Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters among older adults without cognitive impairment (OA), older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) under single-task and dual-task walking conditions. Sixty participants aged 60–85 completed walking trials on a 10-meter walkway using a markerless motion capture system, including a dual-task condition involving animal naming. Spatiotemporal variables such as gait speed, stride length, step length, cycle time, double support time, and cadence were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Dual-task walking significantly impaired gait performance across all groups, resulting in slower gait speed, shorter stride and step lengths, increased cycle and double support time, and reduced cadence (p < .001). However, no significant between-group differences were observed, and individuals with PD demonstrated reduced responsiveness to dual-task modulation for select temporal parameters. These findings suggest that dual-task walking effectively challenges gait, but expected group differences may be attenuated in highly active populations, emphasizing the need to consider physical activity when using gait as a biomarker of cognitive and neurological decline.