Objective: To examine the presence of dual task interference with cognitive tasks on postural stability in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: There are several studies showing dual-task interference on gait and the risk of fall in PD patients. However, there are no studies on dual-task interference on postural stability in early PD.

Methods: Thirty early-stage PD patients with a disease duration of at most five years and 20 age and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this prospective study. Unified Parkinson’s disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn & Yahr scores were recorded. Balance control was assessed under several conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, mathematical and verbal cognitive tasks) using a static posturography in both groups. The changes in total body sway, lateral sway, anterior-posterior sway, sway area and their velocities, as well as the Romberg coefficient were analysed.

Results: There were no statistically significant difference in any of the posturographic measures between patients and the control group with eyes open, eyes closed and secondary cognitive tasks. All posturographic parameters with eyes closed were statistically different from the measures with eyes open in both the patient and the control group. Similarly, all posturographic measures, except lateral sway, increased significantly with cognitive tasks compared to the ones with eyes open in both groups; however, the only difference from the control group was the significant increase in sway area with mathematical task in the patient group (p < 0.05). As for the correlation analysis, age correlated with lateral sway (r:0,370, p:0,044) and sway area during verbal cognitive tasks (r:0,385, p:0,036) in patients. UPDRS motor scores correlated with same of the sway parameters with both eyes open and eyes closed. They also correlated with sway area (r:0,447; p:0,013) and velocity of sway area (r:0,469, p:0,009) under mathematical cognitive task.

Conclusions: Secondary cognitive tasks alone, did not significantly affect postural stability in the early stages of PD in this study. On the other hand, visual inputs were more influential on balance in this age group of subjects than expected. In PD patients, cognitive tasks effected postural sway in association with both advancing age and disease.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-relationship-between-cognitive-task-and-postural-stability-in-the-early-stages-of-parkinsons-disease/