Brain abnormality found in Alzheimer's disease related to gait impairment in old...( ed at the relationship between nigra ta...),Health

ed at the relationship between nigra tangles and each parkinsonian sign. It found that every 1,000 nigra tangles increased the gait score by more than three points. In contrast, nigra tangles were not related to bradykinesia, rigidity, or tremor. The relationship between substantia nigra tangles and gait impairment was found in persons with and without dementia.

"This study shows that the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease is broader than we thought and may be more common than previously recognized. Alzheimer's disease doesn't just cause memory and cognitive problems, it is also causing motor problems in aging," says Schneider.

"Gait problems in older people should not simply be passed over as a sign of aging. Physicians should be aware that this could be a possible early sign of Alzheimer's disease."

Researchers at Rush continue to study if Alzheimer's disease pathology is impacting other motor regions of the brain and look into whether Alzheimer's disease can only affect motor function without causing cognitive or memory declines. Another study Schneider is currently conducting involves the relationship between dopamine, which is produced in the substantia nigra, and gait changes.

More than 1000 older Catholic clergy from 40 groups across the U.S. are participating in the Religious Orders Study. The study is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). All participants have agreed to annual memory testing and brain donation at the time of death.

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Contact: Kim Waterman
Kimberly_Waterman@rush.edu
312-942-7820
Rush University Medical Center
24-Jan-2006

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