Category: Other
Objective: This study aims to examine the correlation between cognitive function and the risk of falling in the elderly.
Background: Falling is one of the main causes of disability and death in the elderly. Decreased cognitive function is thought to increase the risk of falling in the elderly where there is an increase in the incidence of falling by 2-3 times in dementia patients compared to the elderly who have normal cognitive function. The relationship between these two variables has been investigated using a variety of different tools including the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment is more sensitive in assessing mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test can measure functional status (mobility, balance, and risk of falling) in the elderly in a shorter time.
Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Mohammad Hoesin General Hospital, Palembang city, South Sumatera, Indonesia. The subjects were all elderly who were treated at the neurology outpatient clinic in the October-November 2022 period and agreed to take part in the study. Exclusion criteria were patients who could not walk, had aphasia or psychiatric disorders. The results of the Indonesian version of MoCA (MoCA-Ina) and TUG test were then analyzed using the Pearson correlation test.
Results: There were 27 research subjects, 93% of whom were aged 65-74 years while the rest were aged ≥75 years. The percentage of male and female subjects is not much different, 56% and 44% respectively. The majority (70%) of the subjects graduated from high school or college. The average MoCA-Ina in this study was 20.7±3.15 while the average TUG test was 18.22±3.4 seconds. Almost all subjects experienced decreased cognitive function (92.5%) and were at risk of falling (96.2%). In this study, a strong correlation was found between cognitive decline and the risk of falling in the elderly with a coefficient of -0.668 (p value 0.00).
Conclusion: This study shows that the lower the cognitive function of the elderly, the greater the risk of falling. Early detection of decreased cognitive function can help optimize efforts to prevent falls in the elderly.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
R. Nindela, N. Sitohang, S. Marisdina. Impact of Decreased Cognitive Function on the Risk of Falling in the Elderly [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2023; 38 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/impact-of-decreased-cognitive-function-on-the-risk-of-falling-in-the-elderly/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2023 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/impact-of-decreased-cognitive-function-on-the-risk-of-falling-in-the-elderly/