Looppatronen binnen de Rotterdam Study

The ability to walk is very important to function independently in the community. The gait pattern gives an indication of the general health of a person. A degeneration of the gait pattern is related to a higher fall-risk, morbidity and mortality. Gait consists of many different parts, such as normal walking, turning, and tandem walking, each of which consists of different aspects. All aspects of gait show deterioration with aging, but the timeline and sequence in deterioration of the different aspects of gait is still unclear. Gait is influenced by many different organ systems. An important organ system that influences gait is the central nervous system, and thus the brain. Cognition is a reflection of the functioning of the brain. The relation between gait, cognition and the brain structure appears to be multidirectional. Most studies performing research on this relation have only looked at one aspect of gait, and the puzzle of this relation is still incomplete. The Rotterdam Study has introduced an electronic walkway in 2009. With this walkway the gait pattern can be determined in detail. Because of the multidimensional research of this study, the longitudinal aspect, the large numbers of participants and their large age-range, the Rotterdam Study will have a great opportunity to aid in completing this puzzle and in uncovering other factors that influence gait.