[ad_1]
Four obvious or subtle changes in the way we walk can reveal brain health
Many, but not always obvious signs will reveal that the dementiathe disorder we most automatically associate with memory but also affects thinking, speech and orientation, often causing personality changes.
Dementia is a clinical expression of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (50%-70% of dementia cases), vascular dementia, mixed dementia, frontotemporal dementias and dementia with Lewy bodies. According to data from the Alzheimer Society of Athens, it affects approximately 50,000,000 people worldwide, 10,500,000 in Europe and 200,000 in Greece, with ominous estimates of its prevalence rising in the future.
According to the scientists, small changes in even the simplest activities, such as a walk, can be revealing. “You don’t just walk, you move in a certain space full of things to avoid, in a certain direction, while at the same time you have to keep your balance. For people with dementia, even in the early stages, it is not easy to do all of the above simultaneously and accuratelyexplains Professor Gill Livingston, a psychiatrist at University College London.
Gait and four early signs of dementia
RELEVANT ARTICLES
The sense of orientation is affected by the changes caused by dementia in the perception of the surrounding space, explains Dr. Gill, noting that “people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease may have difficulty understanding objects around them, so they see things as three-dimensional when they are not, or even as two-dimensional when they are actually three-dimensional».
«This means that they may see objects that are not there, and are thus forced to change direction in an attempt to avoid them. Or they may stumble upon things they think are flat. On top of that, they can’t remember things they’ve seen before, so going back to a place can be difficulthe says.
About her slowness, the expert notes that it arises as a consequence of the weakening of cognitive abilities. For changes in hand movementDr. Gill explains that they bear witness to the effort of people with dementia to maintain their balance, while the shorter stridesalthough they will often escape notice, is likely due to the less confidence they begin to have in their ability to walk safely.