The way we walk and balance can provide a window into the brain's condition and function. This week, Manuel Montero-Odasso explores the relationship between dual-task walking and dementia risk, the link between vascular risk factors and white matter integrity across multiple neurodegenerative diseases, and an association between specific brain lesions and motor signs in Parkinson's disease. Research from Jamie Fleet, Ricardo Viana, Robert Teasell, and Sue Peters examines prefrontal cortex activation during balance tasks after stroke and its connection to fatigue. Additionally, Michael Payne and Dalton Wolfe outline a protocol to test a peer-led physical activity intervention for people with diabetes-related lower limb amputation.

Difficulty walking while performing another task is associated with developing dementia, but the role of the brain's physical structure in this relationship is not established. Researchers created a model to test whether the volume of grey matter in the brain helps explain the connection between these walking changes and a new dementia diagnosis.

The relationship between brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, balance difficulty, and fatigue following a stroke is not well defined. To investigate this, researchers measured prefrontal cortex activation in patients with post-stroke hemiparesis while they performed standing balance tasks and also evaluated their fatigue.

The relationship between certain brain lesions and the severity of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease is not yet clear. Researchers measured these lesions in multiple brain regions of 140 participants with the disease and used statistical models to test for an association with motor function.

The extent to which vascular risk factors are present in various neurodegenerative diseases and linked to brain white matter damage is not fully understood. To investigate this, researchers studied 520 participants across five neurodegenerative disease groups, assessed their vascular risk based on five health factors, and evaluated their white matter integrity using MRI scans.

People with diabetes-related lower limb amputation often have reduced walking ability, which can result in sedentary behaviour. Researchers are conducting a pilot study of an intervention that provides participants with virtual peer coaching, web-based modules, and a wearable activity monitor for eight weeks.