Citation

Allali G, Annweiler C, Predovan D, Bherer L, Beauchet O. Exp. Gerontol. 2015; 76: 72-79.

Affiliation

Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre of Excellence on Aging and Chronic Diseases of McGill integrated University Health Network, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.exger.2015.12.007

PMID

26705916

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Differences in brain structures involved in gait control between normal and pathological aging are still matter of debate. This study aims to compare the regional and global brain volume patterns associated with gait performances assessed with Timed Up and Go test (TUG) between cognitively healthy individuals (CHI) and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 171 (80 CHI, 25 with amnestic MCI [a-MCI] and 66 with non-amnestic MCI [na-MCI]) participants (70.2±4.0years; 37% female) consecutively realized (rTUG) and imagined (iTUG) the TUG. rTUG measures the time needed to rise from a chair, walk 3m, turn around and return to a seated position and iTUG represents the validated imagined version of the TUG. Global and regional brain volumes were quantified from three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI using a semi-automated software.

RESULTS: Linear regression models show that increased rTUG (i.e. worse performance) was associated with lower total white matter, total grey matter, left and right hippocampal volume in patients with na-MCI (P<0.045), and with lower right hippocampal volume in CHI (P=0.013). Increased iTUG was associated with lower grey matter and left premotor cortex volumes in patients with na-MCI (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed different patterns of brain volumes reduction associated with increased rTUG and iTUG between CHI and MCI patients, except for the right hippocampal volume which was smaller in both groups.

Language: en