Tandem Walking

Tandem Walking

Tandem walking, or heel-toe walking, also known as the dynamic Romberg’s test, is the ability to walk along a straight line placing one foot directly in front of the other, heel to toe, which may be likened to walking a tightrope. In ataxic disorders, cerebellar (midline cerebellum, in which axial coordination is most affected) or sensory (loss of proprioception), the ability to tandem walk is impaired, as reflected by the tendency of such patients to compensate for their incoordination by developing a broad based gait.

Cross References

Ataxia; Cerebellar syndromes; Proprioception; Rombergism, Romberg’s sign