The number of people affected by Alzheimer’s continues to grow. The disease affects 5.4 million people in the United States. That number is expected to spike to 16 million in 2050. New research shows doctors may be able to detect the onset of cognitive decline, a major symptom of Alzheimer’s, by studying a person’s walk.
Walking and Alzheimer’s
The Mayo Clinic studied the stride length, cadence and velocity of more than 1,341 participants and found people with low cadence and velocity had lower cognitive skills.
“Monitoring deterioration and other changes in a person’s gait is ideal because it doesn’t require any expensive technology or take a lot of time to assess,” says Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Walking changes occur because the disease interferes with the circuitry between these areas of brain.
“Walking and movements require a perfect and simultaneous integration of multiple areas of the brain,” says Rodolfo Savica, author of a study done at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Future indication
Researchers say a quick walking test can be added to wellness visits. The results can be compared to see if walking rates decrease, which could indicate other tests are needed. At that point, a doctor can administer memory tests and look for other symptoms of cognitive impairment.
More about Alzheimer’s
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life.
“Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer’s, which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s.”
