White matter microstructural organization and gait stability in older adults.

ABSTRACT: Understanding age-related decline in gait stability and the role of alterations in brain structure is crucial. Here, we studied the relationship between white matter microstructural organization using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and advanced gait stability measures in 15 healthy young adults (range 18-30 years) and 25 healthy older adults (range 62-82 years). Among the different gait stability measures, only stride time and the maximum Lyapunov exponent (which quantifies how well participants are able to attenuate small perturbations) were found to decline with age. White matter microstructural organization (FA) was lower throughout the brain in older adults. We found a strong correlation between FA in the left anterior thalamic radiation and left corticospinal tract on the one hand, an

SUBMITTER: Bruijn SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4051125 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature