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Cognitive performances better identify fallers than mobility assessment among older adults with fear of falling

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Abstract

Background

Half of the people with fear of falling (FoF) are non-fallers, and the reason why some people considered non-fallers are afraid of falling is unknown, but reduced mobility or cognition, or both concurrently must be considered as potential risk factors.

Aim

The study aimed to determine if mobility and/or cognitive abilities could identify people with a history of falls in older adults with FoF.

Methods

Twenty-six older adults with FoF participated in this study. Full cognitive and mobility assessments were performed assessing global cognitive impairments (MoCA score < 26), executive functions, memory, processing speed, visuospatial skills, mobility impairment (TUG time > 13.5 s), gait, balance and physical capacity. Information about falls occurring during the year prior to the inclusion was collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the association between falls and cognitive and mobility abilities.

Results

No significant differences in age, sex, level of education or body mass index were detected between fallers and non-fallers. Cognitive impairments (MoCA score < 26) distinguished between fallers and non-fallers (p = 0.038; R2 = 0.247). Among specific cognitive functions, visuospatial skills distinguished between fallers and non-fallers (p = 0.027; R2 = 0.258). Mobility impairments (TUG time > 13.5 s), gait, balance and physical capacity were not related to past falls.

Discussion/conclusion

In older adults with FoF, global cognitive deficits detected by the MoCA are important factors related to falls and more particularly visuospatial skills seem to be among the most implicated functions. These functions could be targeted in multifactorial interventions.

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Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Comité Aviseur pour la Recherche Clinique (CAREC) of the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal. AL was supported by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec—Santé (FRQS) and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) (Grant number 36738). M.-C. P. was supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec—Société Culture (FRQSC) (Grant number 182103), and S. G. received a salary award (Junior 2) from the FRQS (Grant number 251285).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, 4545 Chemin Queen Mary, Montréal, QC, H3W 1W6, Canada

    Antoine Langeard, Laurence Desjardins-Crépeau, Marianne Lemay, Marie-Christine Payette, Louis Bherer & Sébastien Grenier

  2. EPIC Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Canada

    Antoine Langeard, Laurence Desjardins-Crépeau & Louis Bherer

  3. Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada

    Antoine Langeard & Louis Bherer

  4. Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada

    Laurence Desjardins-Crépeau

  5. Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada

    Marianne Lemay & Sébastien Grenier

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  1. Antoine Langeard
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  2. Laurence Desjardins-Crépeau
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  3. Marianne Lemay
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  4. Marie-Christine Payette
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  6. Sébastien Grenier
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Correspondence to Antoine Langeard.

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All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee (IUGM’s ethics board) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ethical standard of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Langeard, A., Desjardins-Crépeau, L., Lemay, M. et al. Cognitive performances better identify fallers than mobility assessment among older adults with fear of falling. Aging Clin Exp Res 33, 2709–2714 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01338-9

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