Gait Variability Is Associated with Subclinical Brain Vascular Abnormalities in High-Functioning Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Gait variability is an index of how much gait parameters, such as step length, change from one step to the next. Gait variability increases with age and in individuals affected by cortical and subcortical neurodegenerative conditions, and it is associated with falls and incident mobility disability. The brain anatomical correlates of gait variability have not been studied in high-functioning community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Gait variability and brain MRIs were assessed in a cohort of 331 men and women (mean age = 78.3 years) free from stroke, dementia or Parkinson’s disease. Gait variability was computed for spatial parameters (step length and step width) and for temporal parameters (stance time). Subclinical brain vascular abnormalities were measured on brain MRIs as infarcts and white matter hyperintensities. Results: Greater variability of step length was associated with greater prevalence of infarcts, including infarcts in the basal ganglia, and with greater white matter hyperintensities severity, independent of age, gender, cognitive function and cardiovascular disease. Weaker associations were found between the other variability measures and the MRI measures. Conclusion: In this group of older adults free from neurodegenerative diseases, a greater variability of step length was associated with greater burden of subclinical brain vascular abnormalities as defined by MRI.

Hippocampal volume, early cognitive decline and gait variability: Which association?

“…In our study, walking speed was measured at self-selected usual pace with the GAITRite® system. Lastly, it has been reported that white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) is associated with higher gait variability (Rosano et al, 2007). Therefore, the total extent of white matter signal-intensity abnormality was measured using the semiquantitative visual rating scale devised by Manolio and colleagues (Manolio et al, 1994), with a score ranging from 0 (i.e., best) to 9 (i.e., worst).…”

Fall-related factors among less and more active older outpatients

“…However, the relationship between higher levels of physical activity and falls is not completely understood, particularly among more active older adults, whose falls are only explained by environmental and behavioral factors and are derived from studies focused on outdoor falls. Some studies with community-dwelling healthy older adults, who are supposedly more active, have suggested that certain subclinical characteristics, such as reduced executive function skills and increased gait variability, could also explain the increased fall risk in this group 12,20,21 .…”

Pharmacologically induced impairment of neurovascular coupling responses alters gait coordination in mice

“…There is strong evidence that vascular pathologies promote gait variability. For example, subclinical brain vascular abnormalities, measured on brain MRIs as infarcts and white matter hyperintensities, were reported to associate with greater variability of spatial gait parameters (step length) (Rosano et al 2007). In older adults, gait variability is thought to be associated with areas important for sensorimotor integration, coordination (Tian et al 2017), and memory and executive function (Rosso et al 2014).…”