The Effect Of Dual-Task Training On Motor And Cognitive Performance In School-Age Children (Dual-task)

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of dual task training on performance in school-age children. Although studies on this subject in the world are limited, a comprehensive study on school-age children is needed.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

• Evaluation will begin by applying demographic information and the Physical Activity Survey for Children.
• The evaluations to be made will primarily evaluate the child's performance on a single cognitive task in a supported sitting position on a chair, without a motor task.
• To evaluate single motor performance, a 2-minute walk test and a 30-second sit-stand test will be applied.
• Dual task evaluations will be carried out by adding a cognitive task while applying the 2-minute walk and 30-second sit-to-stand test.
• Walking speed will be evaluated with the 10m walk test.
• Balance parameter will be evaluated with functional reaching test.
• Using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), participating children will be asked to score the difficulty of cognitive and motor performance as a number between 0 and 10.
• Walking speeds will be normalized by measuring lower extremity lengths.
• The children will be randomly divided into two groups and the study group will be given dual-task training by creating dual-task situations during the activities carried out in physical education classes.
• After 4 weeks, appropriate analyzes will be made with the data obtained as a result of the evaluations performed by the same evaluator.

As a result of this study, motor and cognitive performance in single-task conditions in typically developing children will be revealed. Additionally, changes in this performance will be detected in dual-task situations. The gains to be obtained as a result of the training will also reveal the importance of implementing dual task training in school-age children.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy; Child, Only
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: dual task training; Other: single task training

Detailed Description

Performing a cognitive task such as communicating while performing postural tasks such as walking is called dual task.

Attentional resources are divided into dual-task (DT) situations that are frequently experienced in daily life. Due to this division, the secondary task affects postural performance. DT states can be motor-motor, motor-cognitive, or cognitive-cognitive.

Humans, like other living creatures, are born, develop and learn in a multisensory field. Children encounter many dual-task (DT) situations in their daily, social and academic lives where they need to share limited attention resources. When attentional capacities are exceeded, performance of the postural task, cognitive task, or both may be impaired, causing DT confusion. DT confusion occurs more clearly in children, the elderly, and individuals with neurological involvement.The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of dual task training on performance in school-age children. Although studies on this subject in the world are limited, a comprehensive study on school-age children is needed.The physical activity level of the participants will be evaluated with the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). There are two forms: PAQ-C, which evaluates the physical activity levels of primary school children between the ages of 8-12, and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), which evaluates the physical activity levels of students between the ages of 13-18. The answers to all questions except the last question in the survey are scored according to the frequency of the activity. Never gets 1 point, most often gets 5 points. In the last question, the answer does not have any points. The answer must be yes or no. A high result score indicates a high level of physical activity. A Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

• Evaluation will begin by applying demographic information and the Physical Activity Survey for Children.
• The evaluations to be made will primarily evaluate the child's performance on a single cognitive task in a supported sitting position on a chair, without a motor task.
• To evaluate single motor performance, a 2-minute walk test and a 30-second sit-stand test will be applied.
• Dual task evaluations will be carried out by adding a cognitive task while applying the 2-minute walk and 30-second sit-to-stand test.
• Walking speed will be evaluated with the 10m walk test.
• Balance parameter will be evaluated with functional reaching test.
• Using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), participating children will be asked to score the difficulty of cognitive and motor performance as a number between 0 and 10.
• Walking speeds will be normalized by measuring lower extremity lengths.
• The children will be randomly divided into two groups and the study group will be given dual-task training by creating dual-task situations during the activities carried out in physical education classes.
• After 4 weeks, appropriate analyzes will be made with the data obtained as a result of the evaluations performed by the same evaluator.

As a result of this study, motor and cognitive performance in single-task conditions in typically developing children will be revealed. Additionally, changes in this performance will be detected in dual-task situations. The gains to be obtained as a result of the training will also reveal the importance of implementing dual task training in school-age children.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Sema Bugusan Oruc, PhD; Phone Number: +90(0476) 223 00 10; Email: semabugusan@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being between the ages of 7-15,
• Not having a chronic disease
• Volunteering to participate in the study and signing a consent form.

Exclusion Criteria

• Experiencing a health problem that will affect the musculoskeletal system in the last year,
• Having a condition that prevents participation in physical education class.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: dual-task group; Cognitive tasks will be given simultaneously while students exercise in physical education class.	Other: dual task training; students will be given additional cognitive tasks while exercising in physical education class
Experimental: single-task group; Students exercise in physical education class.	Other: single task training; students will exercise in physical education class, without additional cognitive tasks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C)	There are two forms: PAQ-C, which evaluates the physical activity levels of primary school children between the ages of 8-12, and PAQ-A, which evaluates the physical activity levels of students between the ages of 13-18. The answers to all questions except the last question in the survey are scored according to the frequency of the activity. Never gets 1 point, most often gets 5 points. A high result score indicates a high level of physical activity. A Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted	5minutes
Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescent (PAQ-A)	There are two forms: PAQ-C, which evaluates the physical activity levels of primary school children between the ages of 8-12, and PAQ-A, which evaluates the physical activity levels of students between the ages of 13-18. The answers to all questions except the last question in the survey are scored according to the frequency of the activity. Never gets 1 point, most often gets 5 points. A high result score indicates a high level of physical activity. A Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted	5minutes
Single cognitive task performance	Single cognitive task performance will measure with n-back in sitting	1minute
2-minute walk test	2-minute walk test (single and dual-task conditions)	4minutes
30-second sit-stand test	30-second sit-stand test (single and dual-task conditions)	2minutes
10m walk test. (single-task conditions)	10m walk test will be aplied. 10-meter walking time will be recorded.	2minutes
10m walk test. (dual-task conditions)	10m walk test. 10-meter walking time with concurrent cognitive task will be recorded.	2minutes
functional reaching test.	functional reaching test.(single and dual-task conditions)	1minute
Visual Analog Scale (VAS)	Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for motor and cognitive task. The higher the score indicates the difficulty of the task (0=simple task, 10: difficult almost cannot do)	1minute
lower extremity lengths assessment	lower extremity lengths assessment with tape measure	1minute

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Igdir University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hagmann-von Arx P, Manicolo O, Lemola S, Grob A. Walking in School-Aged Children in a Dual-Task Paradigm Is Related to Age But Not to Cognition, Motor Behavior, Injuries, or Psychosocial Functioning. Front Psychol. 2016 Mar 10;7:352. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00352. eCollection 2016.
• Barutchu A, Toohey S, Shivdasani MN, Fifer JM, Crewther SG, Grayden DB, Paolini AG. Multisensory perception and attention in school-age children. J Exp Child Psychol. 2019 Apr;180:141-155. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2018.11.021. Epub 2019 Jan 14.
• Anderson M, Bucks RS, Bayliss DM, Della Sala S. Effect of age on dual-task performance in children and adults. Mem Cognit. 2011 Oct;39(7):1241-52. doi: 10.3758/s13421-011-0099-7.
• Saxena S, Cinar E, Majnemer A, Gagnon I. Does dual tasking ability change with age across childhood and adolescence? A systematic scoping review. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2017 May;58:35-49. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.012. Epub 2017 Feb 3.
• Rabaglietti E, De Lorenzo A, Brustio PR. The Role of Working Memory on Dual-Task Cost During Walking Performance in Childhood. Front Psychol. 2019 Jul 31;10:1754. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01754. eCollection 2019.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 15, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 27, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 6, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): March 7, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 15, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 14, 2024
• Last Verified: March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Dual Task; School-age Children
• Other Study ID Numbers: Igdir180

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