It’s obvious: we don’t all walk at the same speed, nor in the same way. And with age, it is normal to notice a slowing down of one’s cruising speed on the pavement, which is notably caused by the muscle wasting. However, researchers from the Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Toulouse (31) have just discovered that in some cases, the way a person moves can betray an early cognitive decline, or even a Alzheimer’s disease.
To come to this conclusion, the scientists worked with a group of 128 volunteers, aged 76 on average – men and women, from different social categories. The participants underwent a PET scan (positron emission tomography), a medical imaging technique aimed at observing brain connections. The goal? Measure amyloid levels in their brain: this is a protein which, when present in large quantities in neurons, betrays a risk of cognitive declineeven Alzheimer’s disease.
The putamen is touched
Result: 48% of the volunteers had abnormally high levels of amyloid. They then passed a new test: the researchers analyzed their rhythm, as well as their way of walking. And they found that these particular volunteers moved slower than average (less than a meter per second), and with more hesitation. Indeed, the abnormal development of amyloid proteins tends to “contaminate” the putamen, an area of the brain linked to motor skills.
“It is possible to have subtle gait disturbances, in addition to memory problemscould signal Alzheimer’s disease even before people show clinical symptoms,” said Natalia del Campo, lead author of the study, published in the scientific journal Neurology.
