Abstract
Cognitive decline in aging can negatively impact quality of life in the elderly. However, studies have shown that elderly engaged in advanced activities of daily living (AADLs) can maintain or enhance global cognitive function or specific domains.ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between engagement in AADLs and domains of cognition in elderly from seven different locations in Brazil.MethodsA cross-sectional study involving 2,549 elderly without cognitive deficits suggestive of dementia was conducted. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, health status, the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) by subdomain (orientation, memory, attention/calculus, language and constructional praxis), and engagement in AADL grouped under physical, social and intellectual activities.ResultsMultivariate linear regression analysis revealed an association, albeit modest, between intellectual AADLs and the domains orientation, attention/calculus, language and constructional praxis (R2=0.005, 0.008, 0.021, and 0.021 respectively). Social AADLs were correlated with memory (R2=0.002) and language (R2=0.004) domains. No association was found between physical AADLs and MMSE domains. Schooling and family income were the sociodemographic variables exhibiting the strongest relationship with cognitive domains.ConclusionThe study found associations between intellectual and social AADLs with higher cognitive performance, suggesting that active aging can provide opportunities to attenuate cognitive decline in aging.
Highlights
Among the morphophysiological and functional changes brought on by aging, cognitive performance is affected and some cognitive abilities decline.[1]
The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between engagement in AADLs and cognitive performance, as assessed on the five domains of the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) in a sample of community-dwelling elderly, controlling for the effect of sociodemographic and health variables
Besides benefits for physical health and psychological well-being,[33] recent studies have shown that engagement in physical activity can play a key role in relation to cognitive decline and dementia.[8,34]
Summary
Among the morphophysiological and functional changes brought on by aging, cognitive performance is affected and some cognitive abilities decline.[1]. Such activities are known to play a protective role against cognitive decline and in the prevention and progress of dementia.[9]
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