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What Your Gait Says About Your Brain Health

Walking may not be as simple as it looks. It’s a complex process that involves a network of signals between the brain and the muscles in the arms, back, abdomen, pelvis, and legs. Here’s the intriguing part. According to research, the pace and flawlessness of the walk may be a deep reflection of what’s going on inside your brain and how well you are aging. Perhaps this explains why some of us have that spring in our steps, while some wobble.

Why does this happen, and what warning signs should we heed when our walk is disturbed?

This and more in our blog.

The physiology of walking

To understand how our brain functions, let’s draw an interesting analogy. Just as the body loses muscle mass, strength, and quality with age, the nervous system also undergoes a process called atrophy. This is when the nerves in the body become less efficient and reduce in number. Experts say that you lose around 0.1% of neurons every year until the age of 40, and the losses increase as you age. By the age of 90, you would’ve lost almost 150g of brain tissue.

Hence, while young people have robust motor and mental function, they can effortlessly manage the multitasking that walking requires. For older people, their gait becomes less automatic, and they rely on other cognitive sources to walk. Now, if these cognitive sources are scarce, especially because of conditions like dementia and Parkinson’s, the pace and stability of the walk can be significantly affected. The thumb rule is to watch your gait at the age of 45. According to studies, the age of 45 is a strong predictor of how your physical and mental health will be in the coming years.

The walking pace and health conditions

A disturbance in the walking style can be one of the first warning signs of neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s Disease, Diabetes, narrowing of the arteries, vitamin deficiencies, and infections. Let’s look at the different disturbances in the walking style and what’s causing them.

• Slow and unsteady walk- Parkinson’s Disease usually interferes with the messages being emitted by the brain to the musculoskeletal system. This slows down the gait of a person, making it less synchronized and stable. Doctors say that the first indication of Parkinson’s is shorter strides and a longer duration taken for each stride.
• Tripping- The process of walking is designed in such a way that our feet move in a synchronized way and stopping us from tripping over. This is made possible by the muscles in the front of the shin that pull the foot upwards and swing it forward. In some people, this mechanism begins to falter, leading to falls. Research has indicated that Diabetes causes nerve damage, which causes frequent falls. 
• Differences in the step length- A study published in Medical News Today that involved around 110 persons above the age of 60 with mild cognitive impairment, early stage of Alzheimer’s, and dementia revealed that the subjects had a noticeable decrease in memory and displayed differences in step length and the time it took them to take each step. The group also showed an asymmetrical walking pattern. In Alzheimer’s disease, the damage initiates in the hippocampus, a brain area that is essential for memory formation, while in dementia, the parts of the brain that take care of movement and some aspects of memory are affected. This causes the person to become disoriented and display a noticeable change in the length of each step. 
• Toe-walking and crouching- Cerebral palsy deeply affects a person’s muscle strength, spasticity (contracture of muscles which can make walking difficult), and motor control. This leads to initial changes in the gait of a person and is characterized by walking on toes, crouching, and circular movement of body parts, especially the hands and legs. 
• Dragged walk- Stroke disrupts neural pathways that are responsible for movement. When walking, the person tends to hold their limb to one side and drag their affected limb due to weakness. This causes the person to spend more energy while walking, take shorter steps, and also decrease their walking pace.
• Balance issues- The condition, Multiple Sclerosis(MS), strongly targets the nervous system. According to an article published in PubMed, ‘walking changes in MS include reduced gait speed, impaired walking balance, and reduced walking-related physical activity. Falls in people with MS are associated with injuries, reduced participation, and increased fear of falling.’

However, experts insist that gait changes may not always be a result of brain disorders. They attribute abnormal gait to Vitamin B12 deficiencies, excessive consumption of alcohol, and certain infections.

The best bet? If you or your loved one observes consistent changes in the way you walk, consult a doctor. Proper medical guidance can always give you an edge toward better health.