Clinical Measures of Dual Task Gait Evaluation in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-A Mini-review

Background Cognitive and motor deficits intertwined with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) alter walking patterns of the individuals. As walking is combined with various challenging cognitive tasks in daily activities, dual task testing is a promising avenue for gait evaluation and fall prediction in various conditions. However, there is a lack of clarity on the appropriate clinical measures for dual task gait evaluation in T2DM individuals. Objective The present study aims to review and identify the appropriate clinical measures for dual task gait evaluation in T2DM. Methods Electronic databases of PubMed, CINAHLPlus and scholarly platforms were searched to identify the relevant articles. Review has included studies which have subjects with T2DM, dual task testing as a part of evaluation, has used clinical measures to assess dual task gait and was available in English. Results 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. Four studies used cognitive timed up and go test (TUG), four studies used walking while talking test; one study used extended TUG; one study used walking and remembering test;one study used instrumented TUG along with manual TUG and arithmetic subtractions; two studies used inertial sensors for gait evaluation along with backword counting; one study used two dimensional video analysis for gait along with verbal fluency task and calculation; one study used TUG with arithmetic additions task; one study used Manual TUG and arithmetic subtraction task while walking on GAITRITE walkway. Conclusion The studies show a lack of valid and reliable clinical measures for dual task gait evaluation in T2DM.