title: Regional cerebral glucose metabolism and gait speed in healthy community-dwelling older women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between normalized regional cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (normalized-rCMRglc) and gait function in physically and mentally high-functioning older women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eighty-two community-dwelling older women (mean age [SD], 69.4 [6.6] years) without disability in instrumental activities of daily living and without mobility limitations underwent positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose at rest to assess brain activity associated with gait function. We measured normalized-rCMRglc in 16 regions of interest. Within 6 months of the positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose scan, gait speed, step length, and step frequency both at comfortable and maximum paces were measured as indices of gait function. Associations between normalized-rCMRglc and gait indices were examined with multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for demographic characteristics, including age, height, body weight, blood pressure, past illness, and education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Slower maximum gait speed even in the range of individual difference was associated with lower normalized-rCMRglc in the prefrontal, posterior cingulate, and parietal cortices. Lower step frequency at the maximum pace was also associated with lower normalized-rCMRglc in these regions. However, there was no significant association between step length at the maximum pace and normalized-rCMRglc or between all gait variables at a comfortable pace and normalized-rCMRglc.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The normalized-rCMRglc values in specific regions were associated with individual differences in gait function, even in healthy older women. These regions of the cerebrum could play an important role in gait control. Understanding the cerebral glucose metabolism in these brain regions may enable early detection of mobility limitation.
authors.affiliation: r_sakurai@hotmail.co.jp.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasunaga
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Rumi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murayama
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Promoting Independence of the Elderly, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Muneyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Toyohara
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishiwata
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Neuroimaging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose
keywords: Brain aging; Cerebral metabolic activity; FDG-PET; Gait speed; Older adults.