Prevalence and burden of gait disorders in elderly men and women aged 60-97 years: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Although gait disorders are common in the elderly, the prevalence and overall burden of these disorders in the general community is not well defined. METHODS: In a cross-sectional investigation of the population-based Bruneck Study cohort, 488 community-residing elderly aged 60-97 years underwent a thorough neurological assessment including a standardized gait evaluation. Gait disorders were classified according to an accepted scheme and their associations to falls, neuropsychological measures, and quality of life were explored. RESULTS: Overall, 32.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 28.2%-36.4%) of participants presented with impaired gait. Prevalence increased with age (p