Did you know that the way you walk can be an indicator for Alzheimer’s disease? New research shows that gait abnormalities or changes in walking often appear before a cognitive decline is apparent. Monitoring any changes in gait is often an easy, affordable way for doctors (and even family members) to detect possible Alzheimer’s and doesn’t require endless hours of testing or expensive technology; after which advanced testing can proceed. Computerised gait technology was successfully used by researchers in the US to link a decrease in cadence, velocity and stride length to declines in global cognition and memory. In South Africa, the implications are huge. By monitoring gait changes, early detection of possible Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairment becomes much easier for nurses, caregivers and family members.
Walking is complex and requires the parts of the brain to process stimuli and integrate this information perfectly. Alzheimer’s interferes with the intricate circuitry of the brain resulting in a walking changes and difficulties. Apraxia, the loss of the ability to use the lower limbs to walk, results in slow, irregular gait, difficulty in rising from a seated position and difficulty in maneuvering around obstacles and turns. Often, declines in cognitive function cause delays in the neural pathways that interpret and generate motor control. As walking requires musculo-skeletal control of the lower limbs, trunk and even arms, abnormalities are easy to identify.
Hopefully, this will inspire further research into early predictors and diagnostic procedures that will make dementia easier to manage.
