@article{ref1,
title="Dual task cost in adults with persistent concussion symptoms",
journal="Gait and posture",
year="2023",
author="Bryk, Kelsey N. and Passalugo, Scott and Chou, Li-Shan and Reisman, Darcy R. and Hafer, Jocelyn and Semrau, Jennifer A. and Buckley, Thomas A.",
volume="101",
number="",
pages="120-123",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Persistent concussion symptoms (PCS) negatively affects common activities of daily living including deficits in both single and dual-task (DT) gait. DT gait deficits are present post-concussion; however, task prioritization and the effects of differing cognitive challenge remain unexplored in the PCS population.   RESEARCH QUESTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate single and dual-task gait performance in individuals with persistent concussion symptoms and to identify task priorization strategies during DT trials. <br><br>METHODS: Fifteen adults with PCS (age: 43.9+11.7 y.o.) and 23 healthy control participants (age: 42.1+10.3 y.o.) completed five trials of single task gait followed by fifteen trials of dual task gait along a 10-m walkway. The cognitive challenges consisted of five trials each of visual stroop, verbal fluency, and working memory cognitive challenges. Groups were compared on DT cost stepping characteristics with independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U tests. <br><br>RESULTS: There were significant overall gait Dual Task Cost (DTC)difference between groups for gait speed (p = 0.009, d=0.92) and step length (p = 0.023, d=0.76). Specific to each DT challenge, PCS participants were slower during Verbal Fluency (0.98 + 0.15 m/s and 1.12 + 0.12 m/s, p = 0.008; d=1.03), Visual Stroop (1.06 + 0.19 m/s and 1.20 + 0.12 m/s, p = 0.012, d=0.88), and Working Memory (1.02 + 0.15 m/s and 1.16 + 0.14 m/s, p = 0.006, d=0.96). There were significant cognitive DTC differences between groups for WM accuracy (p = 0.008, d=0.96), but not for VS accuracy (p = 0.841, d=0.061) or VF total words (p = 0.112, d=0.56).   SIGNIFICANCE: The PCS participants displayed a posture-second strategy whereby gait performance generally decreased in the absence of cognitive changes. However, during the Working Memory DT, PCS participants had a mutual interference response whereby both motor and cognitive performance decreased suggesting the cognitive task plays a key role in the DT gait performance of PCS patients.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0966-6362",
doi="10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.02.008",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.02.008"
}