Analysis of gait and balance disorder in patients with leukoaraiosis / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the gait and balance disorder and fall risk in patients with leukoaraiosis (LA) in different degrees and locations.Methods:Seventy-eight patients with LA (LA group) and thirty healthy controls (NC group) were selected.According to Fazekas grading scale, the LA group were subgroups of different degrees(LA1, LA2, LA3)and evaluated independent scores for periventricular white matter hypersignal (PVH) and deep white matter hypersignal (DWMH). All subjects were tested by Tinetti scale, and the gait test, balance test and fall risk assessment were carried out, and the correlation between gait test results and balance test results and PVH and DWMH scores were analyzed.Results:There were significant differences in gait test((11.47±0.51), (10.18±1.29)), balance test((15.63±0.49), (13.96±1.58)) and fall risk((27.10±0.76), (24.15±2.73)) between LA group and NC group ( t=5.310, 5.667, 5.799, all P< 0.01). There were no significant differences in gait test, balance test and fall risk between NC group and LA1 group (all P>0.05). There were significant differences in gait test, balance test and fall risk between NC group and LA2 group and LA3 group ( t=1.110, 1.562, 1.336; 2.592, 3.342, 2.985; all P<0.01). There were significant differences in gait test, balance test and fall risk between LA1 group((11.19±0.85), (15.38±0.75), (26.58±1.47)) and LA2 group((10.36±0.82), (14.07±1.09), (24.43±1.64)) and LA3 group((8.88±0.99), (12.23±1.08), (21.21±1.93)) ( t=0.835, 1.313, 1.039; 2.317, 3.093, 2.756; all P<0.01). There were significant differences in gait test, balance test and fall risk between LA2 group and LA3 group ( t=1.482, 1.780, 1.639, all P<0.01). The analysis showed that the gait test was negatively correlated with the PVH and DWMH scores ( r=-0.810, P<0.01; r=-0.452, P<0.01). The balance test was negatively correlated with the PVH and DWMH scores ( r=-0.502, P<0.01; r=-0.836, P<0.01). Conclusions:There are gait disorder and balance disorder in patients with moderate and severe LA.With the increase of the degree of LA , the damage of gait and balance function is significantly increased, and the risk of fall is also significantly increased.The gait disorder and the balance disorder of LA patients has different correlation with the high-signal score of the white matter in different parts.The correlation between gait disorder and PVH score is more obvious, and the correlation between balance disorder and DWMH score is more obvious.