Cognition and mobility show a global association in middle- and late-adulthood: Analyses from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Naiara Demnitz, David B Hogan, Helen Dawes and 4 others
PMID 29945095WHAT IT FOUND
Poorer cognitive test scores were linked to slower walking, longer chair stands and worse balance, but the links were small.
The links were stronger in older adults.
Key findings
01Every cognitive measure tested was significantly associated with mobility after adjustment for age, sex and education.
02The links were small for walking and chair stands and small-to-moderate for balance.
03For balance, associations with memory, executive function and categorical fluency increased with age, while the association with processing speed was smaller in older adults.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether poor mobility causes cognitive decline, whether cognitive decline causes poor mobility, or whether another factor causes both. The associations were significant but small, so mobility should not be treated as a stand-alone target. The sample was community-dwelling and excluded people in long-term care or unable to consent, so it may not represent frailer patients. Participants who were excluded were older and had higher BMI and arthritis prevalence, so the analysed sample may have been healthier than the original cohort. The balance test was too easy for many participants: 13,412 of them held one-legged stance for the full 60 s, so subtle balance difficulties may have been missed. The 4 m self-paced walk may not be sensitive enough for healthy adults and may be affected by starting and stopping speed.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the significant associations as proof that poor mobility causes cognitive decline or that improving mobility will improve cognition. The study was cross-sectional, and the links were small even after adjustment.