{"id":7390,"date":"2021-03-17T10:39:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T09:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agingproject.uniupo.it\/per-i-professionisti\/pillole-di-scienza\/gait-variability-across-neurodegenerative-and-cognitive-disorders-results-from-the-canadian-consortium-of-neurodegeneration-in-aging-ccna-and-the-gait-and-brain-study\/"},"modified":"2022-11-09T11:41:05","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T10:41:05","slug":"gait-variability-across-neurodegenerative-and-cognitive-disorders-results-from-the-canadian-consortium-of-neurodegeneration-in-aging-ccna-and-the-gait-and-brain-study","status":"publish","type":"pillole-di-scienza","link":"https:\/\/www.agingproject.uniupo.it\/en\/health-professionals\/science-pills\/gait-variability-across-neurodegenerative-and-cognitive-disorders-results-from-the-canadian-consortium-of-neurodegeneration-in-aging-ccna-and-the-gait-and-brain-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Gait variability across neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bibliographic reference<\/h3>\n

Frederico Pieruccini\u2010Faria, Sandra E. Black, Mario Masellis, Eric E. Smith, Quincy J. Almeida, Karen Z. H. Li, Louis Bherer, Richard Camicioli, Manuel Montero\u2010Odasso.\u00a0Gait variability across neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders: Results from the Canadian Consortium of Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) and the Gait and Brain Study<\/strong>.\u00a0Alzheimer’s & Dementia<\/em>, 2021 DOI:\u00a010.1002\/alz.12298<\/a><\/p>\n

Abstract<\/h3>\n

The framework and evolution of neurodegenerative diseases have yet to be fully understood. Recent studies suggest that a patient\u2019s cognitive performance is strongly linked to their ability to maintain a continuous and steady gait.<\/p>\n

This study confirms the association between diminished cognitive performance and gait impairment<\/strong>, independent of disease subtype. More specifically, the study identifies gait variability, defined as stride-to-stride fluctuations, as both a sign of neurodegenerative damage and a marker able to predict disease progression. Moreover, gait analysis seems to have the distinct potential of quickly identifying patients with Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/strong>. These patients in particular, compared to the others, presented significant variability in stride time, stride length, and double support time during gait analysis.<\/p>\n

Background<\/h3>\n

As some previous studies affirm, there is a strong connection between gait impairments and cognitive decline. These gait alterations are fairly common in the clinical presentation of neurodegenerative diseases. By analyzing every single stride, it is possible to identify certain features (such as the length and duration of various phases of movement) that distinguish each step from the previous one.<\/p>\n

In earlier literature, however, there\u2019s a lack of systematic analysis of the various aspects of gait impairments as they relate to the most common neurodegenerative diseases.<\/p>\n

Study parameters<\/h3>\n

This study is based on 500 participants divided into 9 groups: the control group; subjects with a diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s disease (PD); people with subjective cognitive impairment (also evaluated as a whole group of subjects without dementia); people with a diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (MCI); subjects with both PD and MCI (also evaluated as a whole group characterized by low level of cognitive degeneration); patients with Alzheimer\u2019s disease (AD); subjects with a clinical case of dementia due to Parkinson\u2019s disease (PDD); people with frontotemporal dementia; and people with Lewy body dementia (also evaluated as a whole group characterized by severe cognitive impairment).<\/p>\n

During the gait analysis, 11 parameters were evaluated, divided into 4 categories:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Rhythm<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. Pace<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Variability<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Postural control<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The information obtained was then analyzed both as unadjusted data and data adjusted for the participants\u2019 main differences (age, sex, years of education, number of comorbidities).<\/p>\n

    The results<\/h3>\n

    From all the gathered data, the study demonstrated that:<\/p>\n