Effects of Dual Task Prioritization Training on Dual Task Walking in Older People

Effects of Dual Task Prioritization Training on Dual Task Walking in Older People: A Single-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this single-blinded three-armed randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effect of different task prioritization during dual task training on dual task performance.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy; Older People
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Dual task training

Detailed Description

Introduction: Many activities of daily livings involve performing two tasks simultaneously, i.e. dual tasking. Performing dual task increases the demand on attentional resources, which may further decrease the dual task performance, especially in older adults. According to capacity sharing theory, the two tasks compete and influence with each other due to limited attention and information processing capacity. It has been noted that task prioritization during dual tasking may influence the dual task performance. Previous study indicated that supraposture-focus strategy resulted in better posture and task performance in older people. On the other hand, it is known that dual task training improved dual task performance. However, the effects of applying task prioritization during dual task training have not yet been investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of different task prioritization during dual task training on dual task performance.

Methods: Participants will be randomized into three groups: posture-focus, supraposture-focus and control group. Participants will receive a total of 12 sessions of cognitive dual task training with different prioritization strategies, i.e. prioritization on posture, cognitive or neither task. Walking and task performance during dual task walking, executive function, and balance performance will be assessed before and after the interventions (pre- and post-test).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 39
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ray-Yau Wang, PhD; Phone Number: +886-2-2826-7210; Email: rywang@nycu.edu.tw

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taipei, Taiwan, 112
    • Recruiting
    • National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
    • Contact: Ray-Yau Wang, PhD; Phone Number: +886-2-28267210; Email: rywang@nycu.edu.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 63 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 65 years old
• MMSE scores > 24

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unstable health conditions
• Any neurological, psychological disease or diagnosis of learning disability which interferes the participation in this study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Posture-focus group; Participants will be instructed to pay most attention to practice the posture task during training	Other: Dual task training; All participants will receive cognitive dual task training for 30 min/session, 2-3 sessions/week for 4-6 weeks (a total of 12 sessions). The cognitive dual task training includes 15 min of cognitive task combining with standing task and 15 min of cognitive task combining with walking task. The differences among group are the instructions of task prioritization given by the therapist
Experimental: Supraposture-focus group; Participants will be instructed to pay most attention to practice the cognitive task during training	Other: Dual task training; All participants will receive cognitive dual task training for 30 min/session, 2-3 sessions/week for 4-6 weeks (a total of 12 sessions). The cognitive dual task training includes 15 min of cognitive task combining with standing task and 15 min of cognitive task combining with walking task. The differences among group are the instructions of task prioritization given by the therapist
Active Comparator: Control group; Participants will not be receive any instruction to prioritize either task	Other: Dual task training; All participants will receive cognitive dual task training for 30 min/session, 2-3 sessions/week for 4-6 weeks (a total of 12 sessions). The cognitive dual task training includes 15 min of cognitive task combining with standing task and 15 min of cognitive task combining with walking task. The differences among group are the instructions of task prioritization given by the therapist

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dual task walking performance assessment- speed (m/s)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate gait speed during cognitive and motor dual task walking	Change from baseline dual task walking speed and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Dual task walking performance assessment- cadence (steps/min)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate cadence during cognitive and motor dual task walking	Change from baseline dual task walking cadence and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Dual task walking performance assessment- stride length variability (CV, %)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate stride length variability during cognitive and motor dual task walking	Change from baseline dual task walking stride length variability and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Dual task walking performance assessment- stride time variability (CV, %)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate stride time variability during cognitive and motor dual task walking	Change from baseline dual task walking stride time variability and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Rate of dual task cost- gait speed (%)	Using the dual and single task walking speed to calculate the dual task cost of gait speed	Change from baseline dual task cost and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Trail Making Test	Use Trail Making Test (TMT)-Chinese version to indicate executive function. The duration for completing the test will be measured, and the shorter duration means the better executive function.	Change from baseline Trail Making Test and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Berg Balance Scale	Use Berg Balance Scale (BBS) to assess balance performance. Berg balance scale scoring ranges from 0 to 56. The higher scores indicate better balance performance.	Change from baseline Berg Balance Scale and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Single task walking performance assessment- speed (m/s)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate gait speed during single walking	Change from baseline single task walking speed and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Single task walking performance assessment- cadence (steps/min)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate cadence during single walking	Change from baseline single task walking cadence and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Single task walking performance assessment- stride length variability (CV, %)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate stride length variability during single walking	Change from baseline single task walking stride length variability and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Single task walking performance assessment- stride time variability (CV, %)	Using GaitUp system to evaluate stride time variability during single walking	Change from baseline dual task walking stride time variability and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Cognitive dual task walking performance assessment- correct number (times)	The number of the correct answer for serially subtracting "7" from a predefined 3-digit number during cognitive dual task walking task will be recorded.	Change from baseline cognitive dual task walking performance and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)
Motor dual task walking performance assessment- number of go (pieces)	The number of successfully transferred go pieces from one side to another during motor dual task walking task will be recorded.	Change from baseline motor dual task walking performance and up to 6 weeks (pre- and post-test)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Yang Ming University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ray-Yau Wang, PhD, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 25, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 12, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 4, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): May 10, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 28, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 26, 2022
• Last Verified: September 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Older people; Prioritization strategy; Dual task walking; Dual task walking performance
• Other Study ID Numbers: YM111015F

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No