An Exploration of Falls and Dual Tasking: A Prospective Cohort Study of People with Multiple Sclerosis

Gillian Quinn, Laura Comber, Nicola O'Malley, Chris McGuigan, Rose Galvin, Susan Coote

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objective: To explore the relationship between dual-Task cost and falls in people with multiple sclerosis. Methods: One hundred participants completed a falls screening questionnaire, Timed Up and Go (TUG), and TUG-Cognitive (TUG-C) at baseline. Dual-Task cost was the percentage change in performance between TUG and TUG-C. Falls were recorded prospectively for 3 months. Results: Dual-Task cost was not associated with increased risk of falls (P =.90, odds ratio = 1.00). Answering yes to a question about problems doing 2 things at once increased likelihood of falls (risk ratio = 2.07). Conclusion: A single question asking about dual tasking may be a useful screen for falls risk assessment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)190-198
Number of pages9
JournalTopics in Geriatric Rehabilitation
Volume35
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2019

Keywords

  • accidental falls
  • cognitive-motor interference
  • dual-Task cost
  • multiple sclerosis

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