Central neurological gait abnormalities (CNGA; i.e. frontal or parkinsonian) are frequently associated with neurodegenerative conditions in older adults, but their pathophysiological substrates remain poorly described. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer's biomarkers and CNGA.
CSF biomarkers (phosphor-tau, total tau and Aβ ₁ _- ₄₂ ) were measured in 52 patients with CNGA (77.33 ± 6.09 years; 28.8% female). Gait phenotypes were evaluated by two diagnosis-blinded assessors and classified as frontal gait, parkinsonian gait or other gait abnormalities.
Parkinsonian gait was significantly associated with a decreased CSF Aβ ₄₂ even after adjusting on age, gender, comorbidities and white matter changes (β: -0.32; 95% CI: [-340.6; -22.9]; p value: 0.026). Phosphor-tau and total tau were not associated with any other CNGA (i.e. frontal gait and other gait abnormalities).
Parkinsonian gait represents a gait phenotype of Alzheimer's pathology in patients with CNGA.