{
  "id": 3160453,
  "title": "Could the way you walk reveal Alzheimer's years before symptoms begin?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/could-the-way-you-walk-reveal-alzheimers-years-before-symptoms-begin",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-25T01:20:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-reveal-alzheimer-years-symptoms.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Alzheimer's disease may begin affecting brain function decades before symptoms appear, making early detection crucial for potential intervention. Current diagnostic methods, such as brain imaging and cognitive evaluations, are often costly and performed only after symptoms emerge. Researchers at Texas A&M University are exploring whether subtle changes in gait could serve as early indicators of Alzheimer's and related dementias. Lead researcher Dr. Jenna Yentes aims to identify biological markers of the disease through detailed analysis of how individuals walk. The study will involve 50 adults aged 45 to 85 without dementia, who will undergo cognitive assessments, blood tests, brain MRIs, and gait testing using motion capture technology. Key measurements include walking speed, gait reserve (the difference between a person's normal walking speed and the fastest speed they can maintain), and gait variability (the small differences between individual steps). By studying these aspects of gait, researchers hope to determine if they correlate with preclinical markers of Alzheimer's disease, potentially enabling earlier detection and preventive measures.",
  "summary": "By the time Alzheimer's disease begins affecting a person's memory, the underlying changes in the brain may have been developing for decades. That delay limits opportunities for early intervention by the time most people receive a diagnosis. Current diagnostic tools often rely on costly brain imaging, blood tests or cognitive evaluations that are typically performed only after symptoms become…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ScienceDaily Health",
        "title": "A major Alzheimer’s risk gene may shrink brain cells years before symptoms",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/a-major-alzheimers-risk-gene-may-shrink-brain-cells-years-before",
        "published": "2026-08-23T15:15:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}