A research team from University College London found that difficulty turning while walking may be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. In this respect reports Daily mail.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of acquired dementia. The disease is characterized by decreased intelligence, weakening of memory and personality changes.
Scientists have found that one of the early signs of the disease may occur while walking. 67 healthy people of different ages and 41 people with moderate cognitive impairment participated in the study. All participants were asked to complete the task while wearing virtual reality glasses. They walked a route consisting of two straight paths connected by a bend. The subjects then had to return to the starting position, guided only by their memory (the glasses did not show the route).
The experiment showed that people with mild cognitive impairment have an altered sense of direction; They couldn’t always calculate at what angle to turn. Additionally, older healthy subjects showed good spatial orientation skills. This means that loss of direction is not an age-related feature.
The authors added that larger studies are needed. Perhaps this method used to detect Alzheimer’s disease can be used as a preliminary diagnostic tool.
Previous scientists discovered A new way to detect vascular dementia.