The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences最新文献

{"title":"Olfaction and muscle strength in older adults: a longitudinal study.","authors":"Rui Liu, Honglei Chen, Chenxi Li, Anna Kucharska-Newton, Eleanor M Simonsick, Yaqun Yuan","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag125","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Olfactory impairment is common in older adults and has been linked to weight loss and functional decline. This study aimed to examine whether olfactory impairment is associated with an accelerated decline in muscle strength among older adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed data from 2348 participants (aged 71-82 years; 48.0% men; 37.5% Black) in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. Olfactory function was assessed using the Brief Smell Identification Test at the Year 3 clinical visit (1999-2000) and categorized as good (scores 11-12), moderate (9-10), hyposmia (7-8), or anosmia (0-6). Participants were followed for up to 7 years. Grip strength and quadriceps strength were measured at clinical visits in Years 4, 6, 8, and 10.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During follow-up, participants with anosmia experienced a faster decline in grip strength than those with good olfaction. The annual difference in decline was -0.19 kg/year (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.37 to -0.01) for men and -0.21 kg/year (95% CI, -0.37 to -0.05) for women. For quadriceps strength, men with anosmia had a greater annual decline (-1.26 Nm/year; 95% CI, -2.26 to -0.26), whereas no statistically significant association was observed in women.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Anosmia in older adults is associated with accelerated decline in muscle strength. These findings suggest that olfactory impairment may serve as an early marker of neuromuscular aging. Further research is warranted to investigate the underlying mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13242264/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147877102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Turning as a single and dual task-associations with Alzheimer's and vascular pathologies in cognitively healthy older people.","authors":"Maria H Nilsson, Magnus Lindh-Rengifo, Lynn Rochester, Danielle Van Westen, Ruben Smith, Sebastian Palmqvist, Erik Stomrud, Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren, Oskar Hansson","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag114","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag114","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Turning performance is an important and challenging motor activity, with potential relevance in several brain diseases. This study aimed to determine how Alzheimer's and vascular pathologies are associated with turning (360° while standing and 180° while walking), both as a single task and during dual-tasking in cognitively healthy older people.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cognitively healthy older people (n = 297, mean age 77.7 years, 61.6% women) were included. A 180° turn was assessed using a wearable sensor; a 360° turn was assessed both clinically and using a sensor. Dual-tasking included a simultaneous subtraction task. Alzheimer's pathologies (Aβ and tau) were assessed using positron emission tomography (PET). Vascular pathology (white matter hyperintensities (WMH)) was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Logistic and linear regression analyses were used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Aβ and tau pathologies were significantly associated with being unstable while dual-tasking and turning 360°. When including both Aβ and tau in the model, only tau remained significantly associated with being unstable (OR 22.42, 95% CI, 1.43, 349.88, p = .027). WMH were associated with impaired turning as a single task, that is, an increased turn duration (360°) and a decreased peak angular velocity (180°: B -1.27, 95% CI, -2.33, -0.21, p = .018).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study suggests that early Alzheimer's pathologies are associated with an instability while turning 360° and dual-tasking, whereas WMH seem to be associated with impaired turning as a single task in cognitively healthy older people. Turning assessments seem promising for investigating motor aspects in very early stages of Alzheimer's disease and vascular brain disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13274543/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147871208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Updating and validating the Figueroa Frailty Index: transitioning from ICD-9 to ICD-10.","authors":"Tianwen Huan, Orna Intrator, Winifred J Scott, Daniel E Hall, Jose F Figueroa, Ariela R Orkaby","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag156","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Figueroa Frailty Index (Figueroa-FI) is a claims-based frailty index developed using administrative Medicare claims data using International Classification of Disease (ICD) 9th revision. Updating to ICD-10 codes is essential for contemporary measurement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>ICD-9 codes were mapped to ICD-10 using Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) General Equivalence Mappings. Using a national cohort of Veterans aged ≥65 years, 2012-2019, annual prevalence trends for the 12 Figueroa-FI deficits were examined. Validity of Figueroa-FI was ascertained by examining adjusted annual HR of death and long-term institutionalization (LTI) for Veterans with 1 and ≥2 deficits vs 0, using Cox proportional hazards models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Annual cohorts of Veterans included 2.4 to 3.1 million Veterans, mean age 75 years, 97%-98% were male, 78%-80% White. Figueroa FI-ICD-10 includes 267 ICD-10 codes (vs 42 ICD-9 codes). Nine of the 12 Figueroa-FI deficits showed similar prevalence across the ICD-10 transition in 2016, while 3 displayed discontinuity. Veterans identified as frail were at increased risk of mortality and LTI. HR for death for FI of 1 vs 0 ranged from 1.97 to 2.02 over follow-up years, and HR of LTI from 2.75 to 2.92, while frail Veterans (FI ≥2) had hazards of death of 2.79 to 2.97 and hazards of LTI from 5.65 to 6.54.