Distinctive Gait Variations and Neuroimaging Correlates in Alzheimer's Disease and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

• Published in: Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle sarcopenia and muscle, 2024-12, Vol.15 (6), p.2717-2728
• Main Authors: Zhou, Xia, Yin, Wen‐Wen, Huang, Chao‐Juan, Sun, Si‐Lu, Li, Zhi‐Wei, Li, Ming‐Xu, Ren, Meng‐Meng, Tang, Ya‐Ting, Yin, Jia‐Bin, Zheng, Wen‐Hui, Zhang, Chao, Song, Yu, Wan, Ke, Sun, Yue, Zhu, Xiao‐Qun, Sun, Zhong‐Wu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - diagnostic imaging; Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology; Alzheimer's disease; Body mass index; Brain research; cerebral small vessel disease; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases - physiopathology; cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - etiology; Cognitive Dysfunction - physiopathology; Dementia; Disease; Education; Female; Gait; Gait - physiology; Gender; Humans; Hypertension; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Neuroimaging - methods; Neuropsychology; Older people; Original; Software
• ISSN: 2190-5991; 2190-6009; 2190-6009
• DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13616

ABSTRACT Background Both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) manifest in cognitive impairment and gait disorders. The precise similarities and differences in gait characteristics and underlying neuroimaging mechanisms remain unclear. Methods A total of 399 participants were enrolled: 132 with probable AD, including 98 with mild cognitive impairment due to AD (AD‐MCI) and 34 with AD dementia, and 185 with CSVD and 82 healthy controls. CSVD patients with cognitive impairment, including subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI) and subcortical vascular dementia, were grouped as subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI). Voxel‐based morphology analysis assessed grey matter volume (GMV), while cerebral blood flow (CBF) was derived from 3D‐arterial spin labelling data. Gait metrics included the timed up and go (TUG) test, dual‐task TUG (DTUG) test, Berg balance scale (BBS), dual‐task cost (DTC), step length, gait speed, cadence and coefficient of variation of gait. The relationships among structural and perfusion variations, gait metrics and cognitive function were examined. Results SVCI patients exhibited greater gait impairments and variability than those with AD, while AD patients experienced higher DTC (p