The Moderating Effect of Physical Activity on the Association between White Matter Hyperintensities and Gait Characteristics

The objectives of this thesis were; 1) to assess the effect of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) burden on motor outcomes among older individuals in presence and absence of overt neurological conditions and 2) to evaluate whether physical activity (PA) moderated the association between WMH and gait velocity and stride time variability (STV), under single and dual-task conditions, in a geriatric clinic sample. Study 1 systematically reviewed the literature demonstrating that greater WMH burden was associated with predefined motor outcomes. Notably, gait velocity emerged as a well-studied characteristic. Study 2 confirmed that WMH negatively affected gait velocity. STV and dual-task gait conditions did not reveal significance. Additionally, PA did not moderate the association between WMH and gait velocity, although conditional effects showed significance for low and moderate levels of PA. This finding extends support for the efficacy of physical activity in attenuating the effects of WMH on mobility.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Sc

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Kinesiology

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Lingum, Navena Rebecca

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Manuel Montero-Odasso

• White Matter Hyperintensities
• Physical Activity
• Gait Velocity
• Dual-Task
• Older Adults
• Stride Time Variability

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27896

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/27896