development, children with cerebral palsy and adults with stroke in subacute phase.
  
  
  METHODS
  All subjects had to walk through a pathway during which they had to hear a sound, turn the head to watch a number and verbalize it. Subjects wore an accelerometer on their lumbar spine to measure upright gait stability have been assessed by means of the Root Mean Square (RMS) of the trunk acceleration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjects showed a reduced speed when performing a dual task with respect to single task. This reduction was significantly different among groups (F(4,81)=12.253, P<0.001, effect size 0.377). The RMS appeared to be increased along the latero-lateral axis, and reduced along the anterio-posterior and the cranio-caudal axes during the dual task walking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These accelerations were significantly related to the changes in speed that were managed in a different way in subjects affected by cerebral palsy and stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The information obtained in this study may be used to support specific rehabilitation techniques in subjects with poor balance ability.
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Tramontano
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy - g.morone@hsantalucia.it.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Morone
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Curcio
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Temperoni
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Medici
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Morelli
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.|Department of Systems Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Caltagirone
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Paolucci
authors: IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Iosa
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D013016:Sound; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D000072797:Walking Speed / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult