Is pregnancy brain real? Comparison of dual task cost during overground walking in pregnant versus control women.

Background: Many pregnant women report that their memory is impaired compared to non-pregnancy, but results of studies of cognitive abilities are mixed. The effect of pregnancy on dual tasking, or performance of two tasks simultaneously, has not been studied, however.

Research Question: What is the effect of walking overground at a self-selected speed while also performing a cognitive task on gait and cognitive performance during 3rd trimester of pregnancy compared to non-pregnant controls?

Methods: A total of n = 22 3rd trimester pregnant women (mean 33.