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Association of Cognitive Performance with Frailty in Older Individuals with Cognitive Complaints

  • Original Research
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Frailty is a risk factor for poor cognitive performance in older adults. However, few studies have evaluated the association of cognitive performance with frailty in a low- to middle-income country (LMIC). This study aimed to investigate an association between cognitive performance and frailty in older adults with memory complaints in Brazil. Secondarily, we aim to assess an association of cognitive performance with gait speed and grip strength.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Outpatient service from a LMIC

Participants

Older adults with memory complaints reported by the participants, their proxies, or their physicians.

Measurements

Frailty was evaluated using the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. A neuropsychological battery evaluated memory, attention, language, visuospatial function, executive function. Linear regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex, and education was used. We also evaluated the interaction of education with frailty, grip strength, and gait speed.

Results

Prefrailty was associated with poor performance in the memory domain, as well as slower gait speed was associated with worse performance in memory, attention, language, and executive function. Frailty and grip strength were not associated with cognitive performance. Interactions of education with gait speed were significant for global performance, as well as for attention and visuospatial ability.

Conclusion

In elderly patients with memory complaints, prefrailty was associated with poor memory performance. Slowness was associated with poorer performance in some cognitive domains, mainly in participants with low education.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all participants and all staff of the outpatient memory clinic for the elderly and frailty clinic at the University of Sao Paulo hospital of clinics.

Funding

Funding: None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of São Paulo Medical School, Av. Doutor Arnaldo, 455, room 1353, São Paulo, Brazil

    S. M. Lin, R. M. Magaldi, A. L. Busse, G. Gil, E. Ribeiro, E. Satomi, I. Aprahamian, W. J. Filho & Claudia K. Suemoto

  2. Hospital do Coração (HCor), São Paulo, Brazil

    D. Apolinário

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    G. C. Vieira Gomes & F. Cassales Tosi

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  1. S. M. Lin
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  5. R. M. Magaldi
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  12. Claudia K. Suemoto
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Contributions

Authors’ contributions: Sumika Mori Lin conceived the study design, collected data, performed the data analysis, interpreted the results, and drafted the manuscript. Daniel Apolinário conceived the study, collected data, reviewed the manuscript. Gisele Cristine Vieira Gomes collected data and interpreted the results. Fabiana Tosi collected the data, interpreted the results, and reviewed the manuscript. Regina Miksian Magaldi conceived the study design, collected data, interpreted the results. Ivan Aprahamian contributed to discussions of the study design and reviewed the manuscript. Wilson Jacob Filho contributed to the study design and reviewed the manuscript. Claudia Kimie Suemoto conceived the study design, performed the data analysis, interpreted the results, and reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claudia K. Suemoto.

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Conflicts of interest: None to declare.

Ethical statement: This study was approved by the local ethical committee and the study protocol complied with the local and international ethical standards.

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Lin, S.M., Apolinário, D., Vieira Gomes, G.C. et al. Association of Cognitive Performance with Frailty in Older Individuals with Cognitive Complaints. J Nutr Health Aging 26, 89–95 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-021-1712-5

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