Comparison of Stroke Patients' Motor Performance in the Dual Task Stepping Test Immediately after and Up to 15 Seconds after Cognitive Task Loading

Objective: This study identifies differences in the motor performance immediately after and 15 s after cognitive task loading during the dual task stepping test in patients who experienced a stroke.Methods: Twenty-seven patients who experienced a stroke were included in the study. The paralyzed lower limb elevation was measured during the dual task stepping test. The task was performed for 30 s, with measurement time periods of 5 s immediately after starting the single task, 5 s immediately after cognitive task loading, and 5 s beginning 10 s after cognitive task loading. The mean lower limb elevation during each time period was determined. The amount of paralyzed lower limb elevation during each time period was compared, and correlations between the amount of change in each time period and assessment scores were examined. The relationships between the patients' walking abilities and the amounts of change during each time period were also analyzed.Results: The amount of lower limb elevation decreased after cognitive task loading (p < 0.01). The change in lower limb elevation from the motor task to after cognitive task loading was negatively correlated with the attention rating scale score (rs = −0.40, p = 0.04). Patients who could walk independently had a significantly lower change in lower limb elevation immediately after cognitive task loading than patients who required walking supervision (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Additional specific dual training assessments and their applications to dual task training must be investigated in future studies.