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Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Applying the RatWalker System for Gait Analysis in a Genetic Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease
Published on: January 18, 2021
Parkinsonian gait in aging: A feature of Alzheimer's pathology?
Eric Morel1, Stéphane Armand2, Frédéric Assal3
1Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Introduction:
Central neurological gait abnormalities (CNGA; i.e. frontal or parkinsonian) are frequently associated with neurodegenerative conditions in older adults, but their pathophysiological substrates remain poorly described. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer's biomarkers and CNGA.
Methods:
CSF biomarkers (phosphor-tau, total tau and Aβ1-42) were measured in 52 patients with CNGA (77.33 ± 6.09 years; 28.8% female). Gait phenotypes were evaluated by two diagnosis-blinded assessors and classified as frontal gait, parkinsonian gait or other gait abnormalities.
Results:
Parkinsonian gait was significantly associated with a decreased CSF Aβ42 even after adjusting on age, gender, comorbidities and white matter changes (β: -0.32; 95% CI: [-340.6; -22.9]; p value: 0.026). Phosphor-tau and total tau were not associated with any other CNGA (i.e. frontal gait and other gait abnormalities).
Discussion:
Parkinsonian gait represents a gait phenotype of Alzheimer's pathology in patients with CNGA.
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