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Michele Callisaya

A cognitive-mobility stress test to detect MCI and risk of conversion to dementia

Portrait of Michelle Callisaya
  • Award

    Dementia Australia Research Foundation – Victoria Project Grant^ and Dementia Advocates’ Award

  • Status

    Completed

  • Start Date

    1 May 2019

About the project

An important problem for clinicians is determining who will go on to develop dementia. This will assist with appropriate follow-up and ultimately improved care. Simple measures are required to do this. Walking while performing another task (e.g. dual-task) presents one such measure, as it captures the cognitive contribution to walking. The first step is in seeing if this test distinguishes between no cognitive impairment, mild impairment and dementia.

The aim of this study was to determine if, in people attending a Cognitive Clinic, if a dual-task walking test (walking doing a cognitive task) could distinguish between no diagnosis, mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

In clients attending the clinic (no diagnosis n=11; mild cognitive impairment n=64, dementia n=51) we found that the total cost of walking [gait cost + cognitive cost] while doing a cognitive task differentiated between those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Although this supports our hypothesis it appears that findings were mainly driven by the cost to the cognitive rather than the gait task.

There were no differences between those with no diagnosis and mild cognitive impairment or dementia. This may have been due to the small numbers with no diagnosis (n=11), but also the high number of diseases in this group. 

In conclusion walking whilst talking may be a simple test to assist with diagnosis of dementia. As this study looked a people at one point in time, future work should determine whether dual task walking can predict those who might develop dementia over time.

Where are they now?

At the time of award, Dr Callisaya was a physiotherapist and National Health and Medical Research Council Boosting Dementia Research Leadership Fellow and held affiliations at Monash University, Peninsula Health and the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania.

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Last updated
7 December 2023