Effects of single and dual tasks during walking on spatiotemporal gait parameters of community-dwelling older

Abstract

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effects of single and dual motor tasks on walking in the elderly. [Subjects and Methods] Data of 308 community-dwelling elderly people were analyzed. Spatiotemporal gait data were obtained using the OPTO Gait system. The gait ability test was conducted under single- and dualtask conditions. [Results] Age and task main effects showed significant difference. Interaction did not show any significant difference. [Conclusion] Our results showed that gait performance decreased during dual task compared to single task. Moreover, we found that the higher the age, the greater the effect on dual tasks. Further research is needed to determine how to improve dual task abilities in older adults.