Moek, M.A. (Marije) (2012) The influence of the different cognitive domains on dual-task cost of gait in cognitively impaired elderly. thesis, Human Movement Sciences.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Introduction: A decline in gait performance is often seen in elderly with cognitively impairment. Previous research showed that gait performance is related to cognition, in particular to the executive functions. Although other cognitive functions are also likely to be impaired in cognitively impaired elderly, much is still unknown about their influence on gait performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate which cognitive domains influence the dual-task cost (DTC} of gait in cognitively impaired elderly. Methods: Nineteen elderly with the suspicion of cognitive impairment were recruited from the population of elderly patients who visited the department of Medical Psychology of the Slotervaart Hospital for a neuropsychological examination (age 77.2 ± 6.4 years, MMSE score 23.2 ± 4.4). The neuropsychological examination examined five cognitive domains: (I) attention and psychomotor speed, (II) executive functions, (Ill) memory, (IV) visuo-spatial and constructive abilities, and (V) language. To assess gait, subjects walked with and without a verbal dual-task while wearing a tri-axial accelerometer recording trunk accelerations. Gait speed, mean and coefficient of variation of step times were calculated. Furthermore, for the media-lateral and anterior-posterior trunk accelerations differences in dynamic stability were quantified in terms of the magnitude (root mean square), the regularity of step time (a of step time), smoothness and rhythm (harmonic ratio), and predictability (sample entropy) of trunk accelerations. Results: In response to the dual-task, gait speed significantly decreased, while mean and coefficient of variation of step times increased, and the smoothness, regularity and predictability of trunk accelerations increased. Furthermore, the executive functions and visuo-spatial and constructive abilities influenced DTC of gait, while an association was not found for attention, memory and language. Conclusion: This study showed that for cognitively impaired elderly, both executive functions and visuo-spatial and constructive abilities were related to the DTC of gait. This indicates that these two domains should be assessed in cognitively impaired elderly in order to detect fall risk. In addition, it appears that attention is not a predictor of the DTC of gait.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Thesis) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Lamoth, Dr. C.J.C. and Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen |
| Supervisor name: | Campen, drs. J.P.C.M. van & and Appels, drs. B.A. and Slotervaart Hospital, Amsterdam |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Jun 2020 10:52 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2020 10:52 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1320 |
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