Gait and cognition in older adults: Insights from the Bronx and Kerala

Abstract

Background:Recent reports indicate that gait dysfunction can occur early in the course of cognitive decline suggesting that motor and cognitive functions in older adults may share common underlying brain substrates, pathological processes, and risk factors.Objective:This study was designed to report the association between gait and cognition in older adults in USA and the southern Indian state of Kerala.Materials and Methods:Literature review of gait and cognition studies conducted in Bronx County, USA as well as preliminary results from the Kerala-Einstein study (Kozhikode city, Kerala).Results:Review of published studies based in the Bronx shows that both clinical and quantitative gait dysfunction are common in older adults with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, clinical and quantitative gait dysfunction in cognitively normal older adults was a strong predictor of future cognitive decline and dementia. Our preliminary study in Kozhikode city shows that timed gait is slower in older adults diagnosed with dementia and mild cognitive impairment syndrome compared to healthy older controls.Conclusions:A strong association between gait and cognition is seen in seniors in USA as well as Kerala. A better understanding of the relationship between gait and cognition may help improve current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches globally.

Picture‐Based Memory Impairment Screen for Dementia

“…The goals of the KES were to build research infrastructure and to identify risk factors for dementia in the southern Indian state of Kerala. KES is based in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram cities, as well as a rural site in Thrissur district . The PMIS validation study was conducted at Kozhikode and the feasibility study at Thrissur.…”

“…The PMIS validation study was conducted at Kozhikode and the feasibility study at Thrissur. Consecutive patient referrals to the neurology clinics at Baby Memorial Hospital, Kozhikode, between October 2008 and October 2010 were prospectively recruited . Reasons for referral to clinic included cognitive complaints or other neurological symptoms such as headache, strokes, or neuropathy.…”

“…The primary aim of the current study was to develop a picture‐based version of the MIS (PMIS) to screen for dementia that would account for limitations of the MIS and other screens . The diagnostic accuracy of the PMIS was examined in a clinic‐based sample of 304 individuals aged 55 to 94, 65 with dementia, participating in the Kerala‐Einstein Study (KES) . Feasibility of administration of the PMIS by nonspecialists was examined as a secondary aim.…”

Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Kerala Einstein Study

“…6 The goal of the KES is to identify risk factors for dementia in the southern Indian state of Kerala. We frequency matched cases by age and sex to 79 cognitively normal adults (mean age 70.4, 35.4% women)recruited from relatives of patients (70%) as well as from patients referred for non-cognitive complaints such as headaches, back pain, and peripheral neuropathies (30%).…”

Noise robust footstep location estimation using a wireless acoustic sensor network

“…and the health of a person. For example in [3,23,27,33] the authors describe the correlation between gait and cognitive functions, in [25] the relation to the functional independence is indicated and in [4,9,14,19,32] the relation to future fall incidents is shown. All of these studies used either expensive lab equipment (walkways equipped with pressure sensors [3,9,14,27,32], 3D imaging through markers on the feet [14]) or bodyworn sensors (3D-accelerometer [9], shoe sole pres-sure sensors [19,23], ultrasonic portable timer [25]) to gather the gait parameters.…”