Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait when Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task.

Background: It is unknown if differences exist for normalized velocity (m/s) and step length (m) when measured using clinically accessible tools, such as the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) and a timed gait analysis (TGA), and costly equipment, such as the GAITRite® electronic walkway system, in healthy adolescent athletes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare normalized velocity and step length data using low- and high-tech equipment during single- and dual-task gait. The investigators hypothesized that there would be no significant differences between data collected using the 10MWT, TGA, and GAITRite®.

Study design: Cross-sectional, repeated-measures study design.

Methods: A convenience sample of healthy male (n=23) and female (n=20) adolescent athletes aged 14-18 years were recruited from a local high school. A three-way mixed analysis of variance analyzed normalized velocity (m/s) and step length (m) data measured with the 10MWT, TGA, and GAITRite® while participants walked at a self-selected speed with and without a visuospatial cognitive task. All data were collected in the participants' school setting. A three-way mixed ANOVA was used to analyze data.

Results: No significant interactions between assessment tool, walk condition, or sex were found. A main effect of walk condition (p<0.0001) and sex (p<0.0004) was found for normalized velocity (i.e., females walked faster than males). Normalized velocity was also significantly decreased when measured with the 10MWT compared to the GAITRite® (p<0.007) and the TGA (p<0.03).

Conclusions: Normalized velocity may be generalizable between the TGA and GAITRite®, but not the 10MWT. Therefore, the TGA may be a viable adjunct to current multimodal assessments of gait following concussion in the absence of costly equipment.

Level of evidence: Level 2.