Comparison of Effect of Different Methods of Cognitive Loading on Gait of Normal Healthy Students

The Effects of Different Types of Cognitive Load on Gait

Comparison of effect of different methods of cognitive loading on gait of normal healthy students.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cognitive Load, Performance
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: 1. WORKING MEMORY TASK:; Other: 2. VISUAL AND VERBAL FLUENCY TASK; Other: 3. MOTOR TASK:

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 82
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab
    • Islamabad, Punjab, Pakistan, 44030
      • Riphah International University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male and female students from colleges of Abbottabad.
• Age limit (17 to 20) According to (FSC admission criteria age of the student should not be more than 18 to enter the college.)
• Healthy individuals without any neurological and MSK disorder. (screening will be done before performing the test on the student, questions regarding the above-mentioned conditions and consent will be signed before starting the test)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any student with visible physical deformity or MSK disorder will not be included in this research (15)
• Any student with a psychiatric or neurological disorder will not be included (16)
• Any student with cardiac abnormality will be excluded from this research (17)
• Any student who does not fall in this age group will not be included in this research.
• Colleges outside Abbottabad will not be included in this research.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group 1 male; All members of group number 1 who fall in the eligibility criteria will undergo three different types of cognitive loading. Three types of cognitive loading will be applied randomly to eliminate any bias. Each Method will be applied three times with pre and post-recordings to ensure reliability.	Other: 1. WORKING MEMORY TASK: Arithmetic task: backward counting with serial 3 subtractions out loud. Group 1 and Group 2 participants will be asked to count backwards with serial 3 subtractions out loud while walking 10 meters. There is considerable disruption of performance because of simultaneous articulatory suppression. However, when errors were observed they were calculated to be numerically close to the correct figure which suggests that performance was not completely disrupted by suppression of articulation.; Other: 2. VISUAL AND VERBAL FLUENCY TASK; Modified Stroop test or Stroop colour word test: Participants are asked to name the colour of ink that each word is printed. It is the most frequent test used to show attention bias in anxiety patients. This test will appear on the mobile phone in their hands while they walk to increase the effect of cognitive loading.; Other: 3. MOTOR TASK: Carrying a tray with four glasses filled with water. Participants will be asked to hold a tray of glasses filled with water and walk 10 meters to calculate the effect of cognitive loading on gait.
Experimental: Group 2 female; All members of group number 2 who fall in the eligibility criteria will undergo three different types of cognitive loading. Three types of cognitive loading will be applied randomly to eliminate any bias. Each Method will be applied three times along with pre and post-recordings to ensure reliability.	Other: 1. WORKING MEMORY TASK: Arithmetic task: backward counting with serial 3 subtractions out loud. Group 1 and Group 2 participants will be asked to count backwards with serial 3 subtractions out loud while walking 10 meters. There is considerable disruption of performance because of simultaneous articulatory suppression. However, when errors were observed they were calculated to be numerically close to the correct figure which suggests that performance was not completely disrupted by suppression of articulation.; Other: 2. VISUAL AND VERBAL FLUENCY TASK; Modified Stroop test or Stroop colour word test: Participants are asked to name the colour of ink that each word is printed. It is the most frequent test used to show attention bias in anxiety patients. This test will appear on the mobile phone in their hands while they walk to increase the effect of cognitive loading.; Other: 3. MOTOR TASK: Carrying a tray with four glasses filled with water. Participants will be asked to hold a tray of glasses filled with water and walk 10 meters to calculate the effect of cognitive loading on gait.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Walking speed (m/s)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures the walking speed with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.93). Walking speed usually decreases if the participant performs a task that challenges dynamic balance.	Baseline
Walking speed (m/s)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures the walking speed with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.93). Walking speed usually decreases if the participant performs a task that challenges dynamic balance.	During Cognitive loading tests
Walking speed (m/s)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures the walking speed with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.93). Walking speed usually decreases if the participant performs a task that challenges dynamic balance.	Immediately after Cognitive loading tests
Gait symmetry (%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures gait symmetry with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.65) Gait symmetry tends to decrease if the participant undergoes a task that includes dynamic balance.	Baseline
Gait symmetry (%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures gait symmetry with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.65) Gait symmetry tends to decrease if the participant undergoes a task that includes dynamic balance.	During Cognitive loading tests
Gait symmetry (%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures gait symmetry with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.65) Gait symmetry tends to decrease if the participant undergoes a task that includes dynamic balance.	Immediately after Cognitive loading tests
Step length(m)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step length with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.94). Step length usually increases with challenged dynamic balance-based activities.	Baseline
Step length(m)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step length with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.94). Step length usually increases with challenged dynamic balance-based activities.	During Cognitive loading tests
Step length(m)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step length with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.94). Step length usually increases with challenged dynamic balance-based activities.	Immediately after Cognitive loading tests
Step time(s)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.84). Step time increases under the effect of dynamic balance-based activities.	Baseline
Step time(s)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.84). Step time increases under the effect of dynamic balance-based activities.	During Cognitive loading tests
Step time(s)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time with moderate to excellent reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.84). Step time increases under the effect of dynamic balance-based activities.	Immediately after Cognitive loading tests
Step time variability(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time with moderate to poor reliability while the participant is walking normally (ICC=0.51). Step time variability tends to increase if a participant undergoes dynamic balance-based activities.	Baseline
Step time variability(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time with moderate to poor reliability while the participant is walking normally (ICC=0.51). Step time variability tends to increase if a participant undergoes dynamic balance-based activities.	During Cognitive loading tests
Step time variability(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time with moderate to poor reliability while the participant is walking normally (ICC=0.51). Step time variability tends to increase if a participant undergoes dynamic balance-based activities.	Immediately after Cognitive loading tests
Step length variability(%)	For gait activity, the G&B app measures step length variability with moderate to poor reliability while the participant is walking normally (ICC=0.16). step length variability tends to increase with activities that involve dynamic balance.	Baseline
Step length asymmetry(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step length asymmetry with moderate to poor reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.6). Step length asymmetry tends to increase with tasks that include dynamic balance.	During Cognitive loading tests
Step length asymmetry(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step length asymmetry with moderate to poor reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.6). Step length asymmetry tends to increase with tasks that include dynamic balance.	Immediately after Cognitive loading tests
Step time asymmetry(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time asymmetry with moderate reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.68). Step time asymmetry tends to increase with activities that include dynamic balance.	Baseline
Step time asymmetry(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time asymmetry with moderate reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.68). Step time asymmetry tends to increase with activities that include dynamic balance.	During Cognitive loading tests
Step time asymmetry(%)	For gait activity, the Gait and Balance mobile app (G&B) measures step time asymmetry with moderate reliability while the participant is walking normally with (ICC=0.68). Step time asymmetry tends to increase with activities that include dynamic balance.	Immediately after Cognitive loading tests

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Imran Amjad, Phd, Riphah International University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 24, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 30, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): December 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 8, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 23, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): October 24, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/01885 Imran Amjad

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