Title | Associations of Neurological Biomarkers in Serum with Gait Measures: The Cardiovascular Health Study. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2024 |
Authors | Nadkarni, A, Mukamal, KJ, Zhu, X, Siscovick, D, Brach, JS, Jacob, M, Seshadri, S, Abe, T, Rosano, C, Djoussé, L, Rosso, AL |
Journal | J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci |
Date Published | 2024 Feb 09 |
ISSN | 1758-535X |
Abstract | <p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Gait impairment leads to increased mobility decline and may have neurological contributions. This study explores how neurological biomarkers are related to gait in older adults.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>We studied participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a population-based cohort of older Americans, who underwent a serum biomarker assessment from samples collected in 1996-97 for neurofilament light-chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), and total tau (n=1959, mean age=78.0 years, 60.8% female). In a subsample (n=380), cross-sectional associations with quantitative gait measures were explored. This subsample was assessed on a mat for gait speed, step length, double support time, step time, step length variability and step time variability. Gait speed was also measured over a 15-ft walkway annually from 1996-97 to 1998-99, for longitudinal analyses. Linear regression models assessed cross-sectional associations of biomarkers with gait measures, while mixed effects models assessed longitudinal gait speed change from baseline to 1998-99.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>NfL was significantly associated with annual gait speed decline (standardized β = -0.64 m/s, 95% CI: [-1.23, -0.06]) after adjustment for demographic and health factors. Among gait mat-assessed phenotypes, NfL was also cross-sectionally associated with gait speed (β = 0.001 m/s [0.0003, 0.002]) but not with other gait measures. None of the remaining biomarkers were significantly related to gait in either longitudinal or cross-sectional analyses.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>Higher NfL levels were related to greater annual gait speed decline. Gait speed decline may be related to axonal degeneration. The clinical utility of NfL should be explored.</p> |
DOI | 10.1093/gerona/glae043 |
Alternate Journal | J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci |
PubMed ID | 38334311 |