January 2022 Alzheimer’s News

January 2022 Alzheimer’s News
Walking Toward a Dementia Diagnosis
Looking at different patterns in the way older adults walk could help doctors to more accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease as well as different types of dementia. In a recent study of 500 participants, four independent gait patterns- rhythm, pace, variability and postural control were studied. The participants were older adults across the cognitive spectrum, including cognitive healthy people as well as those with cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia. High gait variability, which means stride-to-stride changes in distance and timing as a person walks, identified Alzheimer’s disease with 70% accuracy, and was the only pattern consistently associated with lower cognitive performance. “We see gait variability being similar to an arrhythmia. Healthcare providers could measure it with patients in the clinic, similar to how we assess heart rhythm with electrocardiograms” said Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso, a geriatrician at St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. The study’s findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
You can learn more by going to www.alz.org/help-support/resources or the Alzheimer’s Helpline which is accessible 24/7 via 800-272-3900 and staffed by master’s level clinicians to assist with crisis situations, decision making, and disease information. You can find virtual dementia caregiver resources online at alz.org/covid19help. Tools and support are also available in Spanish.
Want to learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association and what they do here in St. Louis? Visit alz.org and/or contact PUCC’s Faith Outreach Ambassador, Joyce Ruiz: joyceruiz7@gmail.com