Callisaya Michele L, Piguet Olivier, Munroe Melinda, De Araújo Rodrigo C, O'Bree Bridget, Srikanth Velandai K
National Centre for Healthy Ageing, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia.
Australas J Ageing. 2025 Mar;44(1):e13372. doi: 10.1111/ajag.13372. Epub 2024 Oct 7.
Dual-task walking performance is an early marker of dementia. However, there is uncertainty about which measure of the dual-task test is a better marker. The objective of this study was to determine which dual-task measure best differentiates between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
Participants (n = 116) were aged ≥60 years attending a cognitive clinic in Melbourne, Australia. Single- and dual-task gait speed were obtained using a 16 metre distance and stopwatch. The cognitive task involved reciting alternate letters of the alphabet sitting and walking. Dual-task interference in gait and cognition was calculated as: single-task-dual-task/single task × 100 and summed to obtain total interference. Multiple linear regression was used to determine differences in single and dual-task measures between those with no cognitive impairment (n = 11), MCI (n = 54) and dementia (n = 51).
The mean age of the sample was 76.9 (SD 6.4) years and 48.3% (n = 56) were female. Compared to those with dementia: (a) those with MCI had a higher dual-task letter rate and lower cognitive and total interference (all indicate better performance) (p < .05) and (b) those with no cognitive impairment had a higher single- and dual-task letter rate (both indicate better performance) (p < .05). There were no differences between those with no cognitive impairment and those with MCI (all p > .05).
In a cognitive clinic, measurement during dual-task walking differentiated those with dementia from those with MCI or no cognitive impairment. However, differences appear to be driven by performance on the cognitive, rather than the gait task.
双任务步行表现是痴呆症的早期指标。然而，双任务测试的哪种测量方法是更好的指标尚不确定。本研究的目的是确定哪种双任务测量方法能最佳地区分正常认知、轻度认知障碍（MCI）和痴呆症。
参与者（n = 116）年龄≥60岁，在澳大利亚墨尔本的一家认知诊所就诊。使用16米的距离和秒表测量单任务和双任务步态速度。认知任务包括坐着和行走时背诵字母表中的交替字母。步态和认知的双任务干扰计算为：（单任务 - 双任务）/单任务×100，并求和以获得总干扰。使用多元线性回归来确定无认知障碍者（n = 11）、MCI患者（n = 54）和痴呆症患者（n = 51）在单任务和双任务测量方面的差异。
样本的平均年龄为76.9（标准差6.4）岁，48.3%（n = 56）为女性。与痴呆症患者相比：（a）MCI患者的双任务字母率更高，认知和总干扰更低（均表明表现更好）（p < 0.05）；（b）无认知障碍者的单任务和双任务字母率更高（均表明表现更好）（p < 0.05）。无认知障碍者和MCI患者之间没有差异（所有p > 0.05）。
在认知诊所中，双任务步行期间的测量能够区分痴呆症患者与MCI患者或无认知障碍者。然而，差异似乎是由认知任务而非步态任务的表现所驱动。
