Physical function parameters that predict the onset of mild cognitive impairment one year later in community-dwelling elderly women

A propensity-score matched analysis

Abstract

This study was conducted to ascertain the physical function of communitydwelling elderly women who developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) 1 year later. We included 201 community-dwelling elderly women without cognitive impairment at the baseline. Participants whose Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score declined to 24- 26 or was maintained?27 a year later were assigned to the MCI (n=36) and non-MCI (n= 165) groups, respectively. With propensity-score matching to control for confounding factors that affected cognitive decline, two groups with 36 individuals each were created to comparatively analyze the intergroup differences in physical functioning at the baseline. The MCI group showed a significantly shorter duration on the One-leg Stand Test and significantly longer durations on the Timed Up and Go Test and 5-m Walking Test at maximum speed. These findings suggest that the evaluation of balance and mobility may serve as a useful screening tool for predicting the onset of MCI after 1 year in communitydwelling elderly women.