Summary: A new study reports a connection between slowed walking speed and cognitive decline appears to arise in the right hippocampus. Researchers recommend older people may benefit if their doctors measure their walking speed and check for changes over time, which could be an early indicator of impending cognitive decline.

Source: University of Pittsburgh.

The connection between slowed walking speed and declining mental acuity appears to arise in the right hippocampus, a finger-shaped region buried deep in the brain at ear-level, according to a 14-year study conducted by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

The finding, published today in Neurology, indicates that older patients may benefit if their doctors regularly measure their walking speed and watch for changes over time, which could be early signs of cognitive decline and warrant referral to a specialist for diagnostic testing.

“Prevention and early treatment may hold the…