Seifallahi Mahmoud, Galvin James E, Ghoraani Behnaz
Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, University of Miami, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2024 Mar 15;8(1):423-435. doi: 10.3233/ADR-230149. eCollection 2024.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia detectable through gait analysis. Curve walking, which demands greater cognitive and motor skills, may be more sensitive in MCI detection than straight walking. However, few studies have compared gait performance in older adults with and without MCI in these conditions.
To compare the capability of curve and straight walking tests for the detection of MCI among older adults.
We employed a Kinect v.2 camera to record the gait of 55 older adults (30 healthy controls, 25 with MCI) during single-task straight and curve walking tests. We examined 50 gait markers and conducted statistical analyses to compare groups and conditions. The trail was approved with protocol No. IR.SEMUMS.REC.1398.237 by the ethics committee of Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran.
Older adults with MCI exhibited more compromised gait performance, particularly during curve walking. Curve walking outperformed straight walking in MCI detection, with several gait markers showing significant differences between healthy controls and MCI patients. These markers encompass average velocity, cadence, temporal markers (e.g., gait cycle subphase durations), spatial markers (e.g., foot position changes during gait subphases), and spatiotemporal markers (e.g., step and stride velocities).
Our study suggests curve walking as a more informative and challenging test for MCI detection among older adults, facilitating early diagnosis using non-invasive, cost-effective tools like the Kinect v.2 camera, complementing cognitive assessments in early diagnosis, and tracking MCI progression to dementia.
轻度认知障碍（MCI）可能是阿尔茨海默病和其他类型痴呆症的早期迹象，可通过步态分析检测出来。曲线行走需要更高的认知和运动技能，在检测MCI方面可能比直线行走更敏感。然而，很少有研究比较在这些情况下有和没有MCI的老年人的步态表现。
比较曲线行走和直线行走测试在检测老年人MCI方面的能力。
我们使用Kinect v.2摄像头记录了55名老年人（30名健康对照者，25名MCI患者）在单任务直线和曲线行走测试中的步态。我们检查了50个步态标记，并进行统计分析以比较不同组和不同条件。该试验已获得伊朗塞姆南医科大学伦理委员会的批准，批准号为IR.SEMUMS.REC.1398.237。
患有MCI的老年人表现出更受损的步态表现，尤其是在曲线行走时。在MCI检测中，曲线行走优于直线行走，几个步态标记在健康对照者和MCI患者之间显示出显著差异。这些标记包括平均速度、步频、时间标记（如步态周期子阶段持续时间）、空间标记（如步态子阶段期间的足部位置变化）和时空标记（如步速和步幅速度）。
我们的研究表明，曲线行走是一种在老年人中检测MCI更具信息量和挑战性的测试，有助于使用Kinect v.2摄像头等非侵入性、经济高效的工具进行早期诊断，补充早期诊断中的认知评估，并跟踪MCI向痴呆症的进展。
