Can counting backward reveal hidden walking trouble?
NCT ID NCT07814053
First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers at Cairo University are studying how adding mental tasks changes the way older adults walk and move. Sixty adults aged 60 and older who can walk on their own perform the Timed Up and Go test under four conditions: no mental task, easy backward counting, harder counting by threes, and a fourth graded load. A smartwatch records total time and the time spent standing up, walking, and turning. The goal is to see whether harder mental tasks cause larger declines in mobility and which phase of movement is most affected.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a dual-task cognitive loading protocol that pairs walking tests with mental arithmetic
- What this could lead to
- If the approach works, it could give clinicians a simple way to spot early mobility problems in older adults by watching how they walk while doing mental tasks.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-site study with 60 participants, so its findings may not apply broadly. It measures movement timing, not whether any treatment prevents falls or disability.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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60 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 60 years * Ability to ambulate independently without assistive devices * Ability to follow verbal instructions and perform dual-task activities * Medically stable and capable of participating in functional mobility assessment Cognitive function within normal range, defined as Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 24 out of 30, indicating absence of significant cognitive impairment . * Functionqal independence in basic activities of daily living, defined as Barthel Index score ≥ 90 out of 100 * Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 29.9 kg/m², as values ≥ 30 kg/m² (obesity) may adversely affect gait and balance performance. Exclusion Criteria: * Any neurological disease that affects walking or balance, such as stroke or Parkinson's disease * Any musculoskeletal condition that limits lower-limb movement or affects normal walking patterns * Severe cognitive impairment defined as Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score \< 24 * Visual, vestibular, or hearing problems that affect safe walking or balance control * History of lower-limb injury or surgery within the last 6 months * Serious medical conditions that make participation unsafe, such as unstable cardiac or respiratory disease
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As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
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A doctor treating you
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