Shared neural substrates of cognitive function and postural control in older adults

Poor cognitive function and postural control co-occur in older adults. It is unclear whether they share neural substrates.

Postural sway error during a novel visual tracking (VT) condition and gray matter volume (GMV) were compared between participants with normal cognition (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia (n = 179, mean age 82, 56% females, 56% white). Associations between VT error, cognitive function, and GMV were examined.

Greater VT error was associated with having dementia compared to NC or MCI (odds ratio [95% CI] = 2.15 [1.38, 3.36] and 1.58 [1.05, 2.38]). Regions with lower GMV related to greater VT error and worse cognition were: bilateral hippocampi, parahippocampi, entorhinal, and parietal cortices (all P ≤0.05). GMV of bilateral hippocampi and left parahippocampus explained >20% of VT error between dementia and NC.

Postural control during visuospatial tasks and dementia may share neural substrates, specifically memory-related regions.