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The updated Figueroa FI-ICD-10 maintains content validity, stability, and predictive validity for mortality and LTI in a contemporary cohort of Veterans aged ≥65 years, enabling frailty measurement using ICD-10 claims for clinical and research use.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13670363/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148221509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoding the delirium proteome: linking clinical vulnerabilities to acute brain dysfunction.","authors":"Xiaoxiao Wang, Kaixi Liu, Xiangyang Guo, Nan Li, Zhengqian Li","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag139","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag139","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Delirium is an acute brain dysfunction syndrome with high morbidity and mortality, however its mechanisms remain poorly understood. Although multiple risk factors have been identified, directly targeting them is challenging. Proteins may provide new insights into this challenge.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using data from the UK Biobank, we explored associations between 18 established delirium risk factors and incident delirium using Cox proportional hazards models. Plasma proteomic profiling was conducted to identify proteins associated with delirium. Identified proteins underwent enrichment and mediation analyses to evaluate their potential involvement in the associations between risk factors and delirium.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over a median 13.5-year follow-up, 701 participants developed delirium. Among 2915 plasma proteins, 78 were significantly associated with delirium after Bonferroni correction, including Neurofilament light polypeptide (NEFL), Glial fibrillary acidic protein, WAP four-disulfide core domain protein 2 (WFDC2), Urokinase plasminogen activator surface receptor, and Growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15). Enrichment analysis suggested that these proteins were predominantly involved in immune, inflammatory, and metabolic processes. Mediation analysis indicated that some proteins may statistically mediate the associations between clinical risk factors and incident delirium; for example, NEFL (11.7%) and EDA2R (10.4%) for age, PLAUR (47.2%) and Mesothelin (MSLN; 40.1%) for smoking, GDF15 (40.6%) and C7 (16.3%) for diabetes, WFDC2 (13.4%) and PLAUR (13.1%) for frailty. Overall, 24 proteins statistically mediated the associations between at least 9 risk factors and delirium, with GDF15, PLAUR, Amphiregulin, Hepatitis A virus cellular receptor, Occludin, and, showing relatively higher statistical estimates.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This large-scale study identifies plasma proteins that may help explain some of the observed associations between clinical risk factors and incident delirium, generating hypotheses about underlying mechanisms and potential avenues for further research.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148059330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relationship between muscle fatty infiltration and musculoskeletal health: an imaging-based population study.","authors":"Xinyi Chen, Hongyu Bai, Zheci Ding, Jiale Tan, Lubing Cai, Cong Liu, Jiwu Chen, Yaying Sun","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag155","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag155","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Muscle fatty infiltration (MFI) is a hallmark of skeletal muscle degeneration, yet its independent associations with musculoskeletal disorders remain debated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using data from the UK Biobank (2014-2023), we analyzed associations of MFI (Dixon magnetic resonance imaging) with skeletal muscle (sarcopenia, grip strength [kg], appendicular lean mass index [ALMI, kg m-2]); joints (total/knee/hip osteoarthritis [HOA]); bone (bone mineral density [BMD, g cm-2], heel BMD, osteoporosis [OP], fractures); and physical performance (self-reported usual walking pace, incident falls). Multivariable regression with false discovery rate (FDR) correction was applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 12 801 participants were included (mean age 67.23 ± 7.44 years; 52.01% female). Each 1% higher MFI was associated with lower hand grip strength (β = -0.58 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.66 to -0.49) and ALMI (β = -0.13 kg m-2; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.12), higher odds of sarcopenia (OR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.37-1.63), total osteoarthritis (OA, OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.09-1.16), knee OA (OR = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.15-1.25), HOA (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.17), falls (OR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.13), and slower walking pace (OR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.82-0.86). Associations with OP and fractures were attenuated to non-significance after adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, socioeconomic deprivation, education, smoking, alcohol intake, and chronic diseases. Interaction analyses revealed that associations were most pronounced among lean (BMI <25 kg m-2), younger (<65 years), and metabolically uncomplicated individuals.