A major study suggests that a slowing walking pace in later life could serve as an early warning sign of dementia. Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Monash University monitored 17,000 people aged over 75 over a seven-year period, assessing their walking speeds and cognitive function every two years.
Key Findings
The study revealed that individuals who lost 0.05 metres per second from their walking speed each year displayed signs of cognitive decline. This may be linked to the areas of the brain responsible for controlling movement and pace being impacted by cognitive deterioration.
Dual Decliners at Highest Risk
Those showing a decline in both walking speed and cognitive function were found to be at a significantly greater risk of developing dementia. This group, known as "dual decliners", accounted for approximately 178 diagnosed cases of dementia, equating to 11.3% of the total study participants.
In contrast, those who showed no decline in either cognition or walking speed were least likely to receive a diagnosis, with just 0.3% affected.
Walking Speed Alone Not a Strong Indicator
However, the study stopped short of establishing a wider connection between walking speed and dementia risk. It found that those who slowed down but showed no existing signs of cognitive decline carried a similar risk to those whose walking speed remained unchanged.
Researchers suggest that a deterioration in both cognitive function and walking pace could indicate early warning signs of dementia, with speed and memory potentially being the most reliable indicators for assessing cognitive decline.
Expert Commentary
Dr Taya Collyer, a biostatistician from Monash University who led the study, concluded: "Association between [brain] domains, such as processing speed and verbal fluency, with gait have been explained by the crossover in the underlying networks or pathology."
The study added: "These results highlight the importance of gait in dementia risk assessment. They suggest that dual decline in gait speed and memory measure may be the best combination to assess future decline."
The research was published this week in JAMA Network Open.
