Dynamic Stability of Older Adults Under Dual Task Paradigm During Stair Descent.

Daily stair activities have become increasingly challenging for older adults with deterioration in physical and cognitive capabilities. However, the dynamic stability of older adults during stair descent under a concurrent dual-task condition remains undetermined. The gait and dynamic stability variables of 40 healthy older adults were measured under single- and dual-task conditions during stair descent. The step length, step width, and single support time did not significantly increase (p > .05) under the dual-task condition during stair descent. The medial-lateral center of mass velocity significantly increased (p < .003), whereas the medial-lateral margin of dynamic stability value significantly decreased (p < .006) at the landing and initial single support under the dual-task condition during stair descent. The self-regulatory ability of healthy older adults under the dual-task condition during stair descent was underestimated. Dual tasking displayed a positive impact on the anterior-posterior dynamic stability of healthy older adults.