Monday, January 29, 2018

Slow walking speed may be a sign of Alzheimer’s onset, say scientists

slow walking

The phrase “Slow and steady wins the race” may not apply to all seniors. According to a research published in the journal Neurology, speed of walking in elderly people may indicate their probability of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Slow walking is very common in elderly, but a research from France indicates it may be a sign of Alzheimer’s onset.

According to Dr. Laura Phipps of the Alzheimer’s Research UK, while Alzheimer’s disease is associated with forgetfulness and confusion, there may be other physical symptoms like mobility problems which may indicate Alzheimer’s.


The research team led by Natalia del Campo, PhD, of the Gerontopole and the Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration of Toulouse, in France, concluded that a slower pace of walking may be associated with the amount of beta amyloid Alzheimer’s patients have accumulated in their brains, even if the external symptoms of Alzheimer’s aren’t yet present in them.

The accumulated clumps of beta-amyloid are known as amyloid plaques. Amyloid plaques are considered one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists believe build-up of amyloid plaques in and around hippocampus are responsible for the death of brain cells, which triggers the disease.

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for about 60-70% of all dementia cases. The most common early symptom is short-term memory loss.

Alzheimer’s has been recently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s.


Around 800,000 people in UK are affected by the disease.

Age is one of the risk factors of Alzheimer’s. People over the age of 70 are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

slow walking
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans were performed on the participants' brains 
The team studied 128 seniors whose average age was 76 years, and were deemed at high risk of developing dementia because of their memory problems.

PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans on their brains showed that 48% of them had amyloid levels often linked with dementia. Their cognitive skills and their ability to complete day-to-day activities were also tested.


Of the participants, 46% had mild cognitive decline, which may indicate the start of dementia that arises in Alzheimer’s.

The participants’ walking speed was measured using a standard test that measures the time of how fast they walk approximately 13 feet at their own speed. The average walking speed of the seniors was 3.48 feet/second (2.3 miles/hour). All except 2 of the participants had normal walking speed.

The researcher discovered that amyloid levels accounted for up to 9 percent of the differentiation in the speed of walking. They found a connection between slow walking and amyloid in several parts of the brain, including putamen, a crucial area of the brain involved in motor function. The seniors who walked more slowly had greater accumulation of the protein amyloid. [এই ৭টি খাবার আপনাকে ওজন কমাতে সাহায্য করবে ]

There was no changes in connections between levels of amyloid and speed of walking, when their age, level of education or level of memory problems were taken into account.

Dr. del Campo says that it is possible that experiencing subtle walking disturbances along with memory concerns may indicate Alzheimer’s disease, even before any clinical symptoms are displayed. [Read more 7 Foods That Will Help You Lose Weight]

Del Campo notes, however, that the study only shows a link between amyloid and speed of walking but it does not prove that amyloid accumulation is the cause of slow walking. There are many factors that cause older people to walk slowly.

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2 comments:

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