Backward Walking and Dual-Task Assessment Improve Identification of Gait Impairments and Fall Risk in Individuals with MS.

ABSTRACT:

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 func

SUBMITTER: Edwards EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7495208 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature