Are posture and mobility linked to different thinking and memory skills as people age?

Details

Aging is associated with cognitive decline, including visuomotor and memory concerns, as well as motor system changes such as slower gait and stooped posture. This study investigated how visuomotor performance and episodic memory were associated with motor system characteristics in healthy older adults.

Neurologically healthy older adults (N=160, aged 50–89) completed a battery of cognitive and motor tasks. Using principal components analysis, the researchers grouped the cognitive variables into two components: visuomotor performance and verbal episodic memory.

The primary predictor variables were two aspects of motor function: timed-up-and-go (TUG) speed and neck angle. Additional predictors were age, sex, and education, along with two indicators of physical fitness: body mass index (BMI) and grip strength. All seven predictor variables were entered stepwise into a multiple regression model for each cognitive component. This was an observational analysis of associations.

Poor visuomotor performance was best predicted by the combination of advanced age, high BMI, and slow TUG. Poor verbal memory performance was best predicted by the combination of advanced age, male sex, low education, and an acute neck angle.

Upright posture and mobility were associated with different cognitive processes, suggesting different underlying neural mechanisms. The authors described these results as the first evidence linking postural alignment with cognitive functioning in healthy older adults. They discussed possible causal relationships, rather than establishing them.