Isabelle Killane1, Orna A Donoghue2, George M Savva3, Hilary Cronin2, Rose Anne Kenny4, Richard B Reilly5. 1. Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, killani@tcd.ie. 2. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, and. 3. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, and School of Medicine, Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Ireland. School of Nursing Sciences, University of East Anglia, UK. 4. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, and School of Medicine, Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Ireland. 5. Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Ireland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: For single gait tasks, associations have been reported between gait speed and cognitive domains. However, few studies have evaluated if this association is altered in dual gait tasks given gait speed changes with complexity and nature of task. We evaluated relative contributions of specific elements of cognitive function (including sustained attention and processing speed) to dual task gait speed in a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 50 years. METHODS: Gait speed was obtained using the GaitRite walkway during three gait tasks: single, cognitive (alternate letters), and motor (carrying a filled glass). Linear regression models, adjusted for covariates, were constructed to predict the relative contributions of seven neuropsychological tests to gait speed differences and to investigate gait task effects. RESULTS: The mean age and gait speed of the population (n = 4,431, 55% women) was 62.4 years (SD = 8.2) and 135.85 cm/s (SD = 20.20, single task), respectively. Poorer processing speed, short-term memory, and sustained attention were major cognitive contributors to slower gait speed for all gait tasks. Both dual gait tasks were robust to covariate adjustment and had a significant additional executive function element not found for the single gait task. CONCLUSIONS: For community-dwelling older adults processing speed, short-term memory and sustained attention were independently associated with gait speed for all gait tasks. Dual gait tasks were found to highlight specific executive function elements. This result forms a baseline value for dual task gait speed.
BACKGROUND: For single gait tasks, associations have been reported between gait speed and cognitive domains. However, few studies have evaluated if this association is altered in dual gait tasks given gait speed changes with complexity and nature of task. We evaluated relative contributions of specific elements of cognitive function (including sustained attention and processing speed) to dual task gait speed in a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 50 years. METHODS: Gait speed was obtained using the GaitRite walkway during three gait tasks: single, cognitive (alternate letters), and motor (carrying a filled glass). Linear regression models, adjusted for covariates, were constructed to predict the relative contributions of seven neuropsychological tests to gait speed differences and to investigate gait task effects. RESULTS: The mean age and gait speed of the population (n = 4,431, 55% women) was 62.4 years (SD = 8.2) and 135.85 cm/s (SD = 20.20, single task), respectively. Poorer processing speed, short-term memory, and sustained attention were major cognitive contributors to slower gait speed for all gait tasks. Both dual gait tasks were robust to covariate adjustment and had a significant additional executive function element not found for the single gait task. CONCLUSIONS: For community-dwelling older adults processing speed, short-term memory and sustained attention were independently associated with gait speed for all gait tasks. Dual gait tasks were found to highlight specific executive function elements. This result forms a baseline value for dual task gait speed.
Authors: Nan Wang; Gilles Allali; Chandrasekharan Kesavadas; Mohan L Noone; Vayyattu G Pradeep; Helena M Blumen; Joe Verghese Journal: J Alzheimers Dis Date: 2016 Impact factor: 4.472
Authors: Alden L Gross; Qian-Li Xue; Karen Bandeen-Roche; Linda P Fried; Ravi Varadhan; Mara A McAdams-DeMarco; Jeremy Walston; Michelle C Carlson Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2016-04-15 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Markus A Hobert; Sinja I Meyer; Sandra E Hasmann; Florian G Metzger; Ulrike Suenkel; Gerhard W Eschweiler; Daniela Berg; Walter Maetzler Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2017-05-24 Impact factor: 5.750
Authors: Dina Salkovic; Markus A Hobert; Carolin Bellut; Florian Funer; Sarah Renno; Linda Haertner; Sandra E Hasmann; Jana Staebler; Johanna Geritz; Ulrike Suenkel; Andreas J Fallgatter; Gerhard W Eschweiler; Daniela Berg; Walter Maetzler Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2017-04-04 Impact factor: 5.750
Authors: Stuart W S MacDonald; Sandra Hundza; Janet A Love; Correne A DeCarlo; Drew W R Halliday; Paul W H Brewster; Timothy V Lukyn; Richard Camicioli; Roger A Dixon Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2017-02-13 Impact factor: 5.750
Authors: Hannah Park; Courtney Aul; Joseph DeGutis; On-Yee Lo; Victoria N Poole; Regina McGlinchey; Jonathan F Bean; Elizabeth Leritz; Michael Esterman Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2021-07-05 Impact factor: 5.750