Using a dual-task paradigm to investigate motor and cognitive performance in children with intellectual disability

Background: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of dual-task (DT) constraints on walking performance in children with intellectual disability (ID).

Methods: Fifteen children with intellectual disability and fifteen age-matched typically developed children were asked to walk at a preferred speed: along a path (baseline condition), while carrying a glass of water and while quoting animal names.

Results: The present study findings showed that DTs affect walking performance of both typically developed children and those with intellectual disability. In children with intellectual disability, DT walking decrements were significantly higher when performing a concurrent motor task than cognitive one.

Conclusions: DT constraints with a secondary motor or cognitive tasks seemed challenging for children with intellectual disability suggesting that future treatments or assessments should consider using DT constraints to manipulate the difficulty of tasks.