ASSOCIATIONS OF SENSORY AND MOTOR FUNCTIONS WITH NEUROPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN AGING - Symposium Abstract

Sep 29, 2026

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Alzheimer’s disease is a leading cause of dementia in older adults, with prevalence projected to rise sharply by 2050. Beyond cognitive deficits and mobility disorders, it disrupts sensory processing via protein plaques and tangles that impair neural communication. Evidence indicates Alzheimer’s pathology can appear in sensory association regions before higher-order cognitive areas, including the prefrontal cortex. Olfactory impairment is described as an early warning sign. Four studies link sensory (auditory and olfaction) and motor (gait speed and endurance) impairments to cognitive issues and AD biomarkers, aiming to identify early, non-cognitive, non-invasive biomarkers highlighted as an NIH priority.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages1

Reading Time3 min

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Symposium Overview

Alzheimer’s disease and sensory-motor disruption

Early sensory markers and olfaction

Study aims and biomarker focus

320 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 SESSION 2535 (SYMPOSIUM) Abstract citation ID: igaf122.1078 ASSOCIATIONS OF SENSORY AND MOTOR FUNCTIONS WITH NEUROPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN AGING Chair: Jeannette Mahoney Co-Chair: Jennifer Deal Discussant: Natascha Merten Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most-common cause of dementia, affecting nearly 6.7 million older adults in America. The number of people with AD is projected to increase two-fold by 2050, potentially reaching 13.8 million. While AD is characterized by cognitive impairments as well as mobility disorders, it also alters sensory processing as it associated with accumulation of proteins (plaques) and tangles, which disrupt communication between brain cells. Such disruption in neural signaling leads to sensory integration issues that often precede cognitive decline. In fact, growing evidence suggests that Alzheimer’s pathology manifestsin sensory association areas well before appearing in neural regions involved in higher‐order cognitive areas like the prefrontal cortex. As well, impairments in olfaction (loss of smell) are considered an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s onset. While evidence suggests that functional changes in both sensory and motor systems modulate the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, research is still in its infancy. In what follows, we will present findings from four distinct research studies examining links between sensory (auditory and olfaction) and motor (gait speed & endurance) impairments and cognitive impairments and AD biomarkers. Identification of novel, non-cognitive, non-invasive biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s-related dementias are a national priority identified by the NIH. Our continued research efforts are directly in line with this goal of identifying AD earlier and intervening as soon as possible in an effort to reduce the burden of Alzheimer’s disease on individuals, their families, and our society at large. Sensory Health Interest Group Sponsored Symposium

FAQs

How does Alzheimer’s disease affect sensory processing and why does it matter?

It involves protein plaques and tangles that disrupt communication between brain cells, leading to sensory integration issues that can precede cognitive decline.

What is the significance of olfaction in Alzheimer’s disease?

Impairments in olfaction, such as loss of smell, are considered an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s onset.

What do the four research studies in this symposium investigate?

They examine links between sensory impairments (auditory and olfaction) and motor impairments (gait speed and endurance) with cognitive impairments and AD biomarkers.

Sep 29, 2026

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