Gait performance and dual-task costs in school-aged children with Down syndrome

Objective: This cross-sectional observational study aimed to assess gait performance, its correlation with physical functions, and its dual-task costs in children with Down syndrome (DS), to investigate their gait adaptations.Methods: Gait performance with or without movie-watching tasks was evaluated in 17 children with DS (age, 6-12 years) and 51 age-and sex-matched controls, using three-dimensional gait analysis. We compared participants' demographics, physical functions, and gait performance without tasks between the two groups. In the DS group, correlations between physical functions, the intelli-gence quotient, and gait variables were assessed. Dual-task costs for gait variables were also compared between the two groups.Results: Children with DS showed poorer balance function and muscle strength and lower gait quality than the control group. In the DS group, there was a significant positive correlation between gait speed, step length, and intelligence quotient. There were no correlations between the balance function, muscle strength, intelligence quotient, and gait quality. Dual-task costs for gait speed, step length, and cadence were greater in the DS group; however, there was no significant difference in dual-task costs for gait quality between the two groups. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of providing appropriate interventions for motor functions in school-aged children with DS based on their gait performance in single-and dual-task conditions, as well as on their intelligence quotient.(c) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. All rights reserved.