Mailbox Response

The question was submitted 17/07/2007

Subject: walking ability and dementia

I am wondering if dementia affects the ability to walk. Does this change as the dementia progresses and if so, how? Does dementia eventually affect muscle tone at all?

Answer from DementiaNet

Walking and balance are usually not affected until the late stages of Alzheimer's disease when a person becomes more unsteady, prone to falling and other safety issues. It is only in the very advanced stages that the person actually becomes bedfast.

If there is a mobility problem in the early-to-moderate stages of dementia, then it is usually because the dementia is associated with another cause other than Alzheimer's disease. For example, dementia can be caused by strokes, be they big or small, and sometimes it is not obvious to the person that they have had a stroke but the CT scan shows this up. Another possible cause is the dementia that is associated with Parkinson's disease that certainly may affect the person's ability to walk.

The answer was published on DementiaNet 25/07/2007