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Introduction: We examined the efficacy of a multidomain intervention in preventing cognitive decline among Japanese older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)., Methods: Participants aged 65-85 years with MCI were randomized into intervention (management of vascular risk factors, exercise, nutritional counseling, and cognitive training) and control groups. The primary outcome was changes in the cognitive composite score over a period of 18 months., Results: Of 531 participants, 406 completed the trial. The between-group difference in composite score changes was 0.047 (95% CI: -0.029 to 0.124). Secondary analyses indicated positive impacts of interventions on several secondary health outcomes. The interventions appeared to be particularly effective for individuals with high attendance during exercise sessions and those with the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele and elevated plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein levels., Discussion: The multidomain intervention showed no efficacy in preventing cognitive decline. Further research on more efficient strategies and suitable target populations is required., Highlights: This trial evaluated the efficacy of multidomain intervention in individuals with MCI. The trial did not show a significant difference in preplanned cognitive outcomes. Interventions had positive effects on a wide range of secondary health outcomes. Those with adequate adherence or high risk of dementia benefited from interventions., (© 2024 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Although recent reports have noted that cognitive impairment is common in NMOSD, little longitudinal information is available on the trajectories of cognitive function in the disease. Here, we report a case of a 55-year-old woman with an 11-year history of NMOSD who visited our memory clinic for progressive memory loss. She was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer disease based on amyloid and tau positron emission tomography imaging biomarkers. This is the first report of early-onset Alzheimer disease in a patient with NMOSD. Complications of Alzheimer disease should be considered when patients with NMOSD exhibit rapid cognitive decline. More longitudinal studies of NMOSD with cognitive impairment are needed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often make qualitative errors on the Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and these errors are reported to be associated with lower scores on neuropsychological assessments. Gait speed is also closely associated with cognitive dysfunction. However, the association between CDT errors and gait speed has not been investigated in individuals with MCI. Therefore, in this study, we explored the association between gait speed and qualitative errors on the CDT. Participants were 196 outpatients at a memory clinic with a clinical dementia rating of 0.5. The CDT was evaluated using the method of Cahn et al. The participants were divided into tertiles of normal and maximum gait speeds. The CDT error types of stimulus-bound response, conceptual deficit (CD), and planning deficit were found in 24.5%, 29.6%, and 30.1% of the participants, respectively. CD was found in 43.6% of the slowest tertile of maximum gait and in 22.2% of the fastest tertile. Multiple linear regression analysis gait speeds as objective continuous variables revealed that CD was significantly negatively associated with maximum gait, but not with normal gait. No other error types were associated with gait speeds. Only CD type error on the CDT was negatively associated with maximum gait speed, but not normal gait speed in the current study. The association between the qualitative error on the CDT and gait speed provides further basis of the clinical importance of qualitative assessments of CDT., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

To treat older patients with hypertension, it is important to detect cognitive impairment at an early stage because of its potential influence on treatment efficacy and functional prognosis. In this study, we aimed to identify the incidence and determinants of cognitive impairment in hypertensive patients aged 65 years and above who visited our outpatient clinic and were not previously diagnosed with cognitive impairment. Among 312 patients with hypertension, we found that 35% (n = 109) and 7.7% (n = 24) had cognitive impairment and dementia, respectively, as defined by the Mini-Mental State Examination (≤27 or ≤23, respectively). Patients with cognitive impairment were older, had lower levels of education, and had lower instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scores than those without cognitive impairment. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age and IADL were associated with cognitive impairment in patients with hypertension. Regarding the treatment of hypertension, the office and home blood pressure levels, number of antihypertensive medications prescribed, and proportion of the use of each antihypertensive drug was equivalent between patients with and without cognitive impairment. Finally, patients with unrecognized cognitive impairment showed distinct clinical characteristics, including high antihypertensive medication burden and preserved IADL, when compared to hypertensive patients in the different cohorts of definitive mild cognitive impairment of a similar age. These findings suggest that older hypertensive patients are at a high risk of masked cognitive decline, even if they are functionally independent., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Hypertension.)

