Article

For adults with stroke, walking while performing a cognitive task can be
challenging, resulting in slower walking, poorer cognitive performance, or
decreased performance on both tasks. It is not known if dual-task deficits are
also present for upper limb movements for adults with stroke. PURPOSE: To
determine if unilateral movements of the affected and less affected hand are
compromised when walking or talking. METHODS: Nineteen community-dwelling adults
with stroke were video- and audiotaped while performing in single- and dual-task
conditions. Tasks included repeated, rhythmic hand movements with the affected
and less affected hand, walking a narrow pathway, and speaking. For dual-task
conditions, movements of each hand were done while walking and while talking. The
rate of hand movement, cadence, and speech rate were analyzed using repeated
measures analyses of variance. RESULTS: Affected hand movement rate was the same
for single- and dual-task conditions. The rate of less affected hand movement was
affected by dual-task conditions; this was due to an increase in hand movement
rate while talking. Examination of cadence and speech rates revealed that cadence
was decreased when moving the affected hand. Speech rate increased when
accompanied by hand movements, but post hoc analyses were not significant.
CONCLUSION: For those with stroke, dual-task deficits are seen with slower
walking while moving the affected hand. In contrast, hand movements while
speaking may have a more complex relationship, with possible faster speech rates
in dual-task conditions.

Langue : ANGLAIS