Frailty is associated with worse cognitive functioning in older adults

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15522650
AutoresChunmei Li (0000-0002-7012-2703, Shandong First Medical University), Ge Song (0000-0002-1118-1850, University of Houston - Downtown, autor correspondente), Song Ge (0000-0002-7683-5579), Yueheng Yin (0000-0001-7629-2597, Nanjing Medical University), Chong Tian (0000-0002-3231-9409, Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Yongxia Mei (0000-0003-4269-3231, Zhengzhou University), Peijin Han (0000-0003-4753-9057, University of Michigan, autor correspondente)
Ano2023
Volume14
Data de publicação2023-02-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoFrontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640
EditoraFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1108902
OpenAlexW4318814707
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências citadas41

Introduction Frailty and impaired cognitive functioning often co-occur in older adults and are associated with adverse health outcomes. However, their relationship is unclear. This study sought to examine the association of frailty status with cognitive functioning in older adults. Method The study population consisted of 2,296 older adults aged ≥60 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2014. Frailty status was measured based on the Fried Phenotype and the participants were categorized into three groups- robust, pre-frailty, and frailty. Cognitive functioning was measured using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word Learning subtest (CERAD-WL) immediate and delayed recall tests, the Animal Fluency test (AFT), and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Test-specific and global cognition z-scores were calculated. Multinomial linear regression models were constructed to examine the association between frailty status (reference: robust) and test-specific and global cognition z-scores. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between the number of frailty dimensions and test-specific and global cognition z-scores. All models controlled for age, race/ethnicity, education, total cholesterol level, and systolic blood pressure. Results About half of the participants (median age 68 years) were female (49.9%) and non-Hispanic White (48.7%). A quarter (23.3%) of the participants completed some college and above. Multinominal linear regression showed that compared with participants who were robust, those with frailty had worse DSST [β = –0.234, 95% confidence interval (CI): –0.391, –0.078, P = 0.003] and global cognition z scores (β = –0.129, 95% CI –0.233, –0.025, P = 0.02). Multiple linear regression model showed that the number of frailty dimensions was significantly associated with decreased the DSST (β = –0.065, 95% CI –0.103, –0.026, P = 0.001) and global cognition z-scores (β= –0.034, 95% CI –0.06, –0.009, P = 0.009). Conclusion Frailty is associated with worse processing speed, sustained attention, working memory, and global cognition in older adults. Prevention and treatment of frailty in older adults may help protect their cognitive functioning. Further, clinicians should consider assessing cognitive functioning, especially processing speed, sustained attention, and working memory, among frail older patients, which may allow early identification and interventions of cognitive impairment

Cognition · Cognitive test · Confidence interval · Digit symbol substitution test · Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance · National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey · Neuropsychology · Population · Psychiatry · Verbal fluency test · Clinical Psychology · Frailty in Older Adults · Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life · Medicine · Nutrition and Health in Aging · Gerontology · Internal Medicine