Impact of Cognitive and Dual-Task Training on Gait Performance for people with Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review

Authors

• Arpita Milind Bedarkar, New York Institute of TechnologyFollow
• Matthew Benavides, New York Institute of TechnologyFollow
• Olivia Evola, New York Institute of TechnologyFollow
• Devjja Joshi, New York Institute of TechnologyFollow
• Amerigo Rossi, New York Institute of TechnologyFollow

Abstract

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) frequently experience gait abnormalities and cognitive difficulties, which lowers their mobility and raises their risk of falling. The efficacy of cognitive and cognitive-motor (dual task) training strategies to enhance gait performance shows promise. Purpose: Determine the effect of cognitive and dual-task training on gait performance in individuals with PD. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases. English-language experimental studies that tested the effects of organized cognitive or cognitive-motor therapies on quantifiable gait outcomes for people with idiopathic PD were included. Characteristics of the experimental group, intervention parameters, cognitive domains, and gait-related results were the main topics of data extraction. RESULTS: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria, which included 210 (52 women) (66 years; disease duration: 7±1.3 years) people in the experimental groups. Through a combination of cognitive and physical training, interventions mainly addressed executive function, attention, and dual-task processing. Nine studies showed improvements in gait metrics after intervention, especially gait speed (68±47 cm/s to 74±54 cm/s; n=9), stride length (68±48 cm to 72±51 cm; n=8), and cadence (109±3 steps/min to 114±4 steps/min; n=4). Compared to single-task methods, dual-task training interventions showed greater improvements in gait performance, particularly while walking under cognitively taxing circumstances. Dual-task training improved gait performance more than single-task training, with ~5 cm/s greater gains in gait speed. Gait metrics were reported inconsistently, and trials showed great variation in intervention procedures, duration, and outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions involving cognitive and dual-task training show promise for enhancing gait performance in people with PD. However, conclusive findings are limited by study variability. To support clinical efficacy, future research should prioritize dual-task training to improve gait in Parkinson’s disease.

Recommended Citation

Bedarkar, Arpita Milind; Benavides, Matthew; Evola, Olivia; Joshi, Devjja; and Rossi, Amerigo (2026) "Impact of Cognitive and Dual-Task Training on Gait Performance for people with Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 15: Iss. 8, Article 20.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol15/iss8/20