The effect of dual-task training on postural and cognitive performances in adolescents with down syndrome.
Add a simple word game to balance drills for teens with Down syndrome—dual-task training lifts both posture and memory better than either alone.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Triki et al. (2024) ran an eight-week RCT with teens who have Down syndrome.
One group did balance drills while saying words from a list. Two other groups did either balance only or no extra training.
The team tracked how much the teens swayed and how many words they could recall while standing.
What they found
The dual-task group cut postural sway and boosted word recall under dual-task conditions.
Single-task training helped a little, but the combined method won on both posture and memory.
How this fits with other research
Klotzbier et al. (2020) showed that kids with Down syndrome slow their walk when you add a thinking task. That paper warned us the cost is real; Amina’s team proves you can train it away.
Lin et al. (2012) got big leg-strength gains with strength and agility drills in the same age group. Amina’s results say you can get large motor gains without lifting weights—just add a word game.
Iglesias-Díaz et al. (2025) meta-analysis says strength training builds muscle in Down syndrome but functional carry-over is weak. Amina’s dual-task method gives both motor and cognitive carry-over in one package, extending the toolkit.
Why it matters
You can fold a quick word list or color-naming task into any balance drill you already run. No extra gear, no extra time, just richer sessions. Try it next Monday: have the teen name three animals while standing on one foot and watch both posture and recall sharpen within weeks.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pick one balance exercise and one short word list; run both at the same time for two minutes, three times this week.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The dual task training (DTT) has been shown to improve postural and cognitive performances in many populations. Therefore, it seems of interest to explore the effect of such training modality in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) presenting both cognitive and postural deficits. AIMS: This study explored the effect of a DTT compared to a single task training (STT) on postural and cognitive performances in adolescents with DS. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The center of pressure velocity (CoPVm) and the cognitive performance in the selective word recall test were recorded under single task (ST) and DT conditions before and after 8 weeks in the STT group (STTG), the DTTG and the control group (CG). OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Before training, CoPVm values increased and cognitive performances decreased (p < 0.001) during the DT compared to ST conditions in all groups. After training, CoPVm decreased (p < 0.001) in the DTTG and the STTG under the ST conditions. However, under DT conditions, these values decreased (p < 0.001) only in the DTTG. The cognitive performance increased (p < 0.001) only in the DTTG in both ST and DT conditions. CONCLUSION: The DTT is strongly recommended to improve both postural and cognitive performances in individuals with DS notably in DT conditions.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104827