Are Cognitive Subtypes Associated with Dual-Task Gait Performance in a Clinical Setting?

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Poor dual-task gait is linked to dementia progression in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
• Previous research primarily conducted in lab settings; gait performance across the cognitive spectrum in clinical settings remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in usual and dual-task gait speed and dual-task cost (DTC) among memory clinic patients with varying cognitive diagnoses.
• To assess gait performance across the spectrum of cognitive impairment, from subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) to dementia.

Main Methods:

• 194 patients from a memory clinic underwent usual gait and three dual-task gait tests (counting backwards, naming animals, serial sevens).
• Gait speed and DTC were measured over a six-meter path.
• One-way ANOVA analyzed associations between gait speed, DTC, and cognitive diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Gait speed significantly decreased across the cognitive spectrum (SCI, MCI, dementia) for both usual and dual-task conditions (p < 0.001).
• Patients with dementia exhibited significantly higher DTC in counting gait (p=0.02) and naming animals (p=0.04) compared to SCI and MCI patients.
• DTC was statistically similar across all conditions for SCI and MCI groups.

Conclusions:

• Dual-task gait performance shows a significant decline across the cognitive spectrum within a clinical environment.
• Dual-task gait testing shows potential as a complementary tool for diagnosing cognitive impairments.