Abstract
Gait impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) are exacerbated under dual-task conditions requiring the simultaneous performance of cognitive or motor tasks. Dual-task walking deficits impact functional mobility, which often requires walking while performing concurrent tasks such as talking or carrying an object. The consequences of gait impairments in PD are significant and include increased disability, increased fall risk, and reduced quality of life. However, effective therapeutic interventions for dual-task walking deficits are limited. The goals of this narrative review are to describe dual-task walking deficits in people with PD, to discuss motor and cognitive factors that may contribute to these deficits, to review potential mechanisms underlying dual-task deficits, and to discuss the effect of therapeutic interventions on dual-task walking deficits in persons with PD.
Highlights
Gait impairments and walking limitations are common among people with Parkinson’s disease (PD)
The goals of this review are to describe dual-task walking deficits in people with PD, to discuss motor and cognitive factors that may contribute to these deficits, to review potential mechanisms underlying dual-task interference, and to discuss the effect of therapeutic interventions on dual-task walking deficits in people with PD
This paper has reviewed basic and applied research related to dual-task walking deficits in people with PD
Summary
Gait impairments and walking limitations are common among people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). While gait abnormalities are not pronounced in the early stages of PD, their prevalence and severity increase with disease progression. The potential consequences of gait impairments in PD are significant and include increased disability [2, 3], increased risk for falls, and reduced quality of life. Reduced quality of life is associated with balance and gait abnormalities in PD, including festination and freezing of gait [2, 20,21,22,23,24]. People with PD consider mobility and walking limitations to be among the worst aspects of the disease [25]
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