Spanish translation and validation of an Executive Battery 25 (EB25) and its shortened version (ABE12) for executive dysfunction screening in dementia

Loss of benefits after cessation of exercise interventions in nursing home residents: randomized controlled trial follow-up

Exercise interventions improve physical fitness, cognitive and affective function, and quality of life among nursing home residents. However, little is known regarding the consequences of cessation of activity, or detraining. We analyzed physical fitness, physical activity level, cognitive function, quality of life, and loneliness during a 6-month observational follow-up after a 6-month randomized controlled trial in which nursing home residents performed either routine activities (control group) or group-based exercise (intervention group). The intervention group showed an important decline in most physical fitness and cognitive function parameters after a 6-month detraining period. These results highlight the importance of recreation as part of residents' care needs, and exercise should therefore be implemented continuously.

Effectiveness of sorting tests for detecting cognitive decline in older adults with dementia and other common neurodegenerative disorders: A meta-analysis

The demand for simple, accurate and time-efficient screens to detect cognitive decline at point-of-care is increasing. Sorting tests are often used to detect the 'executive' deficits that are commonly associated with behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), but their potential for use as a cognitive screen with older adults is unclear. A comprehensive search of four databases identified 142 studies that compared the sorting test performance (e.g. WCST, DKEFS-ST) of adults with a common neurodegenerative disorder (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, bvFTD, Parkinson's disease) and cognitively-healthy controls. Hedges' g effect sizes were used to compare the groups on five common test scores (Category, Total, Perseveration, Error, Description). The neurodegenerative disorders (combined) showed large deficits on all scores (g -1.0 to -1.3), with dementia (combined subtypes) performing more poorly (g -1.2 to -2.1), although bvFTD was not disproportionately worse than the other dementias. Overall, sorting tests detected the cognitive impairments caused by common neurodegenerative disorders, especially dementia, highlighting their potential suitability as a cognitive screen for older adults.

Physical exercise interventions have no effect on serum BDNF concentration in older adults living in long-term nursing homes

Physical exercise protects against age-related cognitive decline. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may mediate some of the cognitive benefits of physical exercise, but the effect of physical exercise on serum BDNF is unclear. Indeed, differential findings have been reported depending on the characteristics of the participants and the intensity, duration, and type of exercise. The aim of this study was to determine whether three different physical exercise interventions alter serum BDNF levels in older adults living in long-term nursing homes (LTNHs) and whether changes in physical, cognitive, and dual-task performance are related to changes in serum BDNF. LTNH study participants (n = 126) were randomly assigned to multicomponent or dual-task training or a walking program and serum BDNF levels were analyzed by ELISA. We also assessed physical, cognitive, and dual-task parameters. Neither the multicomponent, dual-task, nor walking exercise programs caused changes in serum BDNF concentration in older adults living in LTNHs. Changes in BDNF during the interventions were not significantly associated with modifications in physical, cognitive or dual-task performance parameters. Our results provide new evidence clarifying the relationship between physical and cognitive exercise and BDNF.

Serum adiponectin is associated with body composition and cognitive and psychological status in older adults living in long-term nursing homes

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by decreasing functional reserves and increasing vulnerability to falls, injuries and declining health, leading to dependence upon caregivers. Frailty is associated not only with physical decline, but also with cognitive and psychological impairments in aging people. Higher serum adiponectin concentration has been linked to better performance on frailty measures but also to worse cognitive status. Nonetheless, several studies have proposed adiponectin as a frailty biomarker. To further delineate the relationship between adiponectin serum levels and frailty-related parameters, we studied a population of 112 long-term nursing home residents (aged 84.9 ± 6.7) and analyzed their serum adiponectin levels in conjunction with frailty-related parameters including body composition, physical fitness, cognitive function, psychological parameters and quality of life. Frailty was assessed following the Fried Frailty Criteria, the Clinical Frailty Scale and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator. In women, higher serum adiponectin levels were associated with lower body weight, body mass index, body fat mass, fat mass/height², lean mass, lean mass/height² and smaller waist circumference and hip circumference (p < 0.05). In men, the association was positive (p < 0.05) between serum adiponectin and percentage of fat mass and negative between serum adiponectin and percentage of lean mass. Interestingly, in men, better cognitive function was inversely related to adiponectin (p < 0.05) while decreased anxiety was linked to a higher concentration of adiponectin in women (p < 0.05). According to the Tilburg Frailty Indicator, frail men had lower levels of adiponectin than those who were not frail (p < 0.05). Variables that predicted adiponectin concentration in multiple regression models were different for women and men. In women, lean mass and anxiety were independent negative predictors of blood adiponectin (β = -0.363, p = 0.002; β = -0.204, p = 0.067, respectively). In men, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) test was the only parameter to remain significant in the regression model (β = -439, p = 0.015). The results of our study show that adiponectin is linked to body composition, cognitive function and anxiety in long-term nursing home residents with differential relationships by sex. Further studies should be conducted to determine whether adiponectin is a valid and reliable frailty biomarker.