Do Differences in Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters Predict the Risk of Developing Depression in Later Life?

Abstract

Background/Objectives There is growing interest in the association between gait disturbance and depression in later life. The aim of this study is to clarify the longitudinal relationship between specific gait parameters and incident depression within a population‐representative sample of older people. Design Longitudinal analysis of spatiotemporal gait parameters at baseline (wave 1) and incident depression at 2 and 4 years (waves 2/3). Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between tertiles of gait parameters and incident depression. Setting The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging. Participants Over 3600 nondepressed community‐dwelling people aged 50 years or older. Measurements A score of 9 or greater on the eight‐item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale at wave 2 or 3 was indicative of incident depression. The GAITRite system was used to measure gait speed, step length, step width, and double support phase during usual speed walking and under dual task conditions. Results Participants with incident depression (344/3615) had slower gait speed (129.9 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 127.2‐132.6] cm/s vs 134.1 [95% CI = 133.0‐135.1] cm/s; F = 8.82; P = .003) and shorter step length (68.0 [95% CI = 66.9‐69.2] cm vs 70.3 [95% CI = 69.9‐70.7] cm; F = 13.99; P < .001) at baseline than those who did not develop depression. Logistic regression models demonstrated that those within the slowest tertile for gait speed and shortest tertile for step length had significantly increased likelihood of incident depression in fully adjusted models, with odds ratios of 1.54 (95% CI = 1.08‐2.19) and 1.54 (95% CI = 1.01‐2.35), respectively. Measures of step width and double support time were not associated with depression. Conclusions This study demonstrates that older people with incident depression have significantly slower gait speed and shorter step length at initial assessment. These findings are clinically significant given the impact both conditions have on functional status in later life, as well as the possibility that gait problems may represent a potentially modifiable risk factor for depression. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:1050–1056, 2019.

Depression Prevalence in Postgraduate Students and Its Association With Gait Abnormality

“…Step width and stance duration show no association with depression in our results, which is in line with previous reports [2], [6].…”

“…Besides, slouching posture was often reported in depression [3]- [5]. A recent study on elderly depression suggests that slower gait speed and shorter step length are tied to depression in later life [6]. All these findings indicate that there is an association between depression and gait abnormality.…”

From Emotions to Mood Disorders: A Survey on Gait Analysis Methodology

“…Disease progression and age are confounding parameters in relating emotions and/or moods to gait characteristics as it has been shown in several studies [1], [32], [48]. Nevertheless, longitudinal studies have confirmed that several differences in gait parameters remain significant even if aging is taken into consideration [76]. Furthermore, differences in response to emotional stimulus due to disease or age are very useful to observe as they reveal underlying neuronal mechanisms that decouples emotions from disease abnormalities [32].…”

“…Pieruccini-Faria et al [75] demonstrated that depressive symptoms were associated with increased postural sway in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which potentially raised the risk of falls. To disentangle the effect of age on gait spatiotemporal parameters in depressed elderly, Briggs et al [76] conducted a four-years longitudinal aging study. The study confirmed that severe symptoms of depression are related to reduced gait velocity and step length compared to age-matched controls.…”

Criterion-Related Validity of Field-Based Fitness Tests in Adults: A Systematic Review

“…None of the three studies that analysed the criterion-related validity in motor fitness tests were classified as high quality. Given that the motor fitness tests (i.e., gait/walking speed, balance, timed up and go) are associated with all-cause mortality [114][115][116], falls and fractures [117], disability in activities of daily living [118] and depression [119], it would be useful to know their criterion-related validity.…”