Association between Gait Time and Cognitive Function in Various Walking Conditions

Introduction: Walking ability has been emerges as a significant predictor of future cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly. This study aimed to investigate the association between gait time and cognitive function in various walking conditions, and to find out which walking conditions are the most associated with cognitive function. Methods: This is a study with a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling. The study participants were 86 elderly people aged ＞ 65 years with cognitive intact or mild cognitive impairment. Cognitive function was measured using Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and two examiners measured walking time according to six different walking conditions. Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to compare the association between gait time and cognitive function in six walking conditions. Results: There are significantly correlated between gait time and MMSE (cognitive function) in all walking conditions (p ＜ 0.05). According to multiple linear regression, all of the gait time in six different walking conditions was associated with the cognitive function (p ＜ 0.05). However, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and leg lengths did not associated with the cognitive function. The walking condition that had highest adjusted R^2 (%) coefficient and satisfied the homoscedasticity of residuals was the 4-Meter Walking Test (4MWT) while holding a water cup (r = 0.483, p ＜ 0.001) and the Groningen Meander Walking Test (GMWT) (r = 0.473, p ＜ 0.001). Conclusion: Among the six walking models, the 4MWT while holding a water cup and GMWT were the most effective walking models to explain the cognitive function.