Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, 2351 SPH Bldg #255, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA.
Sci Rep. 2022 Feb 11;12(1):2355. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-06180-0.
The relationship between gait speed and working memory is well-understood in older adults. However, it remains to be determined whether this relationship also exists in younger adults; and there is little known regarding the possible neural mechanism underlying the association between gait speed and working memory. The aims of this study are to determine if there is: (1) an association between gait speed and working memory performance; and (2) a mediating role of cerebellar subregion volume in the correlation between gait speed and working memory in healthy younger adults. 1054 younger adults (28.7 ± 3.6 years) from the Human Connectome Project were included in the analyses. A four-meter gait test was used to assess gait speed. The 2-back task was used to measure working memory performance [accuracy and response time (RT)]. T1-weighted structural MRI data (obtained using Siemens 3 T MRI scanner) was used to assess cerebellar subregion volumes. Linear regression and mediation analysis were used to examine the relationships between the variables after controlling for age, sex, and education. There was no association between gait speed and 2-back working memory performance in younger adults. Greater Crus I and whole cerebellar volumes were associated with better 2-back working memory accuracy. Greater VIIIa volume was associated with faster gait speed. Greater Crus 1 and VIIIa volumes were also associated with higher fluid cognition. The present study suggests that specific subregions of the cerebellar volumes are distinctively associated with gait speed and working memory performance in healthy younger adults.
在老年人中，步态速度与工作记忆之间的关系已经得到很好的理解。然而，目前尚不清楚这种关系是否也存在于年轻成年人中；并且对于步态速度与工作记忆之间关联的潜在神经机制知之甚少。本研究的目的是确定是否存在：（1）步态速度与工作记忆表现之间的关联；以及（2）小脑亚区体积在健康年轻成年人中步态速度与工作记忆之间的相关性中的中介作用。分析中包括了来自人类连接组计划的 1054 名年轻成年人（28.7±3.6 岁）。使用四米步态测试来评估步态速度。使用 2 回任务来测量工作记忆表现[准确性和反应时间（RT）]。使用 T1 加权结构 MRI 数据（使用西门子 3T MRI 扫描仪获得）来评估小脑亚区体积。线性回归和中介分析用于在控制年龄、性别和教育后检查变量之间的关系。在年轻成年人中，步态速度与 2 回工作记忆表现之间没有关联。更大的 Crus I 和整个小脑体积与更好的 2 回工作记忆准确性相关。更大的 VIIIa 体积与更快的步态速度相关。更大的 Crus 1 和 VIIIa 体积也与更高的流体认知能力相关。本研究表明，小脑体积的特定亚区与健康年轻成年人的步态速度和工作记忆表现明显相关。
