Screening for mild cognitive impairment in people with obesity: a systematic review

Nimantha Karunathilaka,Sarath Rathnayake

doi:10.1186/s12902-021-00898-0

Abstract

ObjectiveRecent evidence demonstrates that obesity is associated with developing cognitive impairment. However, evidence related to the assessment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in people with obesity is limited. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to examine evidence concerning the screening of MCI in people with obesity from the general population.MethodWe conducted a systematic search of CINHAL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and PubMed electronic databases for observational studies to assess MCI in people with obesity from the general population. PRISMA guideline was followed. The articles published from January 2011 to July 2021 were included.ResultsDatabase search found 3104 sources. After the screening process, two articles from China and Egypt were included. The main age groups assessed were middle-aged adulthood and older adulthood. There were no studies undertaken in young adults or across the life span. Obesity was assessed by body mass index. MCI was assessed by cognitive screening tools; Mini-mental State Examination and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination. The prevalence of MCI in people with obesity was 18.5 % and 42.9 % in Chinese and Egyptian studies, respectively. Only one study supported a positive association between MCI and obesity.ConclusionsLimited studies were found on screening MCI in people with obesity in the general population. The available evidence was not adequate to explain the overall prevalence, possible associations, and the best tool for assessing MCI in people with obesity. Expanding screening studies for MCI in people with obesity in the general population is essential.

Highlights

Obesity is a complex and multifactorial but preventable disease [1], and around one-third of the world population is considered overweight or obese [2]
Limited studies were found on screening mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in people with obesity in the general population
Screening tools for obesity and MCI In both studies, sgeneralised obesity has been assessed through body mass index (BMI) [36, 37]

Summary

Introduction

Obesity is a complex and multifactorial but preventable disease [1], and around one-third of the world population is considered overweight or obese [2]. Obesity is defined as abnormal and excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health [1, 2]. Age-related cognitive decline is a normal biological process in humans [13] and is independently associated after adjusting the major neuropathological factors in later life [14]. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage of cognition between normal cognition and dementia and is the first sign of the alteration of cognition [15,16,17]. MCI can be reversed to normal cognition, while dementia is the permanent damage of neural activities [15, 16]. Early identification of MCI is essential to plan strategies to promote health and sminimise the risk of developing dementia

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Discussion

Conclusion