Study Reveals Shocking Early Symptom of Alzheimer's: Struggling to Turn While Walking

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Alzheimer's disease, a progressive neurological condition, is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. It affects memory, cognitive abilities, and daily functioning. As the disease advances, individuals face increasing challenges in communication and recognizing loved ones.

In a recent study, researchers observed that individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease experience difficulties in making turns while walking.

The study explores how overestimation in angular path integration, the perception of direction and orientation during navigation, occurs before the onset of Alzheimer's dementia. It suggests that this cognitive impairment may serve as an early marker for the disease, potentially aiding in early diagnosis and intervention.

About the study

The researchers employed a case-control methodology involving 57 participants, including individuals with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls. Among the MCI group, participants were subdivided based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, with 11 testing positive for Alzheimer's disease markers.

They used a virtual reality-based task that assessed angular path integration, a crucial aspect of spatial orientation and navigation.

The participants were instructed to walk toward a virtual target using virtual reality goggles. They walked an outbound route marked by numbered cones, with two straight segments connected by a turn, followed by an unguided return to the starting point. The test was conducted under three challenging environmental conditions: an unaltered virtual environment, a version with ground details replaced by plain textures, and a condition temporarily devoid of all landmarks in the virtual world.

The study found that individuals with Alzheimer's disease and MCI consistently overestimated their angular turns compared to healthy controls. This overestimation was significantly associated with lower scores on cognitive tests, indicating a relationship between spatial orientation deficits and cognitive decline.

Results- walking difficulties could predict Alzheimer’s dementia

The UCL team found that participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) displaying Alzheimer's biomarkers consistently overestimated turns on a navigational route and showed increased directional variability. These impairments were unique to Alzheimer's and not evident in healthy older participants or those with MCI lacking Alzheimer's biomarkers.

The results suggest that overestimation in angular path integration may serve as an early cognitive marker for Alzheimer's disease, predating the clinical diagnosis of dementia.

The study underscores the potential of virtual reality-based assessments in identifying subtle cognitive changes and highlights the importance of early detection in the context of Alzheimer's disease, as it may facilitate timely intervention and support for affected individuals.

Study: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)01296-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982223012964%3Fshowall%3Dtrue