The effect of dual-tasking on functional mobility and manual dexterity in people with multiple sclerosis at different stages of disability

Çağrı Gülşen; Fatma Aydın; Fatih Söke; Bilge Koçer; Elvan Özcan Gülşen; Öznur Yilmaz; Selim Selçuk Çomoğlu

doi:10.55697/tnd.2025.265

Çağrı Gülşen¹, Fatma Aydın², Fatih Söke³, Bilge Koçer², Elvan Özcan Gülşen⁴, Öznur Yilmaz⁵, Selim Selçuk Çomoğlu²

¹Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Türkiye
²Department of Neurology, University of Health Sciences, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
³Gülhane Faculty of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Türkiye
⁴Department of Health Care Services, Yunus Emre Vocational School, Program in Geriatric Care, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Türkiye
⁵Hacettepe University, Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Türkiye

Keywords: Disability level, dual-task, functional mobility, manual dexterity, multiple sclerosis.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of dual-tasking on functional mobility and manual dexterity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at different stages of disability.

Patients and methods: Forty-five patients (18 males, 27 females; mean age: 39.0±10.7 years; range: 21 to 62 years) with MS, 15 in the very mild group (EDSS 0-1.5), 15 in the mild group (EDSS 2-3.5), and 15 in the moderate group (EDSS 4-6.5), were included in the cross-sectional study between July 2022 and September 2022. Fifteen healthy controls (6 males, 9 females; mean age: 38.2±13.4 years; range: 23 to 65 years) were recruited. The timed up and go (TUG) test and the nine-hole peg test (9HPT) were used to assess functional mobility and manual dexterity. The dual-task condition was carried out using the TUG test and the 9HPT as the single-task condition, combined with a serial sevens subtraction task.

Results: Dual-task scores for functional mobility and manual dexterity were significantly worse than single-task scores in all groups. The order of the magnitude of the dual-task effect (DTE) in functional mobility was as follows: healthy controls = patients with very mild MS = patients with mild MS < patients with moderate MS. In addition, the order of the magnitude of the DTE in both dominant and nondominant hand manual dexterity was as follows: healthy controls = patients with very mild MS < patients with mild MS < patients with moderate MS. The very mild group was similar to healthy controls in DTE on both functional mobility and manual dexterity.

Conclusion: The results suggest that dual-tasking has a negative effect on functional mobility and manual dexterity performance in patients with MS regardless of disability level. Also, the negative effect of dual-task begins to be evident at an earlier level of the disease in manual dexterity performance than in functional mobility performance.

Cite this article as: Gülşen Ç, Aydın F, Söke F, Koçer B, Özcan Gülşen E, Yilmaz Ö, et al. The effect of dual-tasking on functional mobility and manual dexterity in people with multiple sclerosis at different stages of disability. Turk J Neurol 2025;31(2):142-150. doi: 10.55697/tnd.2025.265.