Locomotion Adaptation Deficits in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimers Disease
Emory University
Summary
In people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD), reduced capacity for locomotor adaptation is a fundamental but poorly understood mechanism that can be a sensitive biomarker of cognitive-motor impairments. It is also an important therapeutic target for exercise-based interventions to improve walking function. The overall goal of this study is to understand the effects of MCI and AD on locomotor adaptation and walking function.
Description
In conjunction with cognitive impairments, older adults with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) show increased impairments in walking function throughout disease progression. The ability to walk without the risk of falling is necessary for independent community activity and participation for elderly individuals. However, the relationships between cognition, gait dysfunction, and fall risk in people with MCI and AD are poorly understood, warranting further study. The objective of this study is to test the researchers' central hypothesis that in people with MCI and AD,…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 50–90 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * AD and MCI will be defined through formal diagnosis provided by a board-certified Neurologist. Amnestic MCI will be defined using the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) criteria. All MCI participants in ADNI are required to have an amnestic subtype defined as: * Subjective memory concern or a memory problem noted by their partner * Abnormal memory function documented by a specified education adjusted cutoff score on the delayed paragraph recall of the Anna Thompson story of the Logical Memory subtest from the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised * Mini-Mental State Exam (…
Interventions
- Other5 Sessions of Split-belt Treadmill-based Locomotor Adaptation
Participants will complete 5 sessions of split-belt treadmill-based locomotor adaptation. The split-belt instrumented treadmill allows the two belt speeds to be operated independently, enabling different belt speeds for each leg. The split-belt walking assessment will consist of 3 phases: baseline phase in which the belts operated at the same speed (Pre-tied, 2-minutes), a phase in which the belts operated at different speeds (Split-belt, 15-minutes), and a final phase in which the belts operated at the same speed (Post-tied, 4-minutes).
Location
- Emory Rehabilitation HospitalAtlanta, Georgia