Background: The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) represents the degree of utilizable dietary protein, namely the protein quality. The PDCAAS of a diet is required to be evaluated on a meal-by-meal basis, as food digestion and absorption occur with each meal intake. Although a positive association between protein intake and cognitive function has been reported, no study has investigated the association between PDCAAS of a diet and cognitive function., Objectives: To investigate the relationship between PDCAAS of a diet and cognitive impairment in older adults., Design: Longitudinal epidemiological study., Setting: Community-based setting., Participants: We analyzed 541 community-dwellers who participated in both baseline and follow-up survey. They were 60-83 years of age without cognitive impairment at baseline., Measurements: Cognitive impairment was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤27. Individual PDCAASs were calculated for each of three regular meals from the 3-day dietary records at baseline. Participants were classified into two groups according to the sex-specific tertiles (T1-T3) of the PDCAAS for each meal (i.e., T1 as the low score group and T2-T3 as the medium and high score group). The dependent variable was cognitive impairment observed after 4 years, and the explanatory variables were the PDCAAS groups for each meal (the medium and high group as the reference) and covariates (sex, age, body mass index, education, depressive symptoms, medical history, protein intake at each meal, and the MMSE score at baseline). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the low PDCAAS group for cognitive impairment after 4 years., Results: A significant association was observed only between a low PDCAAS of breakfast and the incidence of cognitive impairment (the adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] of low PDCAAS for cognitive impairment for breakfast, lunch, and dinner were 1.58 [1.00-2.50], 0.85 [0.54-1.34], and 1.08 [0.71-1.65], respectively)., Conclusion: A lower PDCAAS of breakfast, i.e., a diet with poor quality of protein, was associated with the incidence of cognitive impairment in older adults of the community., Competing Interests: Michihiro Takada, Masako Tsukamoto-Yasui, Hiroko Jinzu, and Akira Imaizumi are employees of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Kaori Kinoshita, Rei Otsuka, and Hidenori Arai received grants from Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Kaori Kinoshita, Rei Otsuka, Michihiro Takada, Masako Tsukamoto-Yasui, Hiroko Jinzu, Akira Imaizumi, and Hidenori Arai have applied for patents for “food evaluation methods for cognitive function.” There were no financial, professional, and personal relationships with potential to bias the work. Support from Ajinomoto Co., Inc. included only direct financial support and no support in kind, such as provision of equipment without charge or at reduced cost, and provision of services, such as statistical analysis.

Background: Older adults, especially those with cognitive decline, often have poor gait performance, which results in poor clinical outcomes due to falls or decreased daily physical activity. The effects of various exercises on gait performance have been studied, whereas the short-term and long-term effects of different exercise modalities remain unknown., Objective: To compare the short- and long-term effects of aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT), and combined training (CT) on the gait performance of community-dwelling older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD)., Design: A four-arm, randomized controlled trial., Setting and Subjects: 388 community-dwelling older adults with SCD (mean age, 72.3 years)., Methods: Participants attended an exercise or education class twice a week for 26 weeks. 10 gait performance parameters were examined at baseline, post-intervention (Week 26), and after 26 weeks of follow-up (Week 52) using an electronic walkway system., Results: The mean adherence of exercise sessions was 82.5 to 85.9%. All exercise intervention induced an improvement in gait speed, stride time, cadence, stride length, and double-support time at Week 26 (p < .05), without significant intergroup differences among exercise interventions. However, only RT showed a significant effect on some spatiotemporal gait parameters at Week 52. The analyses for the gait variability parameters showed mild effects of all exercise interventions., Conclusion: All of the exercise programs examined had a positive short-term effect on spatiotemporal gait parameters of older adults with SCD, despite no effect on gait variability parameters. RT are most recommended when long-lasting effects are the primary aim., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Polypharmacy, usually defined as the use of 5 or more drugs, is associated with reduced quality of life, adverse events, and frailty. Slow gait speed is a component of physical frailty, and some studies have suggested an association between polypharmacy and slow gait speed., Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of polypharmacy on the gait difference according to stages of cognitive decline in a cross-sectional study of memory clinic patients., Methods: Participants were 431 outpatients aged 65 year or older who were cognitively normal (CN) or had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Participants were divided into a polypharmacy group and a non-polypharmacy group in each group. Multiple regression analysis and logistic analysis were used for data analysis., Results: There were 182 patients in the polypharmacy group and 249 patients in the non-polypharmacy group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that gait speed had significant negative associations with number of medications and polypharmacy status in the CN group (β: -0.026 [-0.041 to -0.0018] and -0.128 [-0.022 to -0.0033], respectively) and MCI group (-0.018 [-0.028 to -0.0009] and -0.100 [-0.166 to -0.0034]). Logistic regression analysis also showed that number of medications was associated with slow gait status (< 1 m/s) in the CN group (OR: 1.336 [1.115 to 1.601]) and MCI group (1.128 [1.022 to 1.244])., Conclusion: CN and MCI patients with polypharmacy have slower gait speed. Attention should be paid to decreased gait speed in older adults with polypharmacy even when their cognitive function is relatively preserved.

