Leg issue could be major clue of early Alzheimer's symptom way before memory loss

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease will get worse over time. As Alzheimer's disease progresses, a person will need increasing support with everyday living(Image: Getty | Franziska & Tom Werner)

A new study suggests Alzheimer's could start affecting another part of the body years before memory problems appear. Research led by the University of Central Florida (UCF) indicates the disease "may have early warning signs outside the brain."

Experts behind the study at UCF found that gene mutations linked to Alzheimer’s may disrupt the peripheral nerves that control muscle movement, even without any direct involvement of the brain or spinal cord. The team says this could help explain why some people with Alzheimer’s develop walking, balance or coordination problems "long before noticeable memory problems emerge."

It adds that this discovery, published on November 9, 2026, "raises the possibility that movement difficulties could provide earlier warning signs of the disease and that treatments focused exclusively on the brain may overlook important problems elsewhere in the body."

The study suggests Alzheimer's could start affecting another part of the body years before memory problems appear(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The study was led by James Hickman and Xiufang “Nadine” Guo at the UCF, with researchers from healthcare tech company Hesperos. Guo said: "Motor deficits may be an earlier indication [of Alzheimer's]. If we can detect those changes and intervene earlier, that could help delay the onset of central nervous system symptoms."

Alzheimer’s is most commonly associated with memory loss, confusion and other difficulties with thinking. But doctors have also found that some people experience physical changes - including issues with balance and coordination - years before cognitive symptoms show up.

Science Daily explains: "To investigate, the UCF team focused on familial Alzheimer's, a rare inherited form of the disease that typically develops earlier in life (from 40 to 65 years of age) than the more common form.

"Their experiments revealed that motor neurons carrying mutations linked to familial Alzheimer's could disrupt the connections responsible for controlling muscles, even when the brain and spinal cord were completely absent from the experimental system.

"Motor neurons are specialized nerve cells that transmit signals to muscles, telling them when to contract and produce movement. The new findings suggest that Alzheimer's mutations can interfere with this process directly, rather than affecting movement only through damage to the brain."

Hickman says: "This is the first time it's been demonstrated that deficits in the peripheral nervous system can arise directly from these mutations. It means drugs that target the brain may not fix problems in the rest of the body."

Alzheimer’s disease is a physical illness which damages a person’s brain. This eventually causes dementia, affecting memory and thinking. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia(Image: Getty Images)

The experts note that the "findings suggest a potentially important new direction for Alzheimer's research. And it involves looking beyond memory and other cognitive symptoms when investigating the disease.

"If future studies confirm that changes in motor function are detectable early in certain patients, tests of walking, coordination, or nerve-to-muscle activity might eventually help identify disease-related changes before more obvious neurological symptoms develop."

More research is needed to be sure what this means, they say. If early movement changes can be reliably picked up in some people, simple checks of walking, coordination, or nerve-to-muscle signals could one day help spot Alzheimer’s earlier, before clear brain symptoms show.

Experts at Alzheimers Research UK explain that because dementia can stem from several different brain diseases, getting a clear, specific diagnosis can make a real difference to how the condition is managed.

Before a dementia-causing disease is identified, a person may first be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. At this early stage, they can usually continue making their own decisions, with support from family and friends who understand what’s happening.

You can find more information about different types of dementia and their symptoms, or attend an online public event to learn more about dementia research. If you have questions about dementia, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis or treatment, contact the Alzheimer’s Research UK Infoline team on 0300 111 5111 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email infoline@alzheimersresearchuk.org.

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