Experimental Gerontology · Mar 2, 2020

Parkinsonian gait in aging: A feature of Alzheimer's pathology?

By Morel E, Armand S, Assal F et al.

INTRODUCTION: Central neurological gait abnormalities (CNGA; i.e. frontal or parkinsonian) are frequently associated with neurodegenerative conditions in older adults, but their pathophysiological substrates remain poorly described. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer's biomarkers and CNGA. METHODS: CSF biomarkers (phosphor-tau, total tau and Aβ₁₋₄₂) were measured in 52 patients with CNGA (77.33 ± 6.09 years; 28.8% female). Gait phenotypes were evaluated by two diagnosis-blinded assessors and classified as frontal gait, parkinsonian gait or other gait abnormalities. RESULTS: Parkinsonian gait was significantly associated with a decreased CSF Aβ₄₂ even after adjusting on age, gender, comorbidities and white matter changes (β: -0.32; 95% CI: [-340.6; -22.9]; p value: 0.026). Phosphor-tau and total tau were not associated with any other CNGA (i.e. frontal gait and other gait abnormalities). DISCUSSION: Parkinsonian gait represents a gait phenotype of Alzheimer's pathology in patients with CNGA.

doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2020.110905PubMed 32135204Biomarkers