Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot Study
Gait dysfunction and fall risk have been well documented in people with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Normal locomotor adaptation may be an important prerequisite for normal and safe community walking function, especially in older adults with age...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.800338/full |
| _version_ | 1811304505487130624 |
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| author | Tana S. Pottorf Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Steven P. Eicholtz Trisha M. Kesar Trisha M. Kesar |
| author_facet | Tana S. Pottorf Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Steven P. Eicholtz Trisha M. Kesar Trisha M. Kesar |
| author_sort | Tana S. Pottorf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gait dysfunction and fall risk have been well documented in people with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Normal locomotor adaptation may be an important prerequisite for normal and safe community walking function, especially in older adults with age-related neural, musculoskeletal, or cardiovascular changes and cognitive impairments. The split-belt walking task is a well-studied and robust method to evaluate locomotor adaptation (e.g., the ability to adjust stepping movements to changing environmental demands). Here, we capitalized on the split-belt adaptation task to test our hypothesis that a decreased capacity for locomotor adaptation may be an important contributing factor and indicator of increased fall risk and cognitive decline in older individuals with MCI and AD. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare locomotor adaptation capacity in MCI and AD compared to healthy older adults (HOA) during split-belt treadmill walking, and (2) evaluate associations between locomotor adaptation and cognitive impairments. Our results demonstrated a significant decrease in split-belt locomotor adaptation magnitude in older individuals with MCI and AD compared to HOA. In addition, we found significant correlations between the magnitude of early adaptation and de-adaptation vs. cognitive test scores, demonstrating that individuals with greater cognitive impairment also display a reduced capacity to adapt their walking in response to the split-belt perturbation. Our study takes an important step toward understanding mechanisms underlying locomotor dysfunction in older individuals with cognitive impairment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:08:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c41f7a1a3e0b47daa20ce406e4c0571a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:08:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c41f7a1a3e0b47daa20ce406e4c0571a2022-12-22T02:55:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952022-05-011310.3389/fneur.2022.800338800338Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot StudyTana S. Pottorf0Joe R. Nocera1Joe R. Nocera2Joe R. Nocera3Joe R. Nocera4Steven P. Eicholtz5Trisha M. Kesar6Trisha M. Kesar7Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaNeuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaDepartment of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta VA Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta, GeorgiaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaNeuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GeorgiaGait dysfunction and fall risk have been well documented in people with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Normal locomotor adaptation may be an important prerequisite for normal and safe community walking function, especially in older adults with age-related neural, musculoskeletal, or cardiovascular changes and cognitive impairments. The split-belt walking task is a well-studied and robust method to evaluate locomotor adaptation (e.g., the ability to adjust stepping movements to changing environmental demands). Here, we capitalized on the split-belt adaptation task to test our hypothesis that a decreased capacity for locomotor adaptation may be an important contributing factor and indicator of increased fall risk and cognitive decline in older individuals with MCI and AD. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare locomotor adaptation capacity in MCI and AD compared to healthy older adults (HOA) during split-belt treadmill walking, and (2) evaluate associations between locomotor adaptation and cognitive impairments. Our results demonstrated a significant decrease in split-belt locomotor adaptation magnitude in older individuals with MCI and AD compared to HOA. In addition, we found significant correlations between the magnitude of early adaptation and de-adaptation vs. cognitive test scores, demonstrating that individuals with greater cognitive impairment also display a reduced capacity to adapt their walking in response to the split-belt perturbation. Our study takes an important step toward understanding mechanisms underlying locomotor dysfunction in older individuals with cognitive impairment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.800338/fullsplit-beltAlzheimer's Diseasemild cognitive impairmentlocomotionwalkingaging |
| spellingShingle | Tana S. Pottorf Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Joe R. Nocera Steven P. Eicholtz Trisha M. Kesar Trisha M. Kesar Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot Study Frontiers in Neurology split-belt Alzheimer's Disease mild cognitive impairment locomotion walking aging |
| title | Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot Study |
| title_full | Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot Study |
| title_short | Locomotor Adaptation Deficits in Older Individuals With Cognitive Impairments: A Pilot Study |
| title_sort | locomotor adaptation deficits in older individuals with cognitive impairments a pilot study |
| topic | split-belt Alzheimer's Disease mild cognitive impairment locomotion walking aging |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.800338/full |
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