Home › Research › Digital health tools
Balance and gait performance in older adults with early-stage cognitive impairment
Kuan YC, Huang LK, Wang YH, Hu CJ, Tseng IJ, Chen HC, Lin LF.. European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2020-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background People with cognitive impairment are susceptible to fall. Previous studies regarding balance and gait enrolled patients with various severity of dementia. Quantification of the balance and gait performance of people with cognitive impairment may help identify their postural instability and fall risks. Aim We investigated the differences in balance and gait among older adults with preserved cognition, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Design Prospective observational study. Setting Outpatient department of neurology or psychology. Population Older adults (aged ≥65 years) with independent gait were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating scale. People with other neurological or musculoskeletal disorders were excluded. Methods Participants were classified into three groups: 30 healthy controls, 30 mild cognitive impairment and 30 mild dementia. Balance were evaluated through functional test (Berg Balance Scale [BBS]) and laboratory test (posturography). Gait was assessed by wearable device. Muscle strength and mass were measured through grip force, calf circumstance, and body composition. Results The BBS (P=0.04), posturography of fall risk index (FR, P=0.01) and sensory integration indices in eyes open and firm surface (EOFIS, P=0.009), eyes open and foam surface (EOFOS, P=0.003) were substantially different among three groups. EOFIS and EOFOS indices of balance in mild dementia were significantly worse than in MCI. The gait speed (P=0.04) and stride length (P=0.04) were significantly different among three groups. The post-hoc analyses revealed that all above balance and gait indices in subjects with cognitive impairments were significantly worse than in healthy controls. The grip force, calf circumstance and body composition-muscle mass did not significantly differ among three groups. Conclusions It is a piece of evidence that cognitive dysfunction, even in early stage of memory decline, may have some bad impact on balance and gait regardless of the effect of musculoskeletal problems. Clinical rehabilitation impact Understanding the difference of specific indices of balance and gait among different severity of cognitive impairments and healthy controls could help to develop better balance-oriented rehabilitation programs in older adults at early-stage cognitive impairment.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Kuan, Y. C., Huang, L. K., Wang, Y. H., Hu, C. J., Tseng, I. J., Chen, H. C., et al. (2021). Balance and gait performance in older adults with early-stage cognitive impairment. European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine. https://doi.org/10.23736/s1973-9087.20.06550-8
Vancouver
Kuan YC, Huang LK, Wang YH, Hu CJ, Tseng IJ, Chen HC, et al. Balance and gait performance in older adults with early-stage cognitive impairment. European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine. 2021. doi:10.23736/s1973-9087.20.06550-8. PMID: 33258361.
BibTeX
@article{kuan2021-33258361,
author = {Kuan, Y. C. and Huang, L. K. and Wang, Y. H. and Hu, C. J. and Tseng, I. J. and Chen, H. C. and Lin, L. F.},
title = {{Balance and gait performance in older adults with early-stage cognitive impairment}},
journal = {European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.23736/s1973-9087.20.06550-8},
pmid = {33258361},
url = {https://doi.org/10.23736/s1973-9087.20.06550-8}
}
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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results The BBS (P=0.04), posturography of fall risk index (FR, P=0.01) and sensory integration indices in eyes open and firm surface (EOFIS, P=0.009), eyes open and foam surface (EOFOS, P=0.003) were substantially different among three groups.
- EOFIS and EOFOS indices of balance in mild dementia were significantly worse than in MCI.
- The gait speed (P=0.04) and stride length (P=0.04) were significantly different among three groups.
- The post-hoc analyses revealed that all above balance and gait indices in subjects with cognitive impairments were significantly worse than in healthy controls.
- The grip force, calf circumstance and body composition-muscle mass did not significantly differ among three groups.
Why it matters
Among 30 healthy controls, 30 people with mild cognitive impairment and 30 with mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, balance and gait measures differed significantly across groups, with balance in mild dementia worse than in mild cognitive impairment. This prospective observational study describes physical performance and does not test treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Digital health →
Study details
- Study designpost-hoc analysis
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine: journal h-index 63 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “post-hoc analysis”, which our rubric does not rank (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 | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 68 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.7 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 16.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 52 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Li‐Fong Lin: h-index 26 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | National Taiwan University: institution h-index 752 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33258361) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Digital health tools
Also tagged “controlled”
1,116 studies in the library carry the topic tag “controlled”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,116 tagged studies.