Gait Disturbance in Alzheimer's Disease: A Clinical Study

Gait disturbance is common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical gait syndromes of patients with AD using Nutt's classification. Fifty-five patients who satisfied the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable AD and 55 controls were recruited...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Age and ageing 1996-07, Vol.25 (4), p.313-316
Main Authors: O'KEEFFE, S. T., KAZEEM, H., PHILPOTT, R. M., PLAYFER, J. R., GOSNEY, M., LYE, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living - classification
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease - classification
Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis
Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology
Alzheimer's disease
Elderly people
Evaluation
Female
Frontal Lobe - physiopathology
Gait
Gait - physiology
Gait disorders
Humans
Male
Neurologic Examination
Older people
Patterns
Physiological aspects
Postural Balance - physiology
Reflex, Abnormal - physiology
Risk Factors
Walking
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Summary:Gait disturbance is common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical gait syndromes of patients with AD using Nutt's classification. Fifty-five patients who satisfied the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable AD and 55 controls were recruited from a geriatric and a psychogeriatric unit. Patients with classical musculoskeletal or neurological syndromes causing gait disturbance were excluded. A standardized neurological examination was carried out in all subjects. Twenty-two (40%) patients and ten (18%) controls had a higher level gait disorder (p < 0.01). The pattern of gait disturbance in AD patients varied according to the stage of the disease. Cautious gait was the commonest gait disorder in AD patients with mild dementia, while frontal gait disorder was the commonest disturbance in patients with severe dementia. The prevalence of frontal release signs (gegenhalten or any primitive reflex) was highest among patients with frontal gait disorder.
ISSN:0002-0729
1468-2834
DOI:10.1093/ageing/25.4.313