Background: Few studies have investigated associations between types of clock drawing test (CDT) errors and cognitive impairment., Objective: To explore associations of qualitative errors in the CDT with comprehensive neurocognitive assessment scores and clinical diagnosis., Methods: Outpatients at a memory clinic were enrolled. Frequencies of errors determined by Cahn's method were explored according to cognitive status (cognitively normal [CN] (n = 279), mild cognitive impairment [MCI] (n = 321), and Alzheimer's disease [AD]) (n = 575). Neuropsychological assessment scores were compared between participants with and without errors., Results: Stimulus-bound response (SB) was relatively rare (6.8%) in the CN group but was markedly more common in the MCI (23.4%) and AD (33.2%) groups. Conceptual deficit (CD) was found in more than 20%of CN individuals, as well as about 50%of AD patients. Planning deficit (PD) frequencies were relatively similar among the groups. SB in both of CN and MCI individuals, and CD in both of CN and MCI individuals were associated with lower scores in several neuropsychological assessments. Meanwhile, PD was not associated with lower assessment scores in any of CN, MCI, or AD individuals., Conclusion: The frequencies of SB and CD increased from CN, MCI, to AD but showed somewhat different patterns. Both SB and CD were associated with lower cognition in all three cognitive stages.

Background/objectives: The Japan-multimodal intervention trial for prevention of dementia (J-MINT) is intended to verify the effectiveness of multi-domain interventions and to clarify the mechanism of cognitive improvement and deterioration by carrying out assessment of dementia-related biomarkers, omics analysis and brain imaging analysis among older adults at high risk of dementia. Moreover, the J-MINT trial collaborates with partnering private enterprises in the implementation of relevant interventional measures. This manuscript describes the study protocol., Design/setting: Eighteen-month, multi-centered, randomized controlled trial., Participants: We plan to recruit 500 older adults aged 65-85 years with mild cognitive impairment. Subjects will be centrally randomized into intervention and control groups at a 1:1 allocation ratio using the dynamic allocation method with all subjects stratified by age, sex, and cognition., Intervention: The multi-domain intervention program includes: (1) management of vascular risk factors; (2) group-based physical exercise and self-monitoring of physical activity; (3) nutritional counseling; and (4) cognitive training. Health-related information will be provided to the control group every two months., Measurements: The primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up. The primary outcome is the change from baseline to 18 months in a global composite score combining several neuropsychological domains. Secondary outcomes include: cognitive change in each neuropsychological test, incident dementia, changes in blood and dementia-related biomarkers, changes in geriatric assessment including activities of daily living, frailty status and neuroimaging, and number of medications taken., Conclusions: This trial that enlist the support of private enterprises will lead to the creation of new services for dementia prevention as well as to verify the effectiveness of multi-domain interventions for dementia prevention., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Aim: Low physical function is associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized patients; however, little is known about vulnerable populations such as those aged ≥ 75 years. We examined whether the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was associated with clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients aged ≥ 75 years., Methods: In total, 147 patients aged ≥ 75 years (mean age, 86.5 ± 4.7 years; 89 males) completed the SPPB and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) before hospital discharge. Patients were divided into three groups by SPPB score: 0 (unable to perform SPPB), 1-6 (low performance), and 7-12 (high performance). The first occurrence of all-cause unplanned readmission or all-cause mortality within 1 year after discharge was set as the endpoint., Results: The median SPPB score of the study population was 2; 41 % were unable to perform SPPB, 33 % had low performance, and 26 % had high performance. High SPPB was associated with younger age, higher body weight, and higher MMSE score. During the follow-up period, 35 (23.8 %) patients were readmitted to hospital and 19 (12.9 %) died. Even after adjusting for covariates, SPPB score was a significant and independent predictor of poor outcomes (hazard ratio for 1 point increase in SPPB, 0.88; P = .002). The subgroup analysis showed SPPB was inversely associated with the occurrence of poor outcomes in patients with cognitive impairment., Conclusions: SPPB is inversely associated with risks for readmission and mortality in hospitalized patients aged ≥ 75 years, especially those with cognitive impairment. The present results indicate the SPPB is useful for accurate prognosis in hospital settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cognitive impairment is linked to decreased quality of life (QOL), but few studies have investigated the impact of comorbid sarcopenia., Objective: The aim of this study was to elucidate the association of sarcopenia with QOL in patients with early dementia and mild cognitive impairment., Methods: Individuals with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 or 1 and a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 20-30 underwent a battery of neuropsychological assessments administered by a group of well-trained clinical psychologists. The EQ-5D was completed by both the patients and their main caregivers. EQ-5D utility and visual analog scale scores were measured. Sarcopenia was defined according to the criteria published in the 2019 consensus update by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia., Results: Patients with sarcopenia had significantly lower scores on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and Trail Making Test Part A. There was a significant negative association between sarcopenia and both self- and proxy-rated EQ-5D utility scores independent of potential confounding factors. However, there