Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| [b]
School of Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Dr. Susan W. Hunter, University of Western Ontario, School of Physical Therapy, Room 1588, Elborn College, London, ON N6G 1H1, Canada. Tel.: +1 519 661 2111 /Ext. 88845; E-mail: susan.hunter@uwo.ca.
Abstract: In people with dementia, provision of mobility aids is standard treatment for those with impaired gait. However, mobility aid use is independently associated with increased falls risk. In this short communication, gait velocity and stride time variability were recorded in eleven adults with Alzheimer’s disease dementia. Three conditions were tested: single-task (no aid), walking with a walker, and dual-task (walker use and counting backwards) under both a straight path and Figure-of-8 walking configuration. Gait velocity increased when using a walker compared to no aid in the Figure-of-8 walking configuration. Walker use improved gait in simple walking, but benefits diminished upon dual-task.
