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Abstract

Background and objectives

Gait variability is associated with brain morphology and cognitive performance in aging. This study aims to examine the associations between gait variability parameters (derived from stride length, step length, step time, and gait velocity) and gray matter volume (GMV) and its associations with cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults.

Research design and methods

87 older adults (48 female) aged 65-80 from the AGUEDA trial participated in this cross-sectional analysis. The Optogait system was used to record gait parameters. T1-weighted brain images were acquired Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, and GMV were calculated by whole brain voxel-based morphometric analysis using SPM12. Cognitive function was calculated from different cognitive tests.

Results

Greater stride length variability was associated with lower GMV (p<0.001) in cluster located in the supramarginal gyrus (t=4.014, k=179, β=⎼0.494) and hippocampus (t=3.670, k=334, β=⎼0.394), while greater step length variability was linked to lower GMV in the parahippocampal gyrus (t=3.624, k=76, β=⎼0.410). However, greater step time variability was associated with greater GMV in the supplementary motor area (t=4.117, k=274, β=0.449). Gait velocity variability did not show any association with GMV.

Furthermore, greater GMV in the supramarginal gyrus was associated with better working memory (β=0.252, p=0.008); greater GMV in the hippocampus was associated with better attentional/inhibitory control (β=0.275, p=0.010); and greater GMV in the parahippocampal gyrus was associated with better EF (β=0.212, p=0.035), attentional/inhibitory control (β=0.241, p=0.019), and working memory (β=0.233, p=0.027).

Discussion and implications

These results suggest that gait variability could be an indicator of neurocognitive decline in older adults. Understanding these associations is essential for early dementia detection and sheds light on the complex interplay between physical function, brain health, and cognitive function during aging.

Gait inconsistency, Brain structure, Brain volumes, Magnetic resonance imaging
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© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
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    igaf045_suppl_Supplementary_Materials - docx file

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