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Gait and cognition: the relationship between gait stability and variability with executive function in persons with and without dementia
Ijmker T, Lamoth CJ.. Gait & posture, 2011-10-02
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
Besides cognitive decline, dementia is characterized by gait changes and increased fall risk, also in early stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the relationship between executive function and gait variability and stability during single task and dual task walking in persons with and without dementia. The study sample consisted of three groups: fifteen dementia patients (aged 75-87), fourteen healthy elderly (aged 75-85), and twelve relatively younger elderly (aged 55-70). Participants underwent neuropsychological testing and tests of single and dual task walking while wearing an accelerometer. Outcome measures include stride related measures such as mean and coefficient of variation of stride time, and dynamic measures regarding the magnitude, smoothness, predictability and local stability of trunk accelerations. Patients with dementia exhibited a significantly (p<.05) less variable, but more irregular trunk acceleration pattern than cognitively intact elderly on single and dual task walking. The walking pattern during dual tasking for the whole group became increasingly unstable, even though participants modified their gait pattern by slowing their walking speed, and decreasing the magnitude of trunk accelerations. Moderate to high correlations (r>.51) were found between executive tasks and gait parameters. In conclusion, these findings indicate that decreased executive function plays an important role in increased gait variability in dementia patients; a fact that should be considered when designing fall risk interventions for this population. Furthermore, results indicate that measures of gait variability and stability should be deemed worthwhile in the diagnosis of dementia.
Key findings
- Patients with dementia exhibited a significantly (p<.05) less variable, but more irregular trunk acceleration pattern than cognitively intact elderly on single and dual task walking.
- In conclusion, these findings indicate that decreased executive function plays an important role in increased gait variability in dementia patients; a fact that should be considered when designing fall risk interventions for this population.
- Furthermore, results indicate that measures of gait variability and stability should be deemed worthwhile in the diagnosis of dementia.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 36/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 36 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Gait & posture) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 2012 — within 20 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 | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21964053) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 21 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 21 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 36 out of 100. |
| Total | 36 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Ijmker, T., & Lamoth, C. J. (2012). Gait and cognition: the relationship between gait stability and variability with executive function in persons with and without dementia. Gait & posture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.08.022
Vancouver
Ijmker T, Lamoth CJ. Gait and cognition: the relationship between gait stability and variability with executive function in persons with and without dementia. Gait & posture. 2012. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.08.022. PMID: 21964053.
BibTeX
@article{ijmker2012-21964053,
author = {Ijmker, T. and Lamoth, C. J.},
title = {{Gait and cognition: the relationship between gait stability and variability with executive function in persons with and without dementia}},
journal = {Gait \& posture},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.08.022},
pmid = {21964053},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.08.022}
}
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