BACKGROUND: Cognitive function and the loading of attention presumably play an important role in gait as well as in fall risk, but previous work has not demonstrated this in any cause-and-effect way. OBJECTIVES: To gain insight into the relationship between gait and cognitive function, we sought: (1) To compare the gait rhythmicity (stride time variability) of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to controls, (2) To test the hypothesis that dual tasking leads to increased stride-to-stride variability in ADHD, and (3) To test whether pharmacological treatment that relieves ADHD symptoms reduces stride-to-stride variability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Gait was quantified in children with ADHD and in age-matched healthy controls under single task and dual task conditions on three occasions: off medications (both groups) and, in the ADHD group, after double blinded, randomized administration of methylphenidate (MPH) or placebo. RESULTS: At baseline, children with ADHD tended to walk with increased stride-to-stride variability compared to the controls during the single task condition (p = 0.09). During dual task walking, stride time variability was significantly reduced in the children with ADHD (p < 0.004), but not in the controls. In the children with ADHD, the placebo did not significantly affect stride-to-stride variability or the dual tasking response. In contrast, stride time variability was significantly reduced on MPH (p < 0.001) such that dual tasking no longer affected variability. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate alterations in the gait of children with ADHD, support a cause and effect link between cognitive function and gait, and suggest that enhancement of attention abilities may, in certain populations, improve gait rhythmicity.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Cognitive function and the loading of attention presumably play an important role in gait as well as in fall risk, but previous work has not demonstrated this in any cause-and-effect way. OBJECTIVES: To gain insight into the relationship between gait and cognitive function, we sought: (1) To compare the gait rhythmicity (stride time variability) of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to controls, (2) To test the hypothesis that dual tasking leads to increased stride-to-stride variability in ADHD, and (3) To test whether pharmacological treatment that relieves ADHD symptoms reduces stride-to-stride variability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Gait was quantified in children with ADHD and in age-matched healthy controls under single task and dual task conditions on three occasions: off medications (both groups) and, in the ADHD group, after double blinded, randomized administration of methylphenidate (MPH) or placebo. RESULTS: At baseline, children with ADHD tended to walk with increased stride-to-stride variability compared to the controls during the single task condition (p = 0.09). During dual task walking, stride time variability was significantly reduced in the children with ADHD (p < 0.004), but not in the controls. In the children with ADHD, the placebo did not significantly affect stride-to-stride variability or the dual tasking response. In contrast, stride time variability was significantly reduced on MPH (p < 0.001) such that dual tasking no longer affected variability. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate alterations in the gait of children with ADHD, support a cause and effect link between cognitive function and gait, and suggest that enhancement of attention abilities may, in certain populations, improve gait rhythmicity.
Authors: Joe Verghese; Herman Buschke; Lisa Viola; Mindy Katz; Charles Hall; Gail Kuslansky; Richard Lipton Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2002-09 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: C J Vaidya; G Austin; G Kirkorian; H W Ridlehuber; J E Desmond; G H Glover; J D Gabrieli Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 1998-11-24 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Markus Frings; Kristina Gaertner; Paul Buderath; Marcus Gerwig; Hanna Christiansen; Beate Schoch; Elke R Gizewski; Johannes Hebebrand; Dagmar Timmann Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2009-09-24 Impact factor: 1.972
Authors: Ole Jakob Storebø; Erica Ramstad; Helle B Krogh; Trine Danvad Nilausen; Maria Skoog; Mathilde Holmskov; Susanne Rosendal; Camilla Groth; Frederik L Magnusson; Carlos R Moreira-Maia; Donna Gillies; Kirsten Buch Rasmussen; Dorothy Gauci; Morris Zwi; Richard Kirubakaran; Bente Forsbøl; Erik Simonsen; Christian Gluud Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2015-11-25