Changes to the white matter in the brain caused by aginghave been linked to balance and walking difficulties in the elderly, a newstudy says.
According to the three-year study, elderly people with”severe changes” to their white matter were twice as likely as thosewith “mild changes” to have a history of falls. They were also twiceas likely to perform badly on walking and mobility tests. White matter is primarily responsible for relaying messages between different parts of the nervous system. Multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s are other diseases that can affect the white matter. The study was published in the March 18 issue of the journal Neurology.
The study, conducted in Germany, used brain scans andbalance tests to determine the correlation between age-related white matterchanges and mobility. Of the 639 men and women aged 65 to 84 who participated,158 developed severe changes, 197 had moderate changes, and 284 had mildchanges.
