Decline in walking speed may be early sign of dementia - Health - DNA

Three new studies have found that changes
in walking patterns of the elderly are closely
linked to memory loss and may actually be
an early clue to dementia.

One group of researchers studied the strides
of a group of elderly patients at Basel Mobility Center in Switzerland. The study led by researcher Dr Stephanie Bridenbaugh, found that those participants with
declines in cognition tended to walk more
slowly than their memory-savvy counterparts, particularly when asked to perform a simple task — such as counting backward — while walking.
“
Gait analysis can simply, quickly and
objectively measure walking. When problems
emerge, this may provide early detection of
fall risk and the earliest stages of cognitive
impairment in older adults,” ABC News
quoted Bridenbaugh as commenting in a news
release.

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Decline in walking speed may be early sign of dementia - Health - DNA