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Muscle fatty infiltration is adversely associated with muscle health, joint degeneration, and physical performance, while its independent contribution to bone health remains equivocal. The strength of its association with musculoskeletal outcomes is context-dependent, being most pronounced in lean, younger, and metabolically uncomplicated individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Establishing bone tissue level changes associated with cognitive impairment.","authors":"Ryan D Ross, Bryan Dulion, John Wong, Marina A Gritsenko, Le Z Day, Jason E McDermott, Jon M Jacobs, Sue E Leurgans, Lei Yu, David A Bennett","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag134","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alzheimer's disease (AD) and osteoporosis are common chronic conditions of aging. Although several studies have reported an association between the 2 conditions, there is limited information on tissue-level mechanisms. In the current study, we performed unbiased proteomics on thoracic vertebral samples collected from female participants enrolled in the religious orders study (ROS) and Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) cohorts to assess bone tissue-level changes associated with AD and other dementia-associated neuropathologies. Cognitive functioning and other participant characteristics were collected as part of ROSMAP study visits. Post-mortem evaluations assessed the burden of β-amyloid and paired helical filament tau (PHFtau) tangles, and other common age-related neuropathologies. A total of 45 bone samples were utilized from 19 female participants with a clinical diagnosis of AD dementia and 26 without AD dementia. The association between bone tissue protein abundance and cognition measured proximate to death, as well as neuropathologic indices, were evaluated using linear regression or logistic regression models, as appropriate. Bone tissue abundance of minichromosomal maintenance protein 3 (MCM3) and ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 24 (USP24) were positively associated with cognition and negatively associated with PHFtau tangle density. MCMC3 was also associated with cerebral arteriosclerosis, while USP24 was associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Our findings suggest that processes regulating bone cell division may be involved in the link between brain and bone aging in a relationship that may not be specific to AD.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148007693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of a short-term multicomponent functional exercise program on the serum proteome: an exploratory study in hospitalized older adults.","authors":"Maite Izco-Cubero, Mercedes Lachén-Montes, Chenhui Chenhuichen, Bernardo Abel Cedeno-Veloz, Icíar Echeverría-Beistegui, Fabricio Zambom-Ferraresi, Fabiola Zambom-Ferraresi, María Luisa Fernández-González de la Riva, Patricia Álvarez-Rodríguez, Enrique Santamaría, Nicolás Martínez-Velilla","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag111","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hospitalization in older adults often leads to disability in daily living activities, thereby increasing the risk of functional and cognitive impairments. Thisrandomized controlled trial analyzed the serum protein profile of patients admitted to an acute geriatric unit who engaged in supervised multicomponent functional exercise program compared with a control group. Potential protein biomarkers were assessed using the Olink serum proteomics platform employing two predefined panels: Cardiometabolic and Inflammation. Notably, the short-term exercise intervention was associated with moderate but consistent changes in the serum proteome. Nominal differences (p < .05, unadjusted) were observed for amyloid beta precursor-like protein 1 (APLP1), complement C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 1 (C1QTNF1), interleukin-8 (CXCL8), interleukin-7 (IL-7), M-phase phosphoprotein 8 (MPHOSPH8), neurotrophin 3 (NTF3), tissue-type plasminogen activator (PLAT), SFRS1-interacting protein (PSIP1), pleiotrophin (PTN), cardiac-type troponin I (TNNI3), and von Willebrand factor (vWF); conversely, levels of CD40 ligand (CD40LG) were reduced. These findings suggest that short-term multicomponent functional exercise during acute hospitalization can induce changes in the serum proteome. These molecular alterations provide exploratory insights into the biological processes associated with the functional benefits observed following the intervention in hospitalized older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":"81 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148201823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of upper gastrointestinal disorders on frailty: insights from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.","authors":"Balewgizie S Tegegne, Tina Gupta, Luigi Ferrucci, Toshiko Tanaka","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag148","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag148","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Upper gastrointestinal (GI) disorders-including gastroesophageal reflux disorder, peptic ulcer disease, and gastritis-are common with aging, yet their contribution to frailty burden and progression is poorly understood. This study investigated whether upper GI disorders are independently associated with frailty in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed data from 1353 participants (mean age 65.6 years; 47.7% men) with documented upper GI disorder status and Frailty Index (FI). Cross-sectional associations were examined using linear regression adjusted for age, sex, race, education, body mass index (BMI), and smoking. Longitudinal trajectories of FI were analyzed in a subset with ≥3 follow-up visits (n = 749) using linear mixed-effects models. Sensitivity analyses were conducted after excluding participants whose diagnosis occurred more than 1 year before FI assessment and for older adults.