People who walk slowly think slowly. Walking can test dementia
4hw.com.cn: according to British media, scientists say that based on a series of new experiments, they now believe that the slower a person walks, the worse their brain ability.
According to the Daily Telegraph website on October 11, among all human activities, few activities can be regarded as enhancing thinking ability like walking.
The researchers analyzed the gait of hundreds of middle-aged people and compared the results with a series of physiological and psychological standards, the report said.
It is reported that for a long time, doctors have been using gait speed to quickly and reliably understand the cognitive ability of the elderly, because people increasingly realize that gait is related not only to musculoskeletal mechanisms, but also to the central nervous system.
Until now, however, no one knows that pace may predict the potential health of the brain early in life.
American scientists now believe that this association is very obvious, and the walking test can provide early signs of dementia.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that at the age of 45, there was an average difference of 16 IQ values between the slowest and fastest walkers.
This reflects not only the participants' natural walking speed, but also their speed when asked to walk as soon as possible.
The report said that people with slow pace also scored lower in two physical exercises, such as hand grip strength and visual motor coordination tests, as well as signs of poor health.
In this study, the researchers proved that people who walk slower 'age accelerated', and their lungs, teeth and immune system are often worse than those who walk faster.
Genetic factors may explain the link between walking speed, brain ability and physical health, or better brain health may promote physical activity and improve walking speed, the team at Duke University in North Carolina said.
Ryan & middot, who led the research; "What's really striking is that this phenomenon occurs in 45 year olds, not in elderly patients," Dr. Rasmussen said
904 New Zealand men and women who were tested at the age of 45 were followed from the age of 3. Each of them had been tested many times over the years.
According to the report, long-term data collection has led researchers to find that infants with low IQ, language ability, anti frustration ability, motor skills and emotional control tend to walk slower in middle age.
MRI examination at the age of 45 years showed that the slower walking brain had lower total brain volume, lower average cortical thickness, smaller brain surface area and higher incidence rate of leukoplakia.
"In short, their brains seem to be aging," the researchers said
When a group of eight assessors judged everyone's' facial age 'based on the photos, they thought that people who looked older walked slower.
Some differences in health status and cognition may be the result of an individual's choice of lifestyle, the researchers said.
But the study also shows that there are already signs in early life who will become slower walkers. Dr Rasmussen said: 'we may have a chance to see who is healthier in later life.'