Gait Impairment in Adults With Late-Life Depression May Predict Falls

A study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found persons with late-life depression (LLD) have impaired dual-task gait performance compared to comparably aged individuals lacking cognitive impairment or depression (nondepressed, cognitively intact NDCI), reports Psychiatry Advisor . However, they also have significantly better dual-task gait performance when compared with older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The researchers analyzed three matched groups of individuals, ranging from 60 to 85 years old, with LLD, MCI, and NDCI. The investigators concluded that older adults with LLD underperformed more on dual-task gait than NDCI adults, but were less impaired than older adults with MCI. The implication is that the higher dual-task cost in the LLD cohort is the result of underlying executive dysfunction that is less significant than in people with MCI.