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Upper GI disorders were significantly associated with higher frailty burden in cross-sectional analyses (β = 0.0303, p = 1.13 × 10-11). Older age, higher BMI, and lower educational attainment were also associated with higher FI. Longitudinal analyses further demonstrated that upper GI disorders were a significant predictor of FI throughout the follow-up period (β = 0.018, p = 4.3 × 10-9). However, the rate of frailty progression did not differ significantly between participants with and without GI disorders. Associations remained robust in all sensitivity analyses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Upper GI disorders were associated with higher frailty burden and greater degree of frailty that persisted over time, independent of covariates. Further research may be needed to explore the specific mechanisms through which upper GI disorders influence frailty.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148214159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sleep pattern clusters, physical function and fall risk: geriatric syndromes among older ambulatory women.","authors":"Alexis C Garduno, Varun Viswanath, Benjamin Smarr, Linda McEvoy, Qian Xiao, Kelsie Full, Linda Gallo, Humberto Parada, Carolyn Crandall, Jane Cauley, Lesley F Tinker, Andrea Z LaCroix","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag115","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Poor sleep is a suspected risk factor for lower physical functioning and frequent falling at older ages. We evaluated the relationship of multiple sleep and rest-activity rhythm (RAR) metrics with fall risk and physical functioning.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Older women (N = 4543) wore hip-worn accelerometers, recording their falls daily for 13 months following accelerometry. Uniform manifold approximation projection identified sleep-circadian clusters; K-means clustering further distinguished healthy and unhealthy sleep patterns. After cross-validation, we examined associations between sleep clusters and fall risk using adjusted, negative binomial models. Linear regression models estimated associations of sleep clusters with short physical performance battery (SPPB) score and its sub-scores. We evaluated whether SPPB status modified associations of sleep and RAR with fall risk.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five sleep clusters were identified including C1 (\"sleep disturbed,\" n = 1051), C2 (\"healthy,\" n = 1043), C3 (\"mild RAR, active,\" n = 1446), C4 (\"earlier sleepers, n = 105), and C5 (\"shorter, mildly disrupted, later sleeper,\" n = 898). Unhealthy sleep clusters C1 and C4 were associated with a higher fall risk compared to healthy cluster C2 after adjustment (C4, IRR: 1.76 (95% CI: 1.15-2.69)). These same clusters were also associated with lower balance scores (score: 0-4) after adjustment (C1, beta: -0.11 (95% CI: -0.21 to -0.01); C4, beta: -0.30 (95% CI: -0.55 to -0.05)).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Older women with unhealthier sleep-RAR patterns are more at risk for falling, which may be partially explained by the role of sleep on balance and physical functioning.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13257854/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147877140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Bayesian network analysis of gait speed change upon transition to uneven surfaces in older adults.","authors":"Yixiao Song, Caterina Rosano, Lana M Chahine, Andrea L Rosso, Fabrisia Ambrosio, Nicolaas Bohnen, Zhihao Chen, Seyoung Kim","doi":"10.1093/gerona/glag137","DOIUrl":"10.1093/gerona/glag137","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gait adaptability, defined as the ability to adjust walking performance to environmental challenges, likely reflects complex interactions among the central nervous system (CNS) and other physiological systems. However, the drivers of lower gait adaptability in older adults are poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We applied a Bayesian network framework to understand multisystem interactions contributing to percent change in gait speed (%GSC) on transition from even to uneven surface in 159 older adults. Neuroimaging measures include gray matter volume, white matter hyperintensities, striatal dopaminergic (DA) neurotransmission, and functional connectivity. Other measures were obtained for domains important for locomotor control: health history, lifestyle, psychological well-being, cognition, and musculoskeletal and peripheral nervous systems. The Bayesian network captured relationships among these variables as a network, quantifying their direct and indirect dependencies. The predictive accuracy of %GSC from the Bayesian network was compared with that of multivariate linear regression using 10-fold cross-validation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants exhibited slower gait on uneven compared to even surfaces (mean %GSC = -6.32%). The Bayesian network outperformed linear regression in predicting %GSC and identified four direct paths to %GSC from body mass index, muscle strength, striato-cortical sensorimotor connectivity, and purpose in life. Indirect paths to %GSC showed interrelations among CNS and non-CNS variables, including striatal DA neurotransmission, total grey matter volume, medications, proprioception, and sex.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Gait adaptability in older adults is influenced by interactions among functional connectivity, body composition, muscle strength, and psychological well-being. Strengthening both neural and physical systems through targeted interventions may mitigate declines in gait instability and preserve mobility with aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":94243,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13287991/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148019674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}