Reduced phase angle as a potential indicator of mild cognitive impairment

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a significant public health concern, often preceding dementia.
• Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a non-invasive method to assess body composition.
• Phase angle (PhA), derived from BIA, reflects cellular integrity and cell membrane function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between phase angle (PhA) and the presence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
• To explore the potential of PhA as a biomarker for cognitive decline.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 290 community residents (mean age 74.9 years, 83.7% female).
• Cognitive function assessed using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J); MCI defined as MoCA-J score ≤25.
• Body composition, including leg PhA, measured using BIA.
• Multiple regression analysis adjusted for confounders.

Main Results:

• MCI was diagnosed in 168 participants.
• Participants with MCI exhibited significantly lower leg PhA compared to those without MCI (p=0.013).
• Leg PhA showed a significant association with MCI in the regression model (β=0.103, p=0.015), with adjusted R²=0.50.

Conclusions:

• Phase angle (PhA) may serve as a potential indicator for mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
• Further longitudinal and intervention studies are warranted to validate PhA's role in dementia prevention.
• PhA could be a valuable tool in developing future strategies for dementia prevention.