A study investigated the effects of dual task balance training on static and dynamic balance, functional mobility, cognitive level, and sleep quality in individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputations. The results indicated that dual-task training during rehabilitation was more effective than single task training in the improvement of dual-task performance and cognitive status.
Twenty participants with unilateral transfemoral amputations were randomly assigned to the single task gait and balance training group (n = 10) or the dual task gait and balance training group (n = 10). Training was given in sessions of 60 minutes per day, three days per week for four weeks. The single task training group performed traditional gait and balance exercises, and the dual task training group practiced cognitive and motor tasks while performing gait and balance exercises.
The one-leg stance test and the four-square step test were used for balance assessment. The Timed Up and Go test and ten-meter walk test were used for gait assessment. The test conditions to evaluate the training effects were single walking, walking while performing a cognitive task (serial subtraction), and walking while performing a motor task (tray-carrying). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale was used for cognitive assessment and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep quality assessment.
The results indicated that balance and mobility improved in both groups. Dual task balance performance, functional mobility, and gait speed improved more in the dual task training group after training. Cognitive status and sleep quality improved significantly in the dual task group.
The article, Investigation of the Effects of Dual Task Balance Training on Gait and Balance in Transfemoral Amputees: A Randomised Controlled Trial, was published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
