Stephanie Cullen1,2, Michael Borrie1,3,4, Susan Carroll4, Yanina Sarquis-Adamson1, Frederico Pieruccini-Faria1,3, Scott McKay5, Manuel Montero-Odasso1,2,3,4. 1. Gait and Brain Lab, Parkwood Institute, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada. 2. School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada. 3. Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, ON, Canada. 4. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Parkwood Institute, London, ON, Canada. 5. Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, ON, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Poor dual-task gait (walking while performing a cognitively demanding task) has been linked to progression to dementia in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, many of these findings come from research environments; gait performance across the cognitive spectrum has not previously been studied in a clinical setting. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether patients from a memory clinic show differences in usual and dual-task gait speed and dual-task cost (DTC) based on cognitive diagnosis. METHODS: Patients in the Aging Brain and Memory Clinic (London, ON) performed a usual gait walk and three dual-task gait walks: counting backwards by ones, naming animals, and counting backwards by seven (serial sevens) out loud. Patients were timed with a stopwatch over a six-meter path marked on the floor. One-way ANOVA was performed to evaluate associations between gait speed and DTC (%) across groups. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-four patients with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI; n = 46), MCI (n = 77), or dementia (n = 71) were assessed. Performance in usual (p < 0.001) and dual-task gait speed (counting gait p < 0.001; naming animals p < 0.001; serial sevens p = 0.004) decreased across the spectrum of cognitive impairment. Patients with dementia had significantly higher DTC in both counting gait (p = 0.02) and naming animals (p = 0.04) conditions compared with patients with SCI and MCI, who had statistically similar DTC in all conditions. CONCLUSION: Dual-task gait performance significantly declines across the cognitive spectrum in a clinical setting. Dual-task gait testing may be used in conjunction with traditional assessments for diagnosing cognitive impairments.
BACKGROUND: Poor dual-task gait (walking while performing a cognitively demanding task) has been linked to progression to dementia in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, many of these findings come from research environments; gait performance across the cognitive spectrum has not previously been studied in a clinical setting. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether patients from a memory clinic show differences in usual and dual-task gait speed and dual-task cost (DTC) based on cognitive diagnosis. METHODS:Patients in the Aging Brain and Memory Clinic (London, ON) performed a usual gait walk and three dual-task gait walks: counting backwards by ones, naming animals, and counting backwards by seven (serial sevens) out loud. Patients were timed with a stopwatch over a six-meter path marked on the floor. One-way ANOVA was performed to evaluate associations between gait speed and DTC (%) across groups. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-four patients with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI; n = 46), MCI (n = 77), or dementia (n = 71) were assessed. Performance in usual (p < 0.001) and dual-task gait speed (counting gait p < 0.001; naming animals p < 0.001; serial sevens p = 0.004) decreased across the spectrum of cognitive impairment. Patients with dementia had significantly higher DTC in both counting gait (p = 0.02) and naming animals (p = 0.04) conditions compared with patients with SCI and MCI, who had statistically similar DTC in all conditions. CONCLUSION: Dual-task gait performance significantly declines across the cognitive spectrum in a clinical setting. Dual-task gait testing may be used in conjunction with traditional assessments for diagnosing cognitive impairments.
Authors: J K Longhurst; J L Cummings; S E John; B Poston; J V Rider; A M Salazar; V R Mishra; A Ritter; J Z Caldwell; J B Miller; J W Kinney; M R Landers Journal: J Prev Alzheimers Dis Date: 2022
Authors: Hanna B Åhman; Lars Berglund; Ylva Cedervall; Vilmantas Giedraitis; Kevin J McKee; Erik Rosendahl; Anna Cristina Åberg Journal: Phys Ther Date: 2021-10-01