Lower Extremity Function in Different Cognition Older Adults

Abstract

PURPOSE: Lower extremity function is closely related to cognitive and balance impairments. Evaluate the difference of lower extremity function with different levels of cognitive impairment to find out the cognitive effects of balance functioning in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Fifty-five adults aged over 60 (age: 74.36± 7.11yrs, BMI: 23.43± 3.29 kg/m2) were divided into normal cognitive (NC, n=17), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=16), and dementia groups (D, n=22), using the SLUMS scale and physician’s diagnosis. Lower extremity muscle strength (30-second chair stand test), lower extremity flexibility (chair sit-and-reach), agility/dynamic balance (8-foot up-and-go), stability score and single-leg static balance capacity were evaluated. RESULTS: In static balance, NC group had better performance in stability score (1.77±0.58 vs. 4.22±2.03, p<0.001) than D group, especially in anterior-posterior side (1.57±0.77 vs. 1.41±1.02, p<0.001). In ankle proprioception, NC and MCI groups improved the joint position sense more slightly (1.46±0.45/1.48±0.50 vs. 2.07±0.45, p=0.004) than D group. Moreover, NC and MCI groups had significantly better performance in lower extremity flexibility (7.5±8.56cm/8.72±6.69cm vs. -2.57±10.89cm, p=0.001), agility/dynamic balance (6.08±1.52sec/6.65±1.74sec vs. 9.42±2.6sec, p0.007) than D group. CONCLUSIONS: The abilities of lower extremity functioning and agility/dynamic balance may be affected by the level of cognitive impairment. We suggest that should give priority for providing strategies of exercise intervention for balance to improve lower extremity function, especially when agility/dynamic, anterior–posterior control and ankle proprioception are limited because of early cognitive impairment. Key words: dementia, mild cognitive impairment, muscle strength, balance, ankle proprioception