Investigation of the relationship between dual-task performance and functionality and psychosocial features in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A controlled study.
Kids with DMD trip up when they walk and think at the same time—measure it and train it directly.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Büșra et al. (2025) watched the kids walk while carrying a tray or counting backwards. Half had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, half were typical peers. They timed the walks and scored balance, endurance, and quality of life.
The team used simple stopwatch tests in a school hallway. Kids walked 10 meters alone, then again while holding a cup of water or reciting numbers.
What they found
Children with DMD took 40 % longer and spilled more water. Their dual-task gait speed tied directly to shorter six-minute-walk distance, lower balance scores, and higher fear of falling.
The worse the dual-task slowdown, the lower the kids rated their own quality of life.
How this fits with other research
Cruz-Montecinos et al. (2024) saw the same pattern in kids with intellectual disability: extra mental load made their gait shaky. Together the papers say dual-task cost is a red flag across diagnoses.
Schneider et al. (2016) linked poor multitasking to weaker daily-living skills in teens with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. The new DMD data extend that tie to younger children and add fear of falling.
Smits-Engelsman et al. (2023) trained balance with video games and found skills stayed game-specific. That warns us: if you add dual-task drills, practice them during real walking, not just on a screen.
Why it matters
Check dual-task gait at intake. If a child with DMD slows more than 20 % when carrying a backpack or talking, write a goal that mixes walking with simple cognitive or hand tasks. Start inside, then move to crowded halls. Track spills, steps, and self-confidence together.
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Join Free →Time a 10-meter walk, then repeat while the child counts by twos; if speed drops >20 %, add dual-task gait to the plan.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
AIMS: The aim of this study is to investigate the variations in dual-task performance between children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and their typically developed peers. Simultaneously, we explored the impact of psychosocial features and functional parameters on dual-task performance in children with DMD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A total of 45 children with DMD and 49 typically developed peers were included in the study. After recording the demographic information of the children, the motor-motor and cognitive-motor dual-task performances of all children were assessed by adding motor (carrying a half-filled bottle of water in both hands) and cognitive tasks (mental practice and memory) to the 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT). Then Brooke Lower Extremity Functional Classification (BLEFC), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA), Gait Assessment Scale for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD-GAS), Four Square Step Test (FSST), Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)-Neuromuscular Module, and Pediatric Fear of Falling Questionnaire (Ped-FOF) were assessed for motor performance, ambulation levels, walking abilities, balance, cognitive levels, quality of life, and fear of falling, respectively. RESULTS: In our study, a significant difference was found between the dual-task performances of children with DMD and their typically developed peers, with typically developed children performing better in motor-motor, cognitive motor/mental, and cognitive motor/memory tasks (p < 0.001). Relationships were identified between the dual-task performances of DMD children and the 6MWT (r: -0.715; -0.651; -0.641; respectively), NSAA (r: -0.669; -0.434; -0.451; respectively) DMD-GAS (r: -0.626; -0.409; -0.424; respectively), FSST (r: 0.747; 0.534; 0.503; respectively), PedsQL-Neuromuscular Module (parent report) (r: -0.432; -0.340; -0.357; respectively), and Ped-FOF (r: 0.512; 0.449; 0.436; respectively), (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our study indicated that dual-task performance in children with DMD is lower than that of their peers, and it is related to the children's motor skills, ambulation levels, and psychosocial features. These findings suggest that incorporating assessments and approaches for dual-task performance into rehabilitation programs aimed at preserving or improving motor functions, ambulation levels, and quality of life may be important for a holistic approach to managing the disease.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104973