Effects of Single-Task, Dual-Task and Analogy Training during Gait Rehabilitation of Older Adults at Risk of Falling: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Toby C. T. Mak, Catherine M. Capio () and Thomson W. L. Wong
Additional contact information
Toby C. T. Mak: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
Catherine M. Capio: Centre for Educational and Developmental Sciences, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Thomson W. L. Wong: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: It has been suggested that implicit motor learning via dual-task or analogy training during gait rehabilitation may yield better outcomes in older adults by reducing the propensity for the conscious processing of movements (movement-specific reinvestment). The current study investigated the immediate effects of single-task, dual-task, and analogy training on reinvestment propensity and fall-related rehabilitation outcomes among older adults at risk of falling. Seventy-one older adults were randomly allocated to the single-task (ST), dual-task (DT), or analogy (AG) training conditions and received 12 training sessions. We assessed the reinvestment propensity, functional gait and balance, functional mobility, balance ability, single-task and dual-task walking abilities, and fear of falling at baseline (before training) and immediately after training. Our findings revealed a lack of training effect on reinvestment propensity for all groups. However, all groups displayed significant improvements in functional gait and balance ( p < 0.001), functional mobility ( p = 0.02), and balance ability ( p = 0.01) after training. AG appeared to be superior to DT and ST, as it was the only condition that resulted in significant improvements in both single-task and dual-task walking abilities ( p < 0.001). Implementing movement analogies could be a feasible and useful gait rehabilitation strategy for fall prevention and wellbeing promotion among older adults.

Keywords: single-task; dual-task; analogy; physical wellbeing; older adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/315/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/315/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:315-:d:1014572

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().