A scoping review and synthesis of the literature on the relation between mobility impairment and cognitive impairment.
Payton D Rule, Victoria L Trammell, Patrick L Hill and 2 others
PMID 39804027WHAT IT FOUND
In adults over 50, lower mobility and lower cognitive function consistently occur together.
Longitudinal evidence suggests each can predict decline in the other, though only a few studies directly tested this bidirectional link. Screening for one impairment should prompt assessment of the other.
Key findings
01All 16 cross-sectional studies included found that lower cognitive function was associated with lower mobility function.
02Twelve longitudinal studies found that declines in cognitive function predicted lower future mobility function.
03Sixteen longitudinal studies found that decreased mobility function predicted lower future cognitive function.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only five studies directly tested bidirectional associations, so evidence for a true two-way causal link is limited. Most studies did not separate within-person changes from between-person differences, making it hard to know if decline in one domain causes decline in the other for the same individual. The review excluded studies on specific mobility disabilities (e.g., multiple sclerosis), so findings may not apply to those populations. Some associations disappeared after adjusting for covariates, indicating that shared factors like aging or neurodegeneration may drive both impairments rather than a direct causal link.
Declared interests
The authors report no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that treating mobility impairment will prevent cognitive decline, or vice versa. The evidence shows an association and prospective prediction, but only a few studies directly tested bidirectional causality, and shared underlying factors like aging may explain the link.