Association of executive function impairment, history of falls and physical performance in older adults: A cross-sectional population-based study in Eastern France

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging health & aging, 2013, Vol.17 (8), p.661-665
• Main Authors: Muir, Susan W, Beauchet, O, Montero-Odasso, M, Annweiler, C, Fantino, B, Speechley, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidental Falls; Aged; Aging; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition Disorders - complications; Cognitive ability; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; elderly; Executive Function; Falls; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; France; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geriatric Assessment; Geriatrics; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Hand Strength; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Injuries; linear models; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Older people; physical activity; Physical Fitness; Population-based studies; Postural Balance; Primary Care Medicine; Quality of Life Research; Regression Analysis; risk; risk assessment; Risk Factors; Soft Tissue Injuries - etiology; Soft Tissue Injuries - psychology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; women
• ISSN: 1279-7707; 1760-4788
• DOI: 10.1007/s12603-013-0045-4

OBJECTIVE: To estimate: 1) the association between executive function (EF) impairment and falls; and 2) the association of EF impairment on tests of physical function used in the evaluation of fall risk. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Thirteen health examination centres in Eastern France. PARTICIPANTS: Four thousand four hundred and eighty one community-dwelling older adults without dementia aged 65 to 97 years (mean age 71.8±5.4, women 47.6%). MEASUREMENTS: Participants underwent a comprehensive medical assessment that included evaluations of EF using the Clock Drawing Test and of physical performance using the Timed Up & Go Test (TUG). Analysis used multivariable modified Poisson regression to evaluate the association between impaired EF and each of the fall outcomes (any fall, recurrent falls, fall-related injuries). Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate the association between EF impairment and performance on the TUG and grip strength. RESULTS: EF impairment, assessed using the clock drawing test, was present in 24.9% of participants. EF impairment was independently associated with an increased risk of any fall (RR=1.13, 95% CI (1.03, 1.25)) and major soft tissue fall-related injury (RR= 2.42, 95% CI (1.47, 4.00)). Additionally, EF impairment was associated with worse performance on the TUG (p