ArticleBMJ neurology open2025
Higher-level gait disorders: a population-based study on prevalence, quality of life, depression and confidence in gait and balance.
Article in BMJ neurology open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Slow unsteady gait in a population-based cohort: links to ventriculomegaly and INPH-related imaging markers.Fluids and barriers of the CNS · 2026Article
- Gait variability development in autistic individuals across childhood and adulthood.Research square · 2026Article
- COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF MURINE GAIT DURING SKELETAL MATURATION.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Crab Walk-Like Gait in CSF1R-Related Leukoencephalopathy.Movement disorders clinical practice · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Higher-level gait disorders (HLGDs) are slow, unsteady neurological GDs in older people. GDs can reduce quality of life (QoL) and cause depression. This has not been investigated in HLGD even though some HLGD causes are treatable, potentially affecting associated problems. We aimed to investigate gait and balance confidence, depressive symptoms and QoL in HLGD. Methods: In a population (n=3769, 65-84y), 798 reported gait impairment (questionnaire) and were clinically examined together with 249 age- and sex-matched controls. Gait property groups were formed: 'HLGD', 'other neurological GD', 'non-neurological GD' or 'no GD'. Swedish Falls Efficacy Scale (FES(S)), Modified Gait Efficacy Scale (mGES), Euro Quality of Life 5-Dimension 5-Level index, Euro Quality of Life Visual Analogue Scale (EQ VAS) and Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) were compared. Results: In the general population, 38% had GDs, of which 16% (n=87/561) were HLGDs, giving an HLGD prevalence of 5.8%; 26% (n=145/561) were other neurological GDs; and 59% (n=329/561) non-neurological GDs. HLGD had more depressive symptoms than non-neurological GD and no GD (GDS-15 HLGD, 3.9±3.4; non-neurological GD, 2.5±2.8; no GD, 1.4±2.0; p<0.05), lower EQ VAS (HLGD, 63±17; non-neurological GD, 71±18; no GD, 82±14; p<0.001), lower gait confidence (mGES HLGD, 60±22; non-neurological GD, 74±21; no GD, 90±13; p<0.001) and lower balance confidence (FES(S) HLGD, 93±32; non-neurological GD, 111±25; no GD, 124±13; p<0.001). Conclusions: HLGDs are common and associated with reduced QoL, reduced confidence in gait and balance, and depressive symptoms, emphasising awareness of mental health among older people with slow unsteady gait.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.