Related Experiment Videos
Pathways linking regional hyperintensities in the brain and slower gait
Niousha Bolandzadeh1, Teresa Liu-Ambrose2, Howard Aizenstein3
1Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Experimental Medicine Graduate Program, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Neuroimage
|May 21, 2014
Summary
White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in specific brain regions are linked to slower gait in older adults. Executive functions significantly mediate this relationship, suggesting targeted interventions for mobility.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are associated with mobility and executive function impairments in older adults.
- WMHs may impact mobility directly through disrupted motor circuits or indirectly via executive function pathways.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing interventions to maintain mobility in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific brain regions with WMHs most strongly associated with reduced gait speed.
- To investigate whether WMHs affect gait speed directly or indirectly through executive functions.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study assessed 253 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 83).
- Evaluated were 21 WMH variables, gait speed, global cognition (3MS), and executive functions/processing speed (DSST).
- Elastic Net regression identified key WMH predictors of gait speed, with mediation analyses exploring indirect effects.
Main Results:
- Total WMH volume and WMHs in the right anterior thalamic radiation (ATRR) and frontal corpus callosum (CCF) were linked to slower gait.
- Associations between WMHs (especially CCF) and gait speed were significantly attenuated after adjusting for executive function (DSST).
- Mediation analyses confirmed that executive function (DSST) significantly mediated the relationship between WMHs and gait speed.
Conclusions:
- The impact of WMHs on gait speed is location-dependent and significantly mediated by executive function.
- Interventions should consider targeting executive control functions alongside motor training to preserve mobility.
- These findings highlight the complex interplay between white matter integrity, cognitive function, and motor performance in aging.