Neuroscience. 2026 Mar 31:S0306-4522(26)00236-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2026.03.048. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Motor dysfunction in different subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia have been widely reported. Whether motor profiles could differentiate between MCI subtypes such as amnestic MCI (aMCI) and non-amnestic MCI (naMCI) has not been systematically studied, but could augment the diagnostic process to improve diagnostic accuracy early on in the disease process. Here, we compare motor function across the motor domain between cognitively unimpaired (CU; n = 878), aMCI (n = 89) and naMCI (n = 63) subjects from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). Subjects completed measures of left and right grip strength, simple reaction time, gait at normal and fast pace, gait turn time, chair rises, and graphomotor speed. Linear mixed-effects models, adjusted for multiple comparisons, were used to compare groups. The combined MCI group performed worse on measures in all domains except on the grip strength tests. Multiple comparisons corrected analyses showed that, compared to CU, aMCI had larger reaction time variability, slower normal gait speed and walk turn, and slower graphomotor speed, while naMCI had weaker grip strength, slower walking at fast pace, and slower graphomotor speed. MCI is associated with motor behavioral deficits across several motor domains beyond the well documented domain of gait. Precursors to different types of dementia present with different patterns of motor dysfunction, that can potentially be leveraged to improve diagnostic accuracy in a clinical setting. Early classification of dementia subtype could help with timely assigning appropriate care.
PMID:41933718 | DOI:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2026.03.048
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