Gait characteristics as indicators of cognitive impairment in geriatric patients: Karakteristieken van het lopen als indicatoren van cognitieve achteruitgang in geriatrische patiënten

The rising life expectancy will result in an increased number of ‘older old adults’ who will need specialized geriatric care to slow functional decline. Cognitive impairment is a major cause of disability in geriatric patients. Even though there is no cure yet to reverse neurodegeneration, tailored interventions can slow disease progression and reduce symptoms. Because of the abundant evidence from experimental, neuroscienti c, and behavioral studies that underscored the close link between motor- and cognitive function, the present thesis proposed to use gait characteristics as non-invasive indicators of cognitive impairment and falls in geriatric patients. The main objective therefore was to increase our understanding of the relationship between gait and cognition in this vulnerable population, in which gait outcomes were calculated from 3D-acceleration signals of the lower trunk that were collected with an iPod Touch 4G. The ‘Loss of Complexity’ hypothesis provided a theoretical framework. Multivariate analyses were applied to dynamic gait outcomes in relation to cognitive- and fall-status.