A Review of the Measurement of the Neurology of Gait in Cognitive Dysfunction or Dementia, Focusing on the Application of fNIRS during Dual-Task Gait Assessment.

Poor motor function or physical performance is a predictor of cognitive decline. Additionally, slow gait speed is associated with poor cognitive performance, with gait disturbances being a risk factor for dementia. Parallel declines in muscular and cognitive performance (resulting in cognitive frailty) might be driven primarily by muscle deterioration, but bidirectional pathways involving muscle-brain crosstalk through the central and peripheral nervous systems are likely to exist.