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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
04:13
Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
Published on: February 8, 2019
Pacing and lapping movements among institutionalized patients with dementia
Akiko Nakaoka1, Shunji Suto, Kiyoko Makimoto
1School of Nursing, Senri Kinran University, 5-25-1 Fujishirodai, Suita, Osaka, Japan. a-nakaoka@cs.kinran.ac.jp
American Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease and Other Dementias
|January 29, 2010
Summary
This study monitored dementia patients using integrated circuit tags, finding that daily movement varied significantly. Greater patient age and lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores correlated with less distance moved.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Wandering in dementia patients is a complex behavior that poses challenges in definition and management.
- Understanding the spatial movements and daily distances covered by individuals with dementia is crucial for care planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the daily distance moved and spatial movements of dementia patients using an integrated circuit (IC) tag monitoring system.
- To investigate the relationship between patient characteristics (age, cognitive status) and their movement patterns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an integrated circuit (IC) tag monitoring system to track 23 dementia patients in a Japanese hospital over 3 months.
- Recorded daily distance moved, frequency of pacing and lapping, and the proportion of movement that was paced or lapped.
- Analyzed correlations between movement metrics, patient age, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.
Main Results:
- Significant individual variability was observed in daily distance moved and the occurrence of pacing and lapping behaviors.
- A significant inverse correlation was found between median daily distance moved and both patient age and MMSE scores (adjusted r(2) = .34, P = .01).
- Consecutive pacing and lapping were infrequent in Alzheimer's disease patients, but common in two frontotemporal dementia patients.
Conclusions:
- Integrated circuit tag monitoring provides valuable data on dementia patient mobility and behavioral patterns.
- Patient age and cognitive function, as assessed by MMSE, are significant factors influencing the extent of daily movement in dementia.
- Distinct movement patterns, such as repeated pacing or lapping, may differentiate subtypes of dementia, like frontotemporal dementia from Alzheimer's disease.
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