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Relationship between cognitive function and phase angle measured with a bioelectrical impedance system

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Key summary points

AbstractSection Aim

Investigate the relationship between cognitive function and phase angle, a measure of muscle quality.

AbstractSection Findings

Phase angle consistently decreased with worsening general cognition in individuals with Alzheimer's dementia or amnesic mild cognitive impairment in men.

AbstractSection Message

Our study strengthened the findings of the very few previous studies indicating that low muscle quality is associated with poor cognitive function.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive function and phase angle (PhA), an indicator of muscle quality.

Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled outpatients who visited a memory clinic at the Nagoya University hospital from January 2016 to June 2022. We enrolled 153 participants with body composition measurements. Inclusion criteria were a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 20–30 and a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) or amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). The background characteristics of the participants were compared according to AD and aMCI. Next, linear regression analysis was performed with PhA as the objective variable. In addition, logistic regression analysis was performed for AD diagnosis.

Results

PhA was lower in the AD group (P = 0.009). In linear regression analysis, PhA consistently decreased with worsening ADAS score. In logistic regression analysis, high PhA was associated with absence of AD. Gender-specific analyses showed these associations existed only in men.

Conclusions

Our study of patients with AD and aMCI found that PhA decreased with worsening of cognitive function. Compared with aMCI, AD was associated with significantly lower PhA. Our results strengthen the limited evidence in the literature showing that low muscle quality is associated with poor cognitive function.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

The study was partly supported by the Organized Registration for the Assessment of Dementia of the Nationwide General Consortium toward Effective Treatment in Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Community Healthcare and Geriatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan

    Yosuke Yamada, Kazuhisa Watanabe, Chisato Fujisawa, Hitoshi Komiya, Hirotaka Nakashima, Tomihiko Tajima & Hiroyuki Umegaki

Authors
  1. Yosuke Yamada
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  2. Kazuhisa Watanabe
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  3. Chisato Fujisawa
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  4. Hitoshi Komiya
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  5. Hirotaka Nakashima
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  6. Tomihiko Tajima
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  7. Hiroyuki Umegaki
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroyuki Umegaki.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no direct conflicts of interest regarding the content of this manuscript.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was thoroughly reviewed before being approved by the Ethics Committee of Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.

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All participants provided written informed consent prior to their participation.

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Yamada, Y., Watanabe, K., Fujisawa, C. et al. Relationship between cognitive function and phase angle measured with a bioelectrical impedance system. Eur Geriatr Med 15, 201–208 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-023-00894-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-023-00894-8

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