# The Effect of a Cognitive Dual Task on Gait Parameters among Healthy Young Adults with Good and Poor Sleep Quality: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

## TL;DR

This study shows that poor sleep quality in young adults affects gait performance when multitasking, highlighting the importance of sleep for brain and movement coordination.

## Contribution

The study introduces new evidence linking sleep quality to gait performance under dual-task conditions in young adults.

## Key findings

- Participants with poor sleep quality showed greater dual-task costs in gait velocity, cadence, and stride length.
- A significant correlation was found between sleep quality and gait performance during multitasking.
- Poor sleep quality was associated with increased difficulty in maintaining gait stability during cognitive tasks.

## Abstract

Background: Sleep quality is known to affect automatic and executive brain functions such as gait control and cognitive processing. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dual tasks on gait spatiotemporal parameters among young adults with good and poor sleep quality. Methods: In total, 65 young adults with a mean age of 21.1 ± 2.5 were assessed for gait analysis during single-task and dual-task conditions. The participants’ sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and gait was assessed using the BTS Gaitlab System. The participants were asked to walk at natural speed as a single-task condition, followed by walking while performing a cognitive task as a dual-task condition. The parameters assessed included the gait velocity (m/s), cadence (steps/min), step width (m), and stride length (m). The dual-task cost (DTC) on each gait parameter was calculated. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the differences in the DTC on gait variables between the good and poor sleep quality groups and the Spearman correlation test was used to assess the correlation between total PSQI scores and the DTC. Results: At a significance level of p < 0.05, a significant difference in cadence between the two sleep quality groups was observed, in addition to a positive correlation between sleep quality and the DTC effect on gait mean velocity, cadence, and stride length. Our findings also revealed a greater DTC in participants with poorer sleep quality. Conclusions: These findings contribute to our perception of the significance of sleep quality in gait performance while multitasking in younger populations.