Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this review is to investigate the relationship between life-space mobility and cognition in older adults. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched through December 2018 for studies containing measures of life-space mobility and cognitive function. Two independent reviewers screened studies. Eligible studies were combined using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2. Results Thirty-five articles were identified for review. A moderate and statistically significant association (pooled r = 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.19 to 0.40.) was observed between life-space mobility and cognition among nine studies. Life-space mobility demonstrated small-to-moderate associations with domain-specific cognitive functioning, particularly executive function, learning, memory, and processing speed. Furthermore, individuals who had restricted life-space mobility (Life-Space Assessment ≤ 40) experienced a steeper decline in cognition (β = 0.56 and p = 0.0471) compared to those who did not (Life-Space Assessment ≥ 41). Conclusion This review examined the association between life-space mobility and cognitive function in older adults. The results suggest that a moderate relationship between life-space mobility and cognition exists, whether adjusted or unadjusted for covariates such as sociodemographics, mental health, functional capacity, and comorbidities.
Highlights
Mobility is an integrated motion referring to forms of movement ranging from the use of assistive devices to public transport [1]
Summary of Cognitive Domain Results. e correlation coefficients obtained for the relationship between learning and memory and life-space mobility (LSM) ranged from 0.22 to 0.23 [27, 32] (Cohen’s small effect size) and −0.19 to 0.37 [27, 30] perceptual speed/processing speed/visuospatial processing speed (Cohen’s small-to-medium effect size). e correlation coefficients obtained for the relationship between executive function and LSM ranged from 0.13 to 0.26 [27, 40] (Cohen’s small effect size)
For executive function, longitudinal analyses demonstrated that poor performance on the Trail Making Tests (i.e., ≥240 seconds to complete or ≥4 mistakes) significantly predicted lower lifespace mobility scores (β −11.03, p 0.006) [51] while good performance (i.e.,
Summary
Mobility is an integrated motion referring to forms of movement ranging from the use of assistive devices to public transport [1]. LSM captures social interactions of individuals; as larger life spaces can reveal higher levels of community engagement [6], it can be representative of real-world applications of functional skills, which traditional, performance-based mobility tests do not consider. Another characteristic of aging is the decline in cognitive function, which encompasses executive function, learning, memory, attention, visual-spatial ability, and perceptualmotor function. Erefore, the aim of this systematic review is to summarize the associations between LSM and cognition (global and specific domains) in older adults
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