Slower Walking Speed a Sign of Dementia, Mayo Clinic Study
Three new studies have found that changes in walking patterns of the elderly are closely linked to memory loss and may actually be an early clue to dementia. One group of researchers studied the strides of a group of elderly patients at Basel Mobility Center in Switzerland. The study led by researcher Dr. Stephanie Bridenbaugh, found that those participants with declines in cognition tended to walk more slowly than their memory-savvy counterparts, particularly when asked to perform a simple task — such as counting backward — while walking.