AUTHOR=Mondino Alejandra , Khan Michael , Case Beth , Fefer Gilad , Panek Wojciech K. , Gruen Margaret E. , Olby Natasha J. 

TITLE=Winning the race with aging: age-related changes in gait speed and its association with cognitive performance in dogs

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1150590

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2023.1150590

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>In humans, gait speed is a crucial component in geriatric evaluation since decreasing speed can be a harbinger of cognitive decline and dementia. Aging companion dogs can suffer from age-related mobility impairment, cognitive decline and dementia known as canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome. We hypothesized that there would be an association between gait speed and cognition in aging dogs.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We measured gait speed on and off leash in 46 adult and 49 senior dogs. Cognitive performance in senior dogs was assessed by means of the Canine Dementia Scale and a battery of cognitive tests.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>We demonstrated that dogs' food-motivated gait speed off leash is correlated with fractional lifespan and cognitive performance in dogs, particularly in the domains of attention and working memory.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Food-motivated gait speed off leash represents a relatively easy variable to measure in clinical settings. Moreover, it proves to be a more effective indicator of age-related deterioration and cognitive decline than gait speed on leash.</p></sec>