2025/11/24 by Michael VanNostrand, Myeongjin Bae, Susan L. Kasser · 1 voice
Health Professions · Medicine · #Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention #Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders #Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.7224/1537-2073.2024-047
openalex publication_date 2025/11/24 · openalex created_date 2025/11/25 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Background: In the absence of gait automaticity, the need to allocate cognitive resources to walking has implications for everyday mobility and community participation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different attentionally demanding conditions on gait metrics in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Twenty-one individuals (11 with MS, 10 without MS) wore wireless inertial sensors and completed 1-minute walking trials under 4 different attentional conditions: no-attentional-instruction, focus on gait quality, attention to a narrative discourse task, and attentional switching. Walking trials were performed at a self-selected and fast-paced walking speed. A 3-way linear mixed model including conditions, groups, speeds, and interactions was used to evaluate the effects on gait speed and stride length variability. Results: Participants with MS demonstrated slower gait speed and greater gait variability in all attentional conditions than participants without MS. During self-paced walking, participants with MS showed the greatest decline in mobility metrics during the attentional switch condition. When walking fast, significant differences were observed for both the divided attention and attentional switching conditions, with divided attention having the greatest effect on gait speed and attentional switching resulting in the greatest decrease in gait variability. Conclusions: Difficult walking conditions, such as attentional switching, elicit greater gait deficits in people with MS. Evaluating attentional switching may be useful for mobility assessment in people with MS, and incorporating this attentional technique in future mobility training may improve stability and prevent falls.