Associations of central and brachial blood pressure with cognitive function: a population-based study

A quick test of cognitive speed (AQT): regression-based norms for cognitively healthy 80 to 94-year olds

Slowed processing speed is part of normal aging but also a symptom of many diseases, including dementia. A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed (AQT) consists of three conditions: color naming (AQT1), form naming (AQT2) and dual color-form naming (AQT3) and offers a user-friendly assessment of processing speed that is used internationally to identify cognitive impairment in elderly patients. Appropriate age-norms have however been lacking. This study provides regression-based norms derived from a Swedish sample of 158 cognitively healthy 80 to 94-year olds. The results show age effects in all three conditions, a non-linear education effect in AQT1, and age by gender interactions in AQT2 and AQT3: men performed worse with increasing age, but women remained on a par. However, irrespective of age and gender, AQT2 and AQT3 mean raw and predicted scores were slower than the hitherto recommended cutoff criteria for suspected cognitive impairment.

Dissociation in Age-Related Developmental Trajectories Between Phonetic Fluency and Semantic Fluency Tests: Analysis of Longitudinal Data From the Yakumo Study

Possible age-related differences in Phonemic Fluency Test (PFT) and Semantic Fluency Test (SFT) performance were examined by using longitudinal data of healthy older adults. The performance trajectories of 81 older adults in the 2 tests were analyzed for 11 years, from 65 to 75 years of age, via individually calculated linear regression coefficients. The results indicated that the PFT and SFT performance showed an age-related decline. However, the declining slope of the SFT was steeper than that of the PFT performance. These findings correspond with those of previous cross-sectional studies and suggest a future need to examine neurobiological substrates underlying the two domains of verbal fluency abilities.

Relation between cognitive and cerebello-thalamo-cortical functions in healthy elderly people: Evidence from the Yakumo Study

Relations between cognitive and cerebello-thalamo-cortical functions in healthy elderly people (65-75 years old) were examined by longitudinal behavioral data. Based on the individually calculated cognitive decline ratio in D-CAT (digit cancelation test) and in LMT (Logical Memory Test) during the period of 11 years, participants were classified into the Decline and the Maintain groups and group differences in the postural tremor measures (Quotient of Romberg) were compared. Significant group differences were shown in the postural tremor measure in D-CAT that reflects prefrontal function, but it was not the case in LMT. These results strengthened our previous findings that suggest a strong relation between the cerebello-thalamo-cortical function and the prefrontal cortex function using behavioral measures. Findings provide evidence that to strengthen postural function such as physical exercise is effective for slowing cognitive decline with age.

Relations Between Exercise Habit and Visual Attentional Ability in Older Adult Community Dwellers: Evidences From the Yakumo Study

Objective:

The relation between mild everyday exercise and cognitive ability in healthy older people was examined using cohort study database.

Methods:

Individually calculated linear regression coefficients in digit cancelation task performances for 11 years age from 65 to 75 years were compared between mild exercise habit holders and non-holders.

Results:

Exercise habit holders showed significantly smaller age-related decline than non-holders, irrespective of task difficulty.

Discussion:

The results suggested that even mild exercise habit for long years possesses benefits on sustaining cognitive function in older people as well as the physical activities such as programmed in a sport gym. It also becomes clear that it is difficult for ordinary older adult to continue exercising habits for many years. Therefore, more substantial ways are required for local health officials to advertise the effectiveness of mild exercise habits and to devise the necessary work to become a habit.