Dual Task Gait Performance in Frail Individuals with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have stated that frailty is associated with cognitive impairment. Based on various studies, cognition impairment has been considered as a component of frailty. Other authors have shown that physical frailty is associated with low cognitive performance. Dual task gait tests are used as a strong predictor of falls in either dementia or frailty. Consequently, it is important to investigate dual task walking tests in elderly populations including control robust oldest old, frail oldest old with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and frail oldest old without MCI.

METHODS: Dual task walking tests were carried out to examine the association between frailty and cognitive impairment in a population with advanced age. Forty-one elderly men and women participated in this study. The subjects from control, frail with MCI and frail without MCI groups, completed the 5-meter walk test at their own gait velocity. Arithmetic and verbal dual task walking performance was also assessed. Kinematic data were acquired from a unique tri-axial inertial sensor.

RESULTS: The spatiotemporal and frequency parameters related to gait disorders did not show any significant differences between frail with and without MCI groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of these parameters extracted from the acceleration signals led us to conclude that these results expand the knowledge regarding the common conditions in frailty and MCI and may highlight the idea that the impairment in walking performance does not depend of frailty and cognitive status.