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Levels of Metallic Elements and Their Potential Relationships to Cognitive Function among Elderly from Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) Settlement in Selangor Malaysia

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Abstract

Exposure to toxic metals and excessive amount of trace elements is a risk factor of cognitive decline. Continuous monitoring of these elements by the use of metabolically inactive tissues such as fingernails may help in taking preventive measures to delay the cognitive decline process. In this study, the cognitive function of 54 elderlies (60–72 years old) from FELDA Sungai Tengi, Selangor, was evaluated using the Malay version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in fingernail were detected using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Results showed that (92.6 %) our population was cognitively impaired based on the MoCA with mean score of 18.07 ± 5.11. The mean level of elements in fingernails for As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn were 16.68 ± 3.52, 4.26 ± 0.91, 4.81 ± 1.16, 1.00 ± 0.23, 1.83 ± 0.47, and 40.86 ± 10.81 μg/g, respectively. Significant inverse correlations were observed between MoCA with age (r = −0.543, p < 0.01), Cu level (r = −0.330, p < 0.05), and Mn level (r = −0.496, p < 0.01). MMSE was correlated to age (r = −0.346, p < 0.05) only. In conclusion, besides aging, the progression of cognitive decline among the elderly FELDA population was associated with increased levels of copper and manganese.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the University-Community Incentive Research Grant (KOMUNITI-2011-013). There are no conflicts of interest in this study. The authors thank all members of this project for their contribution in data collection and Miss Nur Faizah Abu Bakar, research officer at Faculty of Health Sciences, for running the ICP-MS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Science Programme, School of Diagnostic and Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Ahmad Rohi Ghazali & Firdaus Kamarulzaman

  2. Health Psychology Programme, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Che Din Normah, Mahadir Ahmad, Shazli Ezzat Ghazali, Norhayati Ibrahim & Zaini Said

  3. Dietetic Programme, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Suzana Shahar

  4. Department of Nursing Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Norhana Angkat

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, 56000, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Rosdinom Razali

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  1. Ahmad Rohi Ghazali
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  2. Firdaus Kamarulzaman
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Correspondence to Ahmad Rohi Ghazali.

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Ghazali, A.R., Kamarulzaman, F., Normah, C.D. et al. Levels of Metallic Elements and Their Potential Relationships to Cognitive Function among Elderly from Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) Settlement in Selangor Malaysia. Biol Trace Elem Res 153, 16–21 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-013-9642-7

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