Objective: to explore a relationship between specific balance index and gait variability in BvFTD.

Background: Gait instability in Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (Bv FTD) is considered as a marker of falls. The association between specific subcomponents of dynamic balance and gait instability needs to be established for planning therapy interventions to prevent falls.

Method: The Bv FTD and healthy volunteers (n=50) with an age group of 45 to 65 of both genders underwent a quantitative measurement of balance and gait using dynamic posturography  and  sensor-based treadmill analysis. The Overall Balance Index (OBI), Anteroposterior Balance Index (API) &Mediolateral Balance Index(MLI) and Co efficient Variation of step length(CoV) has been obtained.

Results: The mean age of the BvFTD group was 57.8±8.33 and the control group was 57.6±6.15 with 42% female participants in each group. The Mean dynamic balance scores of BvFTD and control group was as follows, OBI = 3.74 ± 1.23 &2.26 ± 0.57, API = 2.98 ± 1.21 & 2.49 ± 0.76, the mean MLI score was 2.31 ± 0.70 & 1.68 ± 0.55 respectively. The mean gait variability score of BvFTD group in % was 68.46 ± 28.55(R), 73.88 ± 35.98(L) and the control group was 32.78 ± 20.99(R), 44.52 ± 25.25 (L).The BvFTD group has the following correlations,OBI with coefficient variation of step length (r= .309,p = .029) and the MLI with CoV of step length( r = .310 p = 0.029). No correlation was found in controls .

Conclusion: This study has found a specific balance sub component namely mediaolateral index (MLI) was significantly associated with gait instability in BvFTD. Hence, lateral balance training may be useful in improving gait stability and preventing falls in BvFTD. However, the finding needs to be confirmed in a larger sample with other phenotypes.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/gait-instability-and-dynamic-balance-characteristics-in-behavioral-variant-frontotemporal-dementia-a-cross-sectional-study/