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Motor performance and 3D gait pattern characteristics in older adult women with early mild cognitive impairment: a
1Institute of Sport Science, Korea National Sport University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Introduction:
Early mild cognitive impairment (eMCI) is often accompanied by subtle alterations in motor function and gait control before the onset of overt dementia. Identifying these early functional changes may provide useful information for early detection and intervention. This study compared motor performance, balance, gait characteristics, and lower-limb kinematics between older women with eMCI and cognitively healthy controls.
Methods:
Thirty-four community-dwelling older women participated in this exploratory pilot study, including 17 women with eMCI and 17 age-matched healthy controls. Body composition was assessed using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Physical fitness was evaluated using the Senior Fitness Test, including grip strength, the 30-second Chair Stand Test, and the Figure-of-Eight Walk Test. Static balance was assessed using center-of-pressure variables, and gait characteristics and lower-limb kinematics were measured using a three-dimensional gait analysis system at a standardized walking speed of 1.0 m/s. Group differences were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, and effect sizes were calculated.
Results:
No significant between-group differences were observed in body composition or grip strength (p > 0.05). However, the eMCI group demonstrated significantly lower performance in the 30-second Chair Stand Test (p < 0.001). In balance assessment, total center-of-pressure path length was significantly greater, whereas sway velocity was significantly lower in the eMCI group (p < 0.05). In gait analysis, stride length, gait cycle time, and double-limb support time were significantly greater in the eMCI group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, women with eMCI exhibited reduced right knee joint range of motion in the frontal and transverse planes and lower right hip angular velocity in the frontal plane (p < 0.05).
Discussion:
Older women with early mild cognitive impairment exhibited subtle but meaningful impairments in lower-limb strength, postural control, gait performance, and joint-level motor control despite relatively preserved body composition and basic gait ability. These findings suggest that detailed balance and gait-related kinematic variables may serve as sensitive indicators of early motor-control alterations associated with cognitive decline and may contribute to the development of early screening and intervention strategies.
