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Striatal dopaminergic denervation and gait in healthy adults

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Abstract

Parkinsonian-like motor impairments are common in the elderly. The etiology of these symptoms in the absence of clinically diagnosable Parkinson’s disease (PD) is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between striatal dopaminergic neuron losses that occur with aging and gait in healthy adults. Forty healthy subjects aged 21–85 years old underwent [11C]-β-CFT dopamine transporter (DAT) positron emission tomography (PET). Subjects were also asked to walk in a gait laboratory at their own pace. Gait variables of interest included average general spatiotemporal characteristics of walking patterns and their standard deviation reflecting gait variability. Segmented nonlinear models were used to investigate the relationship between striatal DAT activity and gait while controlling for age. Gait speed, cadence, and single and double support durations were significantly slower than age-based predictions in adults with lower striatal DAT activity (P < 0.05). After controlling for age, striatal DAT activity was not significantly associated with average step length and step width and with gait variability. We conclude that dopaminergic physiology influences certain aspects of gait independent of age-related changes. The findings of this study may augur novel therapeutic approaches to treating gait disorders in the elderly.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, Grant E3270R. Also, partial support was provided by the Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (NIH/NIA P30 AG-024827).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 

    R. Cham

  2. Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 

    S. A. Studenski & S. Perera

  3. Pittsburgh VA GRECC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    S. A. Studenski

  4. Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 

    S. Perera

  5. Departments of Radiology and Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 

    N. I. Bohnen

  6. Ann Arbor VA GRECC, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    N. I. Bohnen

Authors
  1. R. Cham
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  2. S. A. Studenski
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  3. S. Perera
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  4. N. I. Bohnen
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Correspondence to R. Cham.

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Cham, R., Studenski, S.A., Perera, S. et al. Striatal dopaminergic denervation and gait in healthy adults. Exp Brain Res 185, 391–398 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-007-1161-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-007-1161-3

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