Loss of gait control assessed by cognitive-motor dual-tasks: pros and cons in detecting people at risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to identify dual-task-related gait changes specific to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and assess their potential as prediagnostic markers.
Results Summary
The study found that exacerbation of gait disorders under dual-task conditions could be characteristic of early-stage Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, suggesting these changes may serve as early diagnostic markers.
Population
Individuals with prodromal Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.
Effective Dosage
Not available
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- | increase | gait disorders | patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases | - | exacerbation | #1 |
cognitive-motor dual-task paradigm during walking | increase | executive attention impairment | patients with prodromal Alzheimer's disease | - | allows to assess | #2 |
cognitive-motor dual-task paradigm during walking | neutral | compensation strategies for gait function preservation | patients with prodromal Parkinson's disease | - | allows to assess | #3 |
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are age-related progressive neurodegenerative diseases of increasing prevalence worldwide. In the absence of curative therapy, current research is interested in prevention, by identifying subtle signs of early-stage neurodegeneration. Today, the field of behavioral neuroscience has emerged as one of the most promising areas of research on this topic. Recently, it has been shown that the exacerbation of gait disorders under dual-task conditions (i.e., simultaneous performance of cognitive and motor tasks) could be a characteristic feature of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The cognitive-motor dual-task paradigm during walking allows to assess whether (i) executive attention is abnormally impaired in prodromal Alzheimer's disease or (ii) compensation strategies are used in order to preserve gait function when the basal ganglia system is altered in prodromal Parkinson's disease. This review aims at (i) identifying patterns of dual-task-related gait changes that are specific to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, respectively, (ii) demonstrating that these changes could potentially be used as prediagnostic markers for disease onset, (iii) reviewing pros and cons of existing dual-task studies, and (iv) proposing future directions for clinical research.