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Human gait is a complex neurological and musculoskeletal function, of which the genetic basis remains largely unknown. To determine the influence of common genetic variants on gait parameters, we studied 2,946 participants of the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort of unrelated elderly individuals. We assessed 30 gait parameters using an electronic walkway, which yielded seven independent gait domains after principal component analysis. Genotypes of participants were imputed to the 1,000 Genomes reference panel for generating genetic relationship matrices to estimate heritability of gait parameters, and for subsequent genome-wide association scans (GWASs) to identify specific variants. Gait domains with the highest age- and sex-adjusted heritability were Variability (h (2) = 61%), Rhythm (37%), and Tandem (32%). For other gait domains, heritability estimates attenuated after adjustment for height and weight. Genome-wide association scans identified a variant on 1p22.3 that was significantly associated with single support time, a variable from the Rhythm domain (rs72953990; N = 2,946; β [SE] = 0.0069 (0.0012), p = 2.30×10(-8)). This variant did not replicate in an independent sample (N = 362; p = .78). In conclusion, human gait has highly heritable components that are explained by common genetic variation, which are partly attributed to height and weight. Collaborative efforts are needed to identify robust single variant associations for the heritable parameters.

Original publication

DOI

10.1093/gerona/glv081

Type

Journal article

Journal

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences

Publication Date

06/2016

Volume

71

Pages

740 - 746

Addresses

Department of Epidemiology and Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Keywords

Humans, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Gait, Prospective Studies, Genotype, Phenotype, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Middle Aged, Female, Male, Genetic Variation, Genome-Wide Association Study