Early Dementia Diagnosis Tool: Can Walking And Talking Be A Predictor of Dementia?
An new early dementia diagnosis tool offers promise to identify people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who are at risk of dementia.
The Gait and Brain Study involved 112 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to walk while at the same time perform cognitively challenging activities such as counting backwards or naming animals. In some cases, the study followed up participants for over 6years.
Gait and Brain Study Findings
What they found was those people who performed poorly on dual task gait testing demonstrated a 2 to 3 of risk of experiencing dementia regardless of age, sex, other health conditions, education or base line cognitive performance.
What Does This Mean For Practice
Dual-task gait testing has the potential to assist clinicians to detect patients with mild cognitive impairment who are at higher risk of progression to dementia. The functional-maker has the potential to be used in the clinical setting and may complement other standardised tools.
Demystify dementia with Occupational Therapy Brisbane
Caring for a loved one with dementia is not an easy task. Occupational Therapy Brisbane will arrange for a registered experienced occupational therapist to visit the home, assess the needs of yourself and the person with dementia, and create a plan. We ensure that families have the knowledge, tools, and technology necessary to make their lives and the life of their loved one as comfortable and fulfilling as possible.
To speak with one of our senior therapists for free, we invite you to call 1300 783 200.
