Falls are common and costly in older adults. Risk factors include deficits in gait and postural control, both of which are linked to cognitive impairments. These cognitive impairments may be attributed to a genetic predisposition. A previous study found that a genetic risk factor related to Alzheimer's disease (the ApoE-e4 genetic variant) is also related to gait speed decline in older adults. No research has attempted to assess the impact of this variant on postural control in older adults. The purpose of this pilot study was to replicate the gait findings and extend these to measures of balance in older adults. Forty-six older adults, without a history of neurological disorder, were genotyped and had their gait and postural control assessed. Surprisingly, analyses showed lowered double-stance time for carriers than noncarriers of the e4 isoform. However, no significant differences were observed between carriers and noncarriers for any other comparisons, including postural control scores. Results suggest that the e4 isoform may affect gait, but not postural control.

中文翻译：

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ApoE-ε4 基因型在老年人步态和平衡中的作用：一项初步研究

跌倒在老年人中很常见，而且代价高昂。风险因素包括步态和姿势控制缺陷，这两者都与认知障碍有关。这些认知障碍可能归因于遗传倾向。之前的一项研究发现，与阿尔茨海默病相关的遗传风险因素（ApoE-e4 遗传变异）也与老年人步态速度下降有关。没有研究试图评估这种变异对老年人姿势控制的影响。这项试点研究的目的是复制步态研究结果并将其扩展到老年人的平衡测量。46 名没有神经系统疾病史的老年人接受了基因分型，并评估了他们的步态和姿势控制。出奇，分析表明，e4 同种型的载体与非载体相比，双站立时间更低。然而，对于任何其他比较，包括姿势控制分数，携带者和非携带者之间没有观察到显着差异。结果表明，e4 异构体可能会影响步态，但不会影响姿势控制。