# Lightening the Load: The Relationship Between Gait and Cognition for Persons Living with Dementia Engaged in a Non-Pharmacological Intervention

## TL;DR

This study explores how gait and cognition are linked in people with dementia through a choral intervention, finding that cognitive improvements can boost gait performance.

## Contribution

The study identifies a within-person relationship between cognition and gait velocity in dementia patients during a non-pharmacological intervention.

## Key findings

- Cognitive improvements correlate with increased dual-task gait velocity in persons with dementia.
- A one-unit increase in MMSE scores corresponds to higher gait velocity under dual-task conditions.
- The findings suggest a shared mechanism linking cognitive and physiological health in dementia patients.

## Abstract

Objectives: Relatively little research has explored whether gait and cognition are systematically associated within-persons across time, especially in persons living with dementia (PLwD). Understanding a shared mechanism between gait and cognition may help elucidate effective intervention strategies for promoting cognitive and physiological health in PLwD simultaneously. Methods: 33 PLwD enrolled in an 18-month choral intervention employing a measurement-burst design that facilitated up to 9 assessments per person. Three-level multilevel models investigated the time-varying covariation between cognition and gait velocity (indexed using a GAITRite computerized walkway) under both a walk-only and dual-task condition. Results: Significant coupling was observed between gait velocity and MMSE (mini-mental state examination) under the dual-task condition, indicating that, on occasions when an individual’s MMSE was one-unit greater than their personal average, there was a corresponding increase in dual-task gait velocity. Conclusions: This study highlights a shared within-person mechanism through which improvements in cognition may facilitate physiological advantages.