May 23 (UPI) -- Researchers in a new study found gait and cognitive testing may be an effective predictor of progression to dementia in older adults.
Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University showed gait, or motion testing, done while performing a cognitively demanding task can predict the progression to dementia and aid in earlier diagnosis.
There is currently no definitive method for healthcare professionals to predict the onset of dementia in patients with memory problems.
The team assessed 150 seniors with mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, which is a minor decline in memory and other mental functions, and is considered a pre-dementia syndrome.
Related
"Finding methods to detect dementia early is vital to our ability to slow or halt the progression of the disease," Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, a scientist at Lawson, a geriatrician at St. Joseph's Health Care London and associate professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, said in a press release.
"While walking has long been considered an automatic motor task, emerging evidence suggests cognitive function plays a key role in the control of walking, avoidance of obstacles and maintenance of navigation. We believe that gait, as a complex brain-motor task, provides a golden window of opportunity to see brain function."
Researchers found that the "gait cost" or speed in which participants finished a single task such as walking compared to dual tasks was higher in patients with MCI with worse episodic memory and executive functions such as time management and paying attention.
The tests revealed a 'motor signature' of cognitive impairment, which may be used to predict early onset of dementia.
The study was published in JAMA Neurology.
