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PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IN LOW VS. HIGH COGNITION AMONG OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Abstract

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathology process is viewed as a continuum beginning with a pre-clinical phase followed by mild cognitive impairment, and eventually dementia. Gaining a deeper understanding of the pre-clinical phase cognitive decline could help develop new strategies aimed to delay or prevent AD. Emerging research suggest a strong relationship between skeletal muscle deficits and pre-clinical AD pathology. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate differences in physical fitness performance between high and low cognition among older adults who are at risk for AD. METHODS: Adults between the ages of 60 and 75 years (n=63) who were at risk for AD were selected for this study. Individuals completed five physical function (PF) tests: handgrip strength, 5-time sit-to-stand, 10-meter walk gait speed, 6-minute walk, and power chair stands (peak force) using a TENDO analyzer. Body composition was analyzed using a DXA. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was used to measure cognition. Individuals were grouped into low cognition (LC) or high cognition (HC) groups. Independent t-tests were used to analyze differences in means between low and high cognition (α = .05). RESULTS: LC consisted of 34 adults (M = 14, F = 20) and HC had 29 adults (M = 6, F = 23). LC had a higher weight, body mass index, and lean mass but lower fat percent when compared to HC (Table 1). However, the LC group had poor physical performance in four of the PF tests with moderate effect sizes: Chair Stands, 10-meter walk, Peak Force, and 6-minute walk. LC had greater handgrip strength (p = .02) but relative strength was similar between the two groups (LC = 11.10 gF/gLM and HC = 11.22 gF/gLM). CONCLUSION: Overall, LC had lower PF performances when compared to HC. These results closely resemble with current literature. Thus, low PF may predict cognitive function. Furthermore, lower PF among low cognitive scoring older adults at risk for AD may indicate muscular dysfunction.

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