Walking in School-Aged Children in a Dual-Task Paradigm Is Related to Age But Not to Cognition, Motor Behavior, Injuries, or Psychosocial Functioning

Abstract

Age-dependent gait characteristics and associations with cognition, motor behavior, injuries, and psychosocial functioning were investigated in 138 typically developing children aged 6.7-13.2 years (M = 10.0 years). Gait velocity, normalized velocity, and variability were measured using the walkway system GAITRite without an additional task (single task) and while performing a motor or cognitive task (dual task). Assessment of children's cognition included tests for intelligence and executive functions; parents reported on their child's motor behavior, injuries, and psychosocial functioning. Gait variability (an index of gait regularity) decreased with increasing age in both single-and dual-task walking. Dual-task gait decrements were stronger when children walked in the motor compared to the cognitive dual-task condition and decreased with increasing age in both dual-task conditions. Gait alterations from single-to dual-task conditions were not related to children's cognition, motor behavior, injuries, or psychosocial functioning.

Gait in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Dual-Task Paradigm

“…This finding indicates that a concurrent motor task may cause greater dual-task gait decrements than a cognitive concurrent task what is in line with previous research (Cherng et al, 2007; Hagmann-von Arx et al, 2016) and may be interpreted from the perspective of the multiple-resource model of attention (Wickens, 1991). The model assumes that attentional resources are divided into various pools depending, for example, on the modality of input and response.…”

“…Additionally, results showed that the difficult motor concurrent task led to greater gait alterations (i.e., greater decrease in stride length and greater increase in double limb support) compared to the cognitive concurrent tasks. In a similar vein, a recent study conducted by Hagmann-von Arx et al (2016) including school-aged children confirmed these findings by showing that gait performance was stronger affected in a motor dual-task condition in which children were asked to fasten and unfasten a shirt button than in a cognitive dual-task condition in which children were asked to listen to and memorize digits while walking.…”

“…In this regard it has to be noted that both Leitner et al (2007) as well as our study included a large age range by investigating participants aged between 9 and 16 years (Leitner et al, 2007) and between 7 and 13 years, respectively. This is an age range in which an adult-like gait pattern has been established (e.g., Adolph et al, 2003), but gait variability parameters continue to develop (Hausdorff et al, 1999; Hagmann-von Arx et al, 2016). Thus, this age range gives insights into different aspects of gait development.…”

“…Typically developing children establish a mature walking pattern at about 7 years (Adolph et al, 2003). However, there is evidence that gait variability (i.e., stride-to-stride fluctuations reflecting the automaticity and regularity of a walking pattern) continues to develop into later childhood (Hausdorff et al, 1999; Hagmann-von Arx et al, 2016). So far, three studies have investigated spatiotemporal and variability measures of gait in school-aged children with ADHD (without or off medication) using instrumented gait analysis techniques such as electronic walkway systems or electronic footswitches (Leitner et al, 2007; Papadopoulos et al, 2014; Manicolo et al, 2016).…”

“…The main goal of this study was to investigate gait in children with and without ADHD at school-age when children have reached an adult-like gait pattern (Adolph et al, 2003) but variability gait parameters are still developing (Hausdorff et al, 1999; Hagmann-von Arx et al, 2016) in a dual-task paradigm including both a concurrent cognitive and motor task condition. First, we expected that a concurrent cognitive and motor task would negatively affect gait performance of children with and without ADHD as there is evidence that gait requires executive functions (e.g., Woollacott and Shumway-Cook, 2002).…”