The gait of an older adult may be an indicator of whether or not they develop Alzheimer’s disease later on.
Natalia del Campo, PhD, of Gerontopole and the Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration of Toulouse, France, and colleagues examined 128 people, average age of 76 years old, without dementia but considered at high risk for it due to memory problems. Positron emission tomography scans were conducted on their brains, and 48% of participants had level of beta-amyloid at levels high enough to be associated with dementia.
Researchers also tested the subjects’ thinking and memory skills, as well as their ability to complete everyday tasks. Mild cognitive impairment was found in 46% of them.
The participants’ walking speed was also measured. There was a link between slow walking and speed and amyloid levels in certain areas of the brain, including one responsible for motor functions, the researchers reported in the journal Neurology.
After comparing the speed people walked with and without accounting for amyloid amounts, the researchers found up to 9% of the difference were the result of amyloid levels. However, the connection between amyloid and walking speed was not altered when accounting for age, education, or extent of memory problems.
“It’s possible that having subtle walking disturbances in addition to memory concerns may signal Alzheimer's disease, even before people show any clinical symptoms,” del Campo said in a statement.
Slideshow
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks, according to the National Institute on Aging. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first…
Researchers found a link between slow walking and speed and amyloid levels in certain areas of the brain.
The speed at which elderly people walk may indicate their likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to research published in Neurology.
Researchers led by Natalia del Campo, PhD, of the Gerontopole and the Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration of Toulouse, in France, hypothesized that a slower speed of walking may be related to the amount of amyloid plaque people with Alzheimer’s have built up in their brains, even if they do not yet have external symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Amyloid precursor protein (APP) occurs throughout the body. The amyloid hypothesis proposes that there is a fault with the processing of APP in the brain, leading to the production of a short fragment of APP, a sticky protein known as beta-amyloid.
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