Effect of performing a cognitive task on gait performance in patients with hemiparesis following stroke of greater than three months duration

Therapist rehabilitating patients mobility following stroke need to take account of the evidence that cognitive resources are drawn upon walking. Only few studies reported the changes in gait performance in patients with stroke during dual-task walking. Therefore, this study is aimed to examine the effect of cognitive task performance on the T-D parameters of gait in patients with stroke.

30 subjects with single CVA of greater than three months duration were included in the study.

Pretest and Post-test design

Measurements were taken in two conditions: a) Walking alone, b) walking with cognitive task- Subjects were instructed to enumerate names of animals or names of flowers while walking. Two measurements were taken on the two different days.

All subjects demonstrated statistically significant (p<0.05) decrement in gait T-D parameters while walking with cognitive task as compared to walking alone.

Performing a cognitive while walking resulted in decrement of gait T-D parameters in patients with stroke.