Prof. Dr. habil.

Rainer Beurskens

Academic Dean (FHM)

Research Profile

Rainer Beurskens’ research is situated in the fields of movement, training, and health sciences and is characterised by a close integration of basic research, clinical application, and healthcare relevance. His main areas of focus are:

• Motor–cognitive interactions and dual-task performance
• Mobility, balance, and fall prevention across the lifespan
• Training and rehabilitation in neurological and geriatric populations
• Evidence-based interventions in prevention and health promotion
• Knowledge transfer into healthcare and education systems

These topics are addressed through experimental, randomised controlled, and systematic studies and are implemented within interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Motor-Cognitive Interaction & Dual-Task

Investigation of the interplay between cognitive processes (e.g., attention, executive functions) and motor control of balance and gait. Particular emphasis is placed on dual-task conditions, age-related differences, and training-induced adaptations.

Balance & Neuromuscular Control

Analysis of balance performance, neuromuscular activation, and dynamic stability from childhood to older adulthood, including validation and reliability studies of assessment tools (e.g., Y-Balance Test), analyses of age- and sex-related differences, and investigations of biomechanical and physiological determinants of performance.

Exercise in Health, Aging & Rehabilitation

Design and evaluation of exercise-based interventions aimed at improving mobility, strength, cognitive function, and life-space mobility. RCTs systematic reviews, and applied projects examine training effects in children, athletes, older adults, and clinical populations (e.g., neurological and geriatric patients).

Featured publications

  1. Niering, M. / Wirth, C. / Beurskens, R. / Ueding, E. / Fischer, T. / Seifert, J. (2025). Effects of a treadmill and oculomotor dual-task intervention vs. nordic walking on balance in Parkinson’s disease patients − a pilot study. Clinical Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, Volume 13, 2025, 100392. [DOI]
  2. Muehlbauer, T. / Voigt, H. / Brueckner, D. / Beurskens, R. (2022). Effects of fixed versus variable task prioritization during short-term dual task practice on motor and cognitive task performance in young adults. BMC Research Notes, (2022) 15:156. [DOI]
  3. Dalecki, M. / Steinberg, F. / Beurskens, R. (2021). Rapid Dual-Task Decrements After a Brief Period of Manual Tracking in Simulated Weightlessness by Water Submersion. Human Factors, Volume 65, Issue 6. [DOI]
  4. Schwiertz, G. / Brueckner, D. / Schedler, S. / Kiss, R. / Muehlbauer, T. (2019). Performance and reliability of the Lower Quarter Y Balance Test in healthy adolescents from grade 6 to 11. Gait & Posture, 67 (2019) 142–146. [DOI]
  5. Beurskens, R. / Steingerg, F. / Antoniewicz, F. / Wolff, W. / Granacher, U. (2016). Neural correlates of dual-task walking: effects of cognitive versus motor interference in young adults. Neural Plasticity, 2016:8032180. [DOI]