Backward Walking and Dual-Task Assessment Improve Identification of Gait Impairments and Fall Risk in Individuals with MS
Joint Authors
Edwards, Erin M.
Kegelmeyer, Deborah A.
Kloos, Anne D.
Nitta, Manon
Raza, Danya
Nichols-Larsen, Deborah S.
Fritz, Nora E.
Source
Multiple Sclerosis International
Issue
Vol. 2020, Issue 2020 (31 Dec. 2020), pp.1-10, 10 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2020-09-08
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
10
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Background.
Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience deficits in motor and cognitive domains, resulting in impairment in dual-task walking ability.
The goal of this study was to compare performance of forward walking and backward walking in single- and dual-task conditions in persons with MS to age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
We also examined relationships between forward and backward walking to cognitive function, balance, and retrospective fall reports.
Methods.
All measures were collected in a single session.
A 2×2×2 mixed model ANOVA was used to compare differences in forward and backward walking in single- and dual-task conditions between MS and healthy controls.
Spearman correlations were used to examine relationships between gait and cognitive function, falls, and balance.
Results.
Eighteen individuals with relapsing-remitting MS and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls participated.
Backward walking velocity revealed significant differences between groups for both single-task (p=0.015) and dual-task (p=0.014) conditions.
Persons with MS demonstrated significant differences between single- and dual-task forward and backward walking velocities (p=0.023; p=0.004), whereas this difference was only apparent in the backward walking condition for healthy controls (p=0.004).
In persons with MS, there were significant differences in double support time between single- and dual-task conditions in both backward (p<0.001) and forward (p=0.001) directions.
More falls at six months were significantly associated with shorter backward dual-task stride length (r=−0.490; p=0.046) and slower velocity (r=−0.483; p=0.050).
Conclusion.
Differences in MS and age- and sex-matched healthy controls are more pronounced during backward compared to forward walking under single- and dual-task conditions.
Future work with a larger sample size is needed to validate the clinical utility of backward walking and dual-task assessments and mitigate the limited sensitivity of the current dual-task assessments that primarily rely upon forward walking.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Edwards, Erin M.& Kegelmeyer, Deborah A.& Kloos, Anne D.& Nitta, Manon& Raza, Danya& Nichols-Larsen, Deborah S.…[et al.]. 2020. Backward Walking and Dual-Task Assessment Improve Identification of Gait Impairments and Fall Risk in Individuals with MS. Multiple Sclerosis International،Vol. 2020, no. 2020, pp.1-10.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1202577
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Edwards, Erin M.…[et al.]. Backward Walking and Dual-Task Assessment Improve Identification of Gait Impairments and Fall Risk in Individuals with MS. Multiple Sclerosis International No. 2020 (2020), pp.1-10.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1202577
American Medical Association (AMA)
Edwards, Erin M.& Kegelmeyer, Deborah A.& Kloos, Anne D.& Nitta, Manon& Raza, Danya& Nichols-Larsen, Deborah S.…[et al.]. Backward Walking and Dual-Task Assessment Improve Identification of Gait Impairments and Fall Risk in Individuals with MS. Multiple Sclerosis International. 2020. Vol. 2020, no. 2020, pp.1-10.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1202577
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-1202577