Association between gait variability and brain ventricle attributes: a brain mapping study

Cedric Annweiler; Manuel Montero-Odasso; Robert Bartha; John Drozd; Vladimir Hachinski; Olivier Beauchet

doi:10.1016/j.exger.2014.06.015

Association between gait variability and brain ventricle attributes: a brain mapping study

Exp Gerontol. 2014 Sep:57:256-63. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2014.06.015. Epub 2014 Jun 24.

Authors

Cedric Annweiler¹, Manuel Montero-Odasso², Robert Bartha³, John Drozd³, Vladimir Hachinski⁴, Olivier Beauchet⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Angers University Hospital, University Memory Clinic of Angers, UPRES EA 4638, University of Angers, UNAM, Angers, France; Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Parkwood Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Care London, Gait and Brain Lab, Lawson Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Center for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: CeAnnweiler@chu-angers.fr.
² Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Parkwood Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Care London, Gait and Brain Lab, Lawson Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
³ Center for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University Hospital, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Department of Neuroscience, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Angers University Hospital, University Memory Clinic of Angers, UPRES EA 4638, University of Angers, UNAM, Angers, France.

PMID: 24971908
DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2014.06.015

Abstract

Background: It remains unknown which brain regions are involved in the maintenance of gait dynamic stability in older adults, as characterized by a low stride time variability. Expansion of lateral cerebral ventricles is an indirect marker of adjacent brain tissue volume. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between stride time variability and the volume of sub-regions of the lateral cerebral ventricles among older community-dwellers.

Methods: One-hundred-fifteen participants free of hydrocephalus from the GAIT study (mean, 70.4±4.4years; 43.5% female) were included in this analysis. Stride time variability was measured at self-selected pace with a 10m electronic portable walkway (GAITRite). Participants were separated into 3 groups based on tertiles of stride time variability (i.e., <2.0%; 2.0-2.8%; >2.8%). Brain ventricle sub-volumes were quantified from three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI using semi-automated software. Age, gender, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics, Mini-Mental State Examination, Go-NoGo, brain vascular burden, 4-item Geriatric Depression Scale, psychoactive drugs, vision, proprioception, body mass index, muscular strength and gait velocity were used as covariates.

Results: Participants with the highest (i.e., worst) tertile of stride time variability exhibited larger temporal horns than those with the lowest (P=0.030) and intermediate tertiles (P=0.028). They also had larger middle portions of ventricular bodies than those with the intermediate tertile (P=0.018). Larger temporal horns were associated with increase in stride time variability (adjusted β=0.86, P=0.005), specifically with the highest tertile of stride time variability (adjusted OR=2.45, P=0.044).

Conclusions: Higher stride time variability was associated with larger temporal horns in older community-dwellers. Addressing focal neuronal losses in temporal lobes may represent an important strategy to prevent gait instability.

Keywords: Gait; Hippocampus; Lateral cerebral ventricles; Magnetic resonance imaging; Motor control; Older adults; Temporal lobe.

Publication types

Observational Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aging / pathology
Aging / physiology*
Atrophy
Brain Mapping
Cerebral Cortex / pathology*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Gait / physiology*
Humans
Linear Models
Male

Grants and funding

211220/Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada