Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs
IntroductionIn humans, gait speed is a crucial component in geriatric evaluation since decreasing speed can be a harbinger of cognitive decline and dementia. Aging companion dogs can suffer from age-related mobility impairment, cognitive decline and dementia known as canine cognitive dysfunction syn...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1150590/full |
| _version_ | 1797803811392192512 |
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| author | Alejandra Mondino Michael Khan Beth Case Gilad Fefer Wojciech K. Panek Margaret E. Gruen Natasha J. Olby |
| author_facet | Alejandra Mondino Michael Khan Beth Case Gilad Fefer Wojciech K. Panek Margaret E. Gruen Natasha J. Olby |
| author_sort | Alejandra Mondino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionIn humans, gait speed is a crucial component in geriatric evaluation since decreasing speed can be a harbinger of cognitive decline and dementia. Aging companion dogs can suffer from age-related mobility impairment, cognitive decline and dementia known as canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome. We hypothesized that there would be an association between gait speed and cognition in aging dogs.MethodsWe measured gait speed on and off leash in 46 adult and 49 senior dogs. Cognitive performance in senior dogs was assessed by means of the Canine Dementia Scale and a battery of cognitive tests.ResultsWe demonstrated that dogs' food-motivated gait speed off leash is correlated with fractional lifespan and cognitive performance in dogs, particularly in the domains of attention and working memory.DiscussionFood-motivated gait speed off leash represents a relatively easy variable to measure in clinical settings. Moreover, it proves to be a more effective indicator of age-related deterioration and cognitive decline than gait speed on leash. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:26:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a269767f50b24757a41ac2fc1b640112 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-1769 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:26:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-a269767f50b24757a41ac2fc1b6401122023-06-15T05:34:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692023-06-011010.3389/fvets.2023.11505901150590Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogsAlejandra MondinoMichael KhanBeth CaseGilad FeferWojciech K. PanekMargaret E. GruenNatasha J. OlbyIntroductionIn humans, gait speed is a crucial component in geriatric evaluation since decreasing speed can be a harbinger of cognitive decline and dementia. Aging companion dogs can suffer from age-related mobility impairment, cognitive decline and dementia known as canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome. We hypothesized that there would be an association between gait speed and cognition in aging dogs.MethodsWe measured gait speed on and off leash in 46 adult and 49 senior dogs. Cognitive performance in senior dogs was assessed by means of the Canine Dementia Scale and a battery of cognitive tests.ResultsWe demonstrated that dogs' food-motivated gait speed off leash is correlated with fractional lifespan and cognitive performance in dogs, particularly in the domains of attention and working memory.DiscussionFood-motivated gait speed off leash represents a relatively easy variable to measure in clinical settings. Moreover, it proves to be a more effective indicator of age-related deterioration and cognitive decline than gait speed on leash.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1150590/fullcanine cognitive dysfunction syndromecanine gerontologymobilitywalking speedmemoryattention |
| spellingShingle | Alejandra Mondino Michael Khan Beth Case Gilad Fefer Wojciech K. Panek Margaret E. Gruen Natasha J. Olby Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs Frontiers in Veterinary Science canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome canine gerontology mobility walking speed memory attention |
| title | Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs |
| title_full | Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs |
| title_fullStr | Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs |
| title_short | Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs |
| title_sort | winning the race with aging age related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs |
| topic | canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome canine gerontology mobility walking speed memory attention |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1150590/full |
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