Differences in Walking Patterns Could Predict Type of Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

ScienceDaily is reporting that a new study by a Canadian research team researched how different patterns in the way senior adults walk could more accurately diagnose different types of dementia and identify Alzheimer's disease. This study compared gait impairments across the cognitive spectrum, including people with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, Subjective Cognitive Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's Disease, as well as cognitively healthy controls. Four independent gait patterns — rhythm, pace, variability and postural control — were identified. Only high gait variability was associated with lower cognitive performance, identifying Alzheimer's with 70 percent accuracy. The researchers, led by London scientists from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University, evaluated the walking patterns and brain function of approximately 500 participants now enrolled in clinical trials. "We're seeing that motor performance, specifically the way you walk, can help diagnose different types of neurodegenerative conditions," says Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, Professor at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.