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Cognitive functional status of age-confirmed centenarians in a population-based study
M H Silver1, E Jilinskaia, T T Perls
1Division on Aging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. margery_silver@hms.harvard.edu
Summary
Most centenarians have dementia, impacting daily activities. Dementia prevalence in the oldest old significantly correlates with functional status, particularly in severe cases.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Centenarians represent a unique population for studying aging and age-related diseases.
- Understanding dementia prevalence and its impact on function in this group is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of dementia in a population of centenarians.
- To assess the relationship between dementia severity and functional status in centenarians.
Main Methods:
- Population-based study of 43 centenarians in Massachusetts.
- Neuropsychological, medical, and functional data analyzed for 34 participants.
- Dementia defined by Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease criteria; Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Barthel Index scores calculated.
Main Results:
- 64% of centenarians exhibited some degree of dementia (CDR score > 0).
- 21% had no dementia (CDR score 0), and 12% had uncertain diagnoses (CDR score 0.5).
- Significant negative correlation (r = -0.73) found between CDR and Barthel Index scores, indicating dementia severity impacts daily living activities.
Conclusions:
- Dementia is highly prevalent in centenarians.
- A strong association exists between dementia severity and functional impairment in the oldest old.
- Functional status assessment is critical for centenarians with varying degrees of cognitive impairment.