Dual-Task Effects on Gait and Balance in MCRS

May 1, 2026 updated by: Ebru Tekin, Balikesir University

Effects of Cognitive Load on Gait and Balance Performance in Individuals With Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: A Dual-Task Analysis

This study aims to investigate the effects of cognitive load on gait and balance performance in individuals with Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome (MCRS). Participants will perform Timed Up and Go (TUG) and tandem walking tests under single-task and dual-task conditions. The study evaluates cognitive-motor interference and dual-task cost to better understand early markers of cognitive decline and fall risk.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

35

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and above diagnosed with Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in Balıkesir, Turkey.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Age ≥ 65 years Subjective cognitive complaints Slow gait speed No dementia diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

Severe visual/hearing impairment Neurological diseases (stroke, Parkinson) Acute orthopedic conditions affecting walking

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome Group
Community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and above diagnosed with Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome will be included. Participants will perform Timed Up and Go (TUG) and tandem walking tests under single-task and dual-task conditions. No intervention will be applied.
Other: Assessment Protocol
Participants will undergo standardized Timed Up and Go (TUG) and tandem walking assessments under single-task and dual-task conditions. Cognitive dual-task conditions will include serial subtraction while performing the motor task. No therapeutic intervention, exercise training, or treatment will be applied.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Timed Up and Go (TUG) performance
Time Frame: Baseline (single session assessment)

Functional mobility will be assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Participants will stand up from a standard chair (approximately 46 cm), walk 3 meters, turn around a marker, return, and sit down. Performance time will be recorded in seconds under three conditions:

single-task (baseline), physical dual-task (carrying a cup of water), and cognitive dual-task (serial subtraction task).
Baseline (single session assessment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Tandem walking test performance
Time Frame: Baseline

Static and dynamic balance will be assessed using tandem walking. Participants will walk in a heel-to-toe position under two conditions:

single-task, cognitive dual-task (serial subtraction). Performance time will be recorded in seconds.
Baseline
Dual-task cost (%)
Time Frame: Baseline
Dual-task cost will be calculated to quantify the decline in performance under dual-task conditions compared to single-task performance. It will be expressed as a percentage using standard formulas for both TUG and tandem tests.
Baseline
Gait speed
Time Frame: Baseline
Walking speed will be derived from the TUG test and expressed in meters per second (m/s) under single and dual-task conditions.
Baseline
Cognitive-motor interference
Time Frame: Baseline
Performance deterioration during dual-task conditions will be evaluated to assess cognitive-motor interference effects in individuals with Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Balikesir University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Sekhon, H., Allali, G., & Beauchet, O. (2022). Dual-task cost of gait in Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 14, 843575.
  • Montero-Odasso, M., Almeida, Q. J., Burhan, A. M., Camicioli, R., Doyon, J., Fraser, S., et al. (2020). Gait and cognition: The dual-task approach as a window into the aging brain. The Journals of Gerontology Series A, 75(11), 2157-2165.
  • Beauchet, O., Sekhon, H., Launay, C. P., Chabot, J., & Allali, G. (2022). Gait variability and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: A systematic review. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 14, 856004.
  • Beauchet, O., Allali, G., Sekhon, H., Verghese, J., Guilain, S., Steinmetz, J. P., & Launay, C. P. (2021). Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome and incident dementia: Results from a comparative meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22(8), 1642-1649.
  • Allali, G., Aybek, S., Launay, C. P., Adam, S., Azizy, M., & Beauchet, O. (2023). Cognitive-gait interference in pre-dementia syndromes: A systematic review. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 92(1), 15-28.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 28, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 1, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 7, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 1, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2026/49

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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