Dual-Task Walking Links Executive Dysfunction to Step Length Variability in Parkinson’s Disease

Executive dysfunction in individuals with Parkinson’s disease is differentially associated with increased step length variability during dual-task walking, according to an observational study published in Frontiers in Neurology.

Gait impairment and cognitive dysfunction are common features of Parkinson’s disease, yet the interaction between these domains—particularly under dual-task walking—remains less well characterised. The study aimed to examine associations between specific gait parameters and cognitive domains across both single-task and dual-task conditions.

The study cohort comprised 50 individuals with Parkinson’s disease and 21 age-matched healthy control participants. All participants completed baseline single-task walking alongside two distinct dual-task walking conditions designed to evaluate motor-cognitive interference.

During the dual-task assessments, participants walked while simultaneously naming animals or performing serial subtraction by seven. Gait performance was recorded using a Zeno electronic pressure-sensitive walkway by ProtoKinetics to quantify velocity, step length, step time, step length variability, and step time variability. Cognitive testing evaluated processing speed, executive function, memory, and language, with executive performance assessed via the Trail Making Test Part B.

Statistical evaluation of correlations between gait measures and cognitive performance revealed that executive dysfunction, as measured by the Trail Making Test Part B, was differentially associated with increased step length variability during dual-task walking in participants with Parkinson’s disease. In contrast, less robust associations were observed under single-task walking conditions or across the other cognitive domains evaluated.

The authors concluded that executive dysfunction appears to relate to impaired control of gait variability under dual-task conditions in Parkinson’s disease, consistent with a key role for attentional-executive resources in maintaining stable gait. The researchers noted that these findings may help focus future work on specific dual-task interferences relevant to disease progression and gait decline.

Subject of Research: Associations between gait kinematics and cognitive domains during dual-task walking in Parkinson's disease

Article Title: The relationship between gait kinematics and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease

Article References: Guay, A., Ignatavicius, A., Lewis, S. J. G., & Gülke, E. (2026). The relationship between gait kinematics and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease. Frontiers in Neurology, 17, Article 2007520. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2026.2007520

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2026.2007520

Keywords: Parkinson's disease, gait kinematics, executive dysfunction, step length variability, dual-task walking, Trail Making Test Part B, Zeno walkway, ProtoKinetics, single-task walking, step time variability, gait velocity, cognitive assessment, movement disorders, serial subtraction, animal naming, attentional-executive resources