Association between falls and cognitive performance among community-dwelling older people: a cross-sectional study

Author(s)

Fallaci, Isabella Vittoria ; Fabricio, Daiene de Morais ; Alexandre, Tiago da Silva ; Chagas, Marcos Hortes Nisihara

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: São Paulo Medical Journal; v. 140, n. 3, p. 8-pg., 2022-05-01.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Falls among older people have a negative impact on health and therefore constitute a public health problem. Cognitive decline can also accompany the aging process, and both conditions lead to significant increases in morbidity and mortality in this population. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cognitive performance of older people, classified as non-fallers, sporadic fallers and recurrent fallers, and investigate the relationship between falls and cognition. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study conducted in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Evaluations on 230 older people were conducted. They were divided into three groups: non-fallers, sporadic fallers (one fall) and recurrent fallers (two or more falls). The Mini-Mental State Examination, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD), Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB), Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly (CAMDEX) similarities subtest and digit span test were applied. RESULTS: In multinomial logistic regression, being a recurrent faller was significantly associated with lower scores in the CERAD word list (odds ratio, OR = 0.92; 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.86-0.98; P = 0.01), in CERAD constructive praxis (OR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79-0.98; P = 0.02), in BCSB figure list memory (OR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99; P = 0.02) and in verbal fluency (OR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81-0.97; P = 0.01). Recurrent fallers also had lower scores in these same tests, compared with sporadic fallers. CONCLUSION: Cognitive impairment, especially in the domains of memory and executive functioning, can influence occurrences of recurrent falls. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/16412-1 - Social cognition and comparison of DSM-IV and DSM-5 dementia criteria among elderly attended in primary care
• Grantee: Marcos Hortes Nisihara Chagas
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants