Gender-specific factors associated with the Japanese version of the trail making test among Japanese workers.
Atsushi Inomoto, Junko Deguchi, Rika Fukuda and 2 others
PMID 37405185WHAT IT FOUND
Workers with metabolic syndrome risk factors took longer to complete a cognitive flexibility test.
Low muscle mass and lower-body strength also predicted slower test times in men, but not in women. These physical markers may help identify cognitive decline risk in the workplace.
Key findings
01Having metabolic syndrome risk factors was associated with significantly prolonged TMT-B performance time in all participants and in both men and women.
02Low fat-free mass and lower scores on the 30-second chair stand test were associated with prolonged TMT-B time in male workers, but these physical factors were not significant predictors in female workers.
03Grip strength showed no significant relationship with TMT-B performance time in either men or women.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that poor physical health causes cognitive decline. Only about 6% of eligible employees participated, creating a risk of selection bias. The sample included a wide age range (21–74 years), which may mask age-specific relationships. Key lifestyle factors like exercise habits, smoking, and work content were not measured. The number of female participants was much smaller than male participants, and their fat-free mass showed less variation, which may have hidden true associations in women.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that low muscle mass or poor leg strength causes cognitive decline in women. The study found these physical factors were not associated with slower cognitive test times in female workers, likely due to the small sample size and limited variation in muscle mass among the women studied.