Change in hand dexterity and habitual gait speed reflects cognitive decline over time in healthy older adults: a longitudinal study.
Takumi Abe, Yuki Soma, Naruki Kitano and 5 others
PMID 29184280WHAT IT FOUND
Changes in 5-m habitual walking time and peg-moving task time were significantly associated with changes in cognitive test scores over three years in healthy older adults.
This observational finding cannot show that either change causes the other.
Key findings
01In adjusted longitudinal analysis, change in 5-m habitual walking time and change in peg-moving task time were significantly associated with change in cognitive function (p=0.031 and p=0.029).
02In adjusted cross-sectional analysis at baseline, the five-times-sit-to-stand test, TUG, and peg-moving task remained significantly associated with cognitive function (p=0.001, p=0.030, and p=0.005).
03Only 28.0% of baseline participants had follow-up data, and the final analysed sample was 169.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
Only 28.0% of the 604 participants with complete baseline data had follow-up data; 431 were lost to follow-up and 4 had missing follow-up data. The analysed sample was 169 healthy and health-conscious older adults without long-term care insurance, so it may not apply to frailer adults or those needing care. The three-year follow-up may have been too short for healthy older adults, and the study did not examine development of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. The study is observational, so it cannot show that changes in walking time or peg-moving time cause cognitive decline. Potential confounders such as nutrition were not investigated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the significant associations as proof that changes in walking time or peg-moving time cause cognitive decline. The study observed healthy older adults over three years, had 28.0% follow-up, and did not examine incident mild cognitive impairment or dementia.