Effect of dual tasking on intentional vs. reactive balance control in people with hemiparetic stroke

To examine the effect of a cognitive task on intentional vs. reactive balance control in people with hemiparetic stroke (PwHS). Community-dwelling PwHS (n = 10) and healthy, age-similar controls performed two tests, which included the Limits of Stability Test (intentional control) and the Motor Control Test (reactive control), under single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) conditions (addition of a cognitive task). Cognitive ability was measured on a word list generation task by recording the number of words enumerated in sitting (ST; for cognition) and during the balance tasks. The difference in response time between the ST and DT, defined as the "balance cost" was obtained [(ST - DT)/ST x 100] and compared between tests and across groups. The "cognitive cost" was similarly defined and compared. For both groups, the response time under DT condition was significantly greater for intentional than the reactive balance control task, leading to a higher balance cost for this task (P < 0.05). However, the cognitive cost was significantly greater for the intentional than the reactive balance control task for only the PwHS. DT significantly affected intentional than reactive balance control for PwHS. The significant decrease in both balance and cognitive performance under DT compared with ST conditions during intentional balance control suggests sharing of attentional resources between semantic memory and intentional balance control. Decreased performance on the cognitive task only during the reactive balance test indicates possible central nervous system's prioritization of reactive balance control over cognition.