Objective: This study sought to explore the effects of walking pace on Parkinson’s disease (PD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and multiple system atrophy (MSA) investigating potential differences between walking pace and these disease outcomes using large-scale cohort data from the UK Biobank (UKB). To gain insight into the underlying mechanism, we analyzed changes in brain structure associated with walking pace.
Background: Abnormal walking pace has been linked to PD, PSP, and MSA after the diseases were diagnosed. However, the longitudinal relationship between walking pace and the incidence of these conditions remains limited and uncertain.
Method: A longitudinal study with 266,654 participants investigated the association between walking pace and the risk of developing PD, PSP, and MSA. Cox regression analyses were employed to assess the longitudinal relationship, followed by several sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, linear regression models were used to explore changes in grey matter volume associated with different walking paces.
Results: Slow walking pace significantly increased the risk of developing PD (HR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.30–2.04, P < 0.01) and PSP (HR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.02–4.70, P = 0.04), while brisk pace lowered the risk of PD (HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.66–0.86, P < 0.01) and MSA (HR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.10–0.48, P < 0.01). Further sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability of the identified relationships, with the exception that brisk walking pace in a more extended period ( > 5 years) before the PSP diagnosis showed a significant protective effect (HR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.28–0.95, P = 0.03). Neuroimaging analysis revealed significant differences in various brain regions between individuals with slow and brisk walking paces, particularly in bilateral cerebellum and motor-related areas, such as the precentral gyrus and supplementary motor cortex.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the different relationship between walking pace and the risk of PD, PSP, and MSA, emphasizing the potential implications of gait characteristics for the early screening of patients with PD, PSP, and MSA. In addition, walking pace had a notable impact on brain structure, while further research is still needed to unravel underlying mechanisms.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
S. Wang, Y. Xiao, X. Zheng, J. Liu, J. Lin, T. Yang, Q. Jiang, C. Li, H. Shang. Association between Walking Pace, Brain Structure, and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease and Atypical Parkinsonism in the UK Biobank [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2024; 39 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/association-between-walking-pace-brain-structure-and-risk-of-parkinsons-disease-and-atypical-parkinsonism-in-the-uk-biobank/. Accessed May 9, 2025.« Back to 2024 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/association-between-walking-pace-brain-structure-and-risk-of-parkinsons-disease-and-atypical-parkinsonism-in-the-uk-biobank/