Gender Differences in Dual Task Gait Performance in Older Adults

Abstract

Although attention-dividing dual tasks hinder gait performance in older persons, gender differences in gait have not been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine whether gait performance differs between older men and women during dual task walking. A total of 44 healthy adults (20 men and 24 women) aged 65 years or older participated in the study. Participants walked under normal and dual task (backward spelling) conditions at self-selected speeds. Mean gait speed and stride-to-stride variability in gait speed were quantified with GAITRite( ®) instrumentation. Whereas gait speed decreased and variability in gait speed increased in both groups during dual task walking, men walked with greater variability during dual task walking than did women. The magnitude of the increase in variability in gait speed observed in men indicates that stride-to-stride variability in gait speed during dual task walking requires more investigation as a potential risk factor for falls in older men.

Gait performance of the elderly under dual-task conditions: Review of instruments employed and kinematic parameters

“…Of these, 13 analyzed a single group of elderly individuals [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] and 15 compared groups of elderly individuals with different characteristics. 5,6,[16][17][18][19][20][21][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] Charts 1 and 2 contain the details of the studies included in this review, as well as the details of the samples, instruments, tasks and spatial and temporal parameters of gait in each study. Step time; variability of the step …”

“…17,[29][30][31][33][34][35]37 One study reported no alteration in the parameter during the DT. 25 Of the 10 studies that compared two groups of elderly individuals with different characteristics, six indicated a reduction in gait speed among fallers, 31,42,44 recurrent fallers 5 and those who feared falling 18,43 during a DT with an arithmetic CT, a verbal fluency CT, a motor task (MT) and a TT. The other four studies used a DT with an arithmetic CT, a verbal fluency CT and an executive function CT and found no significant effect on gait speed.…”

“…The other four studies used a DT with an arithmetic CT, a verbal fluency CT and an executive function CT and found no significant effect on gait speed. 20,21,38,41 …”

“…Five assessed variability and confirmed a significant increase during gait in association with a DT and an arithmetic CT, a verbal fluency CT and an executive function CT among elderly individuals who feared falls, 43 were frail 27 and lived in a community. 29,39,41 Ten studies analyzed the stride time. Of the three studies involving elderly individuals with similar characteristics, two reported a reduction in the stride time among community-dwelling and frail elderly individuals, 27,32 whereas two other studies reported an increase in the variability of time during a DT with an arithmetic CT, a verbal fluency CT and an executive function CT. 31,35 Of the six studies that compared elderly individuals with different characteristics, 16,18,38,39,40,42 three reported an increase in the stride time among elderly individuals who were classified as sedentary, fallers and those who feared falling, during a DT with an arithmetic CT and a MT.…”

Variabilidade de parâmetros eletromiográficos e cinemáticos em diferentes condições de marcha em idosos

“…142 marcha (MENZ; FITZPATRICK, 2003;TALBOT et al, 2005;BAIRD;RICHARD, 2009;YOUDAS;LANZINO, 2009). Deste modo, desafios cotidianos durante a marcha, podem comprometer seriamente a capacidade de controlar o equilíbrio dinâmico (PIJNAPPELS; BOBBERT; VAN DIEEN, 2001;CHOU, 2005;PIJNAPPELS, 2008).…”