Clinical Section

Physical Fitness and Cognitive Function in an 85-Year-Old Community-Dwelling Population
Y. Takata^a, T. Ansai^b, I. Soh^b, Y. Kimura^c, Y. Yoshitake^d, K. Sonoki^a, S. Awano^b, S. Kagiyama^a, A. Yoshida^b, I. Nakamichi^a, T. Hamasaki^b, T. Torisu^a, K. Toyoshima^e, T. Takehara^b

Divisions of
^aGeneral Internal Medicine,
^bCommunity Oral Health Science, and
^eOral Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu,
^cFaculty of Culture and Education, Saga University, Saga, and
^dDepartment for Interdisciplinary Studies of Lifelong Sport and Physical Activity, National Institute of Fitness and Sports, Kanoya, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Gerontology (DOI: 10.1159/000129757)

  Key Words

• Cognitive function
• Physical fitness
• Community-dwelling population
• Mini-Mental State Examination

  Abstract

Background: Little is known about the association between physical fitness and cognitive function in very elderly people (over 80 years of age). Objectives: To evaluate that relationship in 85-year-old community-dwelling individuals. Methods: Out of 207 participants (90 males, 117 females) who were 85 years old and community-dwelling, 205 completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for evaluating cognitive function. The numbers of subjects who completed physical fitness measurements such as hand-grip strength, isometric leg extensor strength, one-leg standing time, stepping rate, and walking speed were 198, 159, 169, 168, and 151, respectively. Results: There were significant associations in MMSE with hand-grip strength (right or left hand), isometric leg extensor strength, stepping rate, and walking speed by simple regression analysis. MMSE was still significantly associated with hand-grip strength ( = 0.305, p = 0.005 for right side; = 0.309, p = 0.004 for left side), stepping rate ( = 0.183, p = 0.046), and walking speed ( = -0.222, p = 0.014) by multiple regression analysis after adjustments for the amount of education, gender, smoking, drinking, complication of stroke, body weight, body height, regular medical care, serum albumin, blood HbA1c, and marital status. By logistic regression analysis, the prevalence of a normal MMSE score (MMSE 24) was increased by 9% with each 1-kg increase in hand-grip strength of the left hand (OR 1.087, 95% CI 1.003-1.179, p = 0.042), and was increased by 6% with each step per 10 s in stepping rate (OR 1.060, 95% CI 1.000-1.122, p = 0.048). Conclusion: In a very elderly population of 85-year-olds, cognitive function was associated with some physical fitness measurements, independent of confounding factors.

Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Dr. Yutaka Takata
Division of General Internal Medicine, Kyushu Dental College
Manazuru 2-6-1, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu City 803-8580 (Japan)
Tel. +81 93 582 1131, ext. 2011, Fax +81 93 582 0592
E-Mail yutaka@kyu-dent.ac.jp

  Article Information

Received: October 2, 2007
Accepted: March 11, 2008
Published online: May 5, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 35