During my neurology training, I remember one of the head professors asking us: If you could only check one thing on a patient’s neurological examination, what would it be?

(His) Correct Answer: Gait.

After consulting on, and examining thousands of patients, I’ve come to the conclusion he was probably right. If you want to learn as much as possible about a person’s neurologic status, and you’re limited to just 1 technique, watch the way they walk.

Interestingly, a new study in the January issue of the Annals of Neurology suggests that deterioration in gait may indicate the early stages of memory decline and early Alzheimer’s disease.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, you may also enjoy the newly released (6/19/06) Free Trial Download of the Smartkit: Student Guidebook.

Difficulty:  Loading ...