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Gait speed or gait variability, which one to use as a marker of risk to develop Alzheimer disease? A pilot study

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research volume 28, pages 249–255 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Previous literature demonstrates the interest of gait analysis to predict cognitive decline in old people.

Aims

This pilot study aims to determine if gait speed or gait variability is a marker able to early identify, among mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects, those at risk to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the future.

Methods

13 MCI subjects were included in 2007. Their gait parameters (walking speed, stride length and gait frequency, regularity and symmetry) were measured in 2007 and 2008 in simple task (ST) and in dual task (DT) using a triaxial accelerometer (Locometrix®). Among the 13 MCI subjects included in 2007, 10 were assessed in 2008. So, 23 (13 in 2007 + 10 in 2008) gait tests were collected. In 2011, MCI people were considered as “MCI+” when they developed AD (between baseline and 2011) and as “MCI−” if they did not. Among the 23 gait tests, 15 were from MCI+ (9 gait tests in 2007 and 6 in 2008) and 8 from MCI− (4 gait tests in 2007 and 4 gait tests in 2008). Mann–Whitney non-parametric U test was used to compare gait parameters of MCI+ and MCI−.

Results

Gait speed, symmetry and regularity were lower in MCI+ than in MCI−.

Discussion

Despite the small sample size, the results presented in this original pilot study are in line as the infrequent previous literature related to this topic. The authors discuss lacks and strengths of this work.

Conclusions

These results suggest that both gait speed and gait variability could be markers to early identify MCI at risk to develop AD.

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Abbreviations

AD:

Alzheimer disease

CIRS:

Cumulative Illness Rating Scale

DT:

Dual task

GDS-15:

Geriatric Depression Scale—15 items

MNA:

Mini Nutritional Assessment

MCI:

Mild Cognitive Impairment

MCI+:

MCI who will develop AD

MCI−:

MCI who will not develop AD

MCR:

Motor cognitive risk

MMSE:

Mini Mental State Evaluation

ST:

Simple task

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the Professor Olivier Beauchet, from the CHU of Angers in France, for his lecture and his precious advices in the preparation of this paper.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors have a financial or personal relationship with people or organizations that could inappropriately influence this work.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Geriatric Department, CHU Site Notre Dame des Bruyères, Rue de Gaillarmont, 600, 4032, Chenee, Belgium

    S. Gillain

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 3797, Reims, France

    M. Dramé

  3. Geriatric Day Hospital and Memory Clinic, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    F. Lekeu & V. Wojtasik

  4. Geriatric Department, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    S. Gillain, C. Ricour & J. Petermans

  5. Motricity Sciences Department, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    J.-L. Croisier

  6. Memory Clinic, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    E. Salmon

Authors
  1. S. Gillain
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  2. M. Dramé
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  3. F. Lekeu
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  4. V. Wojtasik
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  5. C. Ricour
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  6. J.-L. Croisier
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  7. E. Salmon
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  8. J. Petermans
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Gillain.

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Gillain, S., Dramé, M., Lekeu, F. et al. Gait speed or gait variability, which one to use as a marker of risk to develop Alzheimer disease? A pilot study. Aging Clin Exp Res 28, 249–255 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0392-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0392-6

Keywords

  • Variability
  • Regularity
  • Gait speed
  • MCI
  • Alzheimer disease