Link Found Between Walking Pace and Depression in Older Adults

A new study into the mental health of seniors, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society , has found links between the onset of late-life depression, walking speed, and pace length, reports Cosmos Magazine . Researchers in Dublin worked with more than 3,600 people aged 50 and over who had not previously been diagnosed as having depression. The researchers used the GAITRite system, a computerized mat with pressure sensors, to analyze gaits. Participants completed two walks in each of three conditions: at a usual walking pace, walking while carrying out a manual task, and walking while carrying out a cognitive task. Data from walks in each condition were averaged to arrive at information for gait speed, step length, step width and other actions. The report found that older men and women who were newly diagnosed with depression had a slower walking speed and a shorter step length, versus those without the condition. "Both depression and gait problems commonly coexist in later life, and it appears that older people with a combination of both conditions are at particularly high risk of functional decline," the researchers said. "Additionally, these findings raise the possibility that gait analysis could be used as a tool to identify those at higher risk of late-life depression." Researchers said the study also suggests that exercise programs aimed at improving walking speed and balance may help prevent the onset of depression in later life.