FeaturedNeuroscience·April 30, 2024·5 min readRobot Masters Terrain with Animal-Like Gait TransitionsResearchers leveraged deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to enable a robot to adaptively switch gaits, mimicking animal movements like trotting and pronking, to traverse complex terrains effectively. Their study explores the concept of viability—or fall prevention—as a primary motivator for such gait transitions, challenging previous beliefs that energy efficiency is the key driver.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·March 12, 2024·5 min readCurve Walking Reveals Cognitive Decline in ElderlyResearchers have discovered that curved path walking is more revealing of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults than traditional straight path walking tests. By employing a depth camera to analyze gait during these walks, the study identified 50 gait markers that varied significantly between healthy older adults and those with MCI.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·September 22, 2022·7 min readIn-Home Wireless Device Tracks Disease Progression in Parkinson’s PatientsA new in-home device that monitors movement and gait speed can evaluate Parkinson's disease severity, progression, and a patient's response to medication.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·November 22, 2021·6 min readHousework Linked to Sharper Memory in Older AdultsOlder adults who continue to perform household chores have better cognition, attention span, and physical strength compared to those who no longer do their own home keeping chores. Housework in older adults was also linked to a decreased risk of falls.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 26, 2021·6 min readDragging Your Feet? Lack of Sleep Affects Your WalkInsufficient sleep can negatively affect walking, specifically how we control stride and gait. Those who experienced a lack of sleep demonstrated less control when they walked.Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 23, 2021·4 min readStudy Find Links to Genetic Disorders in Walking PatternsResearchers have linked Fragile X and SHANK3 deletion syndrome, two disorders associated with autism, to specific microscopic walking patterns.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·August 24, 2021·5 min readTranscranial Stimulation Enhances Beneficial Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Gait in Parkinson’s PatientsA new small-scale study reveals transcranial direct current stimulation improved gait and increased the benefits of aerobic exercise in Parkinson's patients.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceNeuroscience Videos·March 29, 2021·4 min readMachine Learning Helps Spot Gait Problems in Individuals With Multiple SclerosisCombing gait data from multiple sclerosis patients with machine learning, researchers have developed a new tool to monitor and predict disease progression.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·February 16, 2021·4 min readDifferences in Walking Patterns Could Predict Type of Cognitive Decline in Older AdultsGait variability in older adults could be a predictor of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found higher gait variability was associated with lower cognitive performance and an accurate predictor of Alzheimer's disease.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·August 19, 2020·4 min readThe Role of Muscle Strength in Aging Cognitive HealthHandgrip strength correlates with cognitive function, attention, and psychomotor function in older men. No association was found between muscle mass and cognitive function.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·October 28, 2019·3 min readLooking at the way we walk can help predict cognitive declineGait disorders and slowed walking speeds may be useful indicators of future cognitive decline.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·October 11, 2019·5 min readSlower walkers have older brains and bodies at 45Slower walkers have accelerated aging in middle age, both physically and cognitively. Tests given to measure IQ, language, motor skills, and emotional control at age 3, can predict walking speed and thus accelerated aging during middle age.Read More