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Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Association between timed up-and-go and memory, executive function, and processing speed.
Orna A Donoghue1, N Frances Horgan, George M Savva
1The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. odonogh@tcd.ie
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|September 19, 2012
Summary
The Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG) is linked to cognitive function. Poorer performance in memory, executive function, and processing speed independently predicts slower TUG times in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- The Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG) is a common measure of mobility in older adults.
- Understanding the cognitive underpinnings of TUG performance is crucial for identifying fall risk and cognitive decline.
- Previous research has explored the relationship between mobility and cognition, but specific cognitive predictors of TUG performance require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific cognitive tests that are independently associated with performance on the Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG) in a large, population-based sample of older adults.
Main Methods:
- Data from Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) were analyzed, including 4,998 community-dwelling adults aged 50 and older.
- Participants completed a comprehensive cognitive battery, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Color Trails Test, fluency tests, reaction time, sustained attention, and memory assessments.
- Linear regression models were used to determine univariate and multivariate associations between TUG performance and each cognitive test.
Main Results:
- In univariate analyses, slower TUG times were associated with poorer performance across all cognitive tests.
- Multivariate analyses revealed that poorer performance on the MoCA, letter fluency, Color Trail 1, cognitive reaction time, sustained attention response time, and prospective memory were independently associated with slower TUG times (P < .05).
Conclusions:
- Slower TUG performance is independently linked to deficits in global cognition, executive function, memory, and processing speed.
- These findings indicate that the TUG test reflects more than just physical mobility, incorporating cognitive components.
- Comprehensive cognitive assessment is recommended for individuals experiencing mobility difficulties to better understand underlying factors.
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