Abstract
Falls during stair negotiation have become one of the leading causes of accidental death. The effects of a concurrent cognitive or manual dual-task paradigm on dynamic gait stability remain uncertain. How much dynamic gait stability is influenced by gait velocity is also not clear. A total of 16 healthy young females descended a staircase under three different walking conditions: descend stairs only (single task), descend stairs while performing subtraction (cognitive dual-task), and descend stairs while carrying a glass of water (manual dual-task). An eight-camera Vicon motion analysis system and a Kistler force plate embedded into the third step of the staircase were used synchronously to collect kinematic and kinetic data. Gait velocity decreased and dynamic gait stability increased with both cognitive and manual dual-task conditions. The center of mass–center of pressure inclination angle increased with gait velocity but decreased with the manual dual-task condition compared to the single-task condition. Changes in gait velocity caused by the dual-task paradigm can partially explain the effects of dual-task dynamic gait stability. The influence of gait velocity should be considered in the assessment of dual-task effects.
Highlights
Stair negotiation is an activity of daily living with the potential for falls
The third hypothesis was supported since the results showed that dynamic gait stability (DGS) decreased with increasing gait velocity under both the MT and CT paradigms
This study examined the effects of a concurrent cognitive or manual dual-task on gait velocity and DGS during stair descent
Summary
Stair negotiation is an activity of daily living with the potential for falls. Falls on stairs account for26% of all self-reported falls [1] and are one of the leading causes of accidental death [2]. Stair negotiation is an activity of daily living with the potential for falls. 26% of all self-reported falls [1] and are one of the leading causes of accidental death [2]. Compared with stair ascent and level walking, stair descent accounts for 75% of falls on stairs [3] and demands greater lower-limb joint range of motion [4] and muscle strength [5]. Stair descent imposes significant challenges to dynamic gait stability (DGS) in people of all ages [6]. Dual-tasking is essential to daily living activities, including during stair descent [7]. The simultaneous performance of additional tasks often results in changes in gait patterns that are associated with falls [8]
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