Effect Of Dual-task On Turning Characteristics While Walking Among Collegiate Athletes

Abstract

Many sports require athletes to complete turns during competition. While many studies have examined spatio-temporal gait parameters both with and without a concurrent cognitive load, there is little information on the turning characteristics while walking and performing a concurrent cognitive task. Such information could help evaluate the effects of concussion on an activity of daily living like turning while walking. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of dual-task on turning characteristics while walking in collegiate athletes. METHODS: 53 subjects performed 5 trials of a 10m walk under single- and dual-task conditions at self-selected speed. Each trial consisted of one turn. The Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) was used as the concurrent dual-task. MMSE consists of spelling five-letter words in reverse, subtraction by sevens, and reciting the months of the year in reverse order. Participants were fitted with 6 OPAL sensors as part of the Mobility Lab system (APDM Inc., Portland, OR). The trunk or lumbar sensor and a mathematical model developed by APDM was used to detect the exact moment of beginning and end of turning. Absolute and variability measures of turning velocity and duration were calculated. Number of steps during turning were also obtained. A paired samples t-test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test were used to compare turning performance under single and dual task conditions. RESULTS: See Table 1. CONCLUSION: Athletes turned significantly slower and took longer time to complete the turn while dual-tasking albeit taking similar number of steps to complete the turn. Whether these results hold true for post-concussion evaluation needs to be determined.Table: No title available.SD - Standard deviation; CV – Coefficient of variation; P<0.05 significant