Research summary
As people age, they are more likely to suffer from gait disorders, such as lack of balance, shuffling, frequent falls, staggering and freezing. In fact, 61 per cent of patients over the age of 80 have a gait disorder. As Canada Research Chair in Gait and Neurodegeneration, Dr. Kaylena Ehgoetz Martens is trying to answer the question: Can gait identify and predict brain health?
To do this, she and her research team are exploring the cognitive-emotional mechanisms that underpin gait disorders and identifying what information gait might reveal about brain health and degeneration in at-risk groups. They also aim to better understand the neural control of walking in order to support health technology assessments and advance analytical techniques. Ultimately, their research will reduce the impacts of neurodegeneration by preserving mobility, identifying at-risk individuals, and catalyzing recruitment for neuroprotective trials aimed at slowing or halting progression.