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Assessing the temporal relationship between cognition and gait: slow gait predicts cognitive decline in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging
Mielke MM, Roberts RO, Savica R, Cha R, Drubach DI, Christianson T, Pankratz VS, Geda YE et al.. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2012-12-18
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background The association between gait speed and cognition has been reported; however, there is limited knowledge about the temporal associations between gait slowing and cognitive decline among cognitively normal individuals. Methods The Mayo Clinic Study of Aging is a population-based study of Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, residents aged 70-89 years. This analysis included 1,478 cognitively normal participants who were evaluated every 15 months with a nurse visit, neurologic evaluation, and neuropsychological testing. The neuropsychological battery used nine tests to compute domain-specific (memory, language, executive function, and visuospatial skills) and global cognitive z-scores. Timed gait speed (m/s) was assessed over 25 feet (7.6 meters) at a usual pace. Using mixed models, we examined baseline gait speed (continuous and in quartiles) as a predictor of cognitive decline and baseline cognition as a predictor of gait speed changes controlling for demographics and medical conditions. Results Cross-sectionally, faster gait speed was associated with better performance in memory, executive function, and global cognition. Both cognitive scores and gait speed declined over time. A faster gait speed at baseline was associated with less cognitive decline across all domain-specific and global scores. These results were slightly attenuated after excluding persons with incident mild cognitive impairment or dementia. By contrast, baseline cognition was not associated with changes in gait speed. Conclusions Our study suggests that slow gait precedes cognitive decline. Gait speed may be useful as a reliable, easily attainable, and noninvasive risk factor for cognitive decline.
Key findings
- Results Cross-sectionally, faster gait speed was associated with better performance in memory, executive function, and global cognition.
- A faster gait speed at baseline was associated with less cognitive decline across all domain-specific and global scores.
- These results were slightly attenuated after excluding persons with incident mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
- By contrast, baseline cognition was not associated with changes in gait speed.
- Conclusions Our study suggests that slow gait precedes cognitive decline.
Why it matters
In this population-based study of cognitively normal older adults, faster gait speed at baseline was associated with less cognitive decline over time, while baseline cognition did not predict changes in gait speed. It suggests slow gait may help predict cognitive decline but does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants1,478
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Journals of Gerontology Series A: journal h-index 274 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,478 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 448 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 29.9 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 15 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 79 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Ronald C. Petersen: h-index 18 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23250002) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gls256
- PubMed: 23250002
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Journals of Gerontology Series A →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Mielke, M. M., Roberts, R. O., Savica, R., Cha, R., Drubach, D. I., Christianson, T., et al. (2013). Assessing the temporal relationship between cognition and gait: slow gait predicts cognitive decline in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/gls256
Vancouver
Mielke MM, Roberts RO, Savica R, Cha R, Drubach DI, Christianson T, et al. Assessing the temporal relationship between cognition and gait: slow gait predicts cognitive decline in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 2013. doi:10.1093/gerona/gls256. PMID: 23250002.
BibTeX
@article{mielke2013-23250002,
author = {Mielke, M. M. and Roberts, R. O. and Savica, R. and Cha, R. and Drubach, D. I. and Christianson, T. and Pankratz, V. S. and Geda, Y. E. and others},
title = {{Assessing the temporal relationship between cognition and gait: slow gait predicts cognitive decline in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging}},
journal = {The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1093/gerona/gls256},
pmid = {23250002},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/gls256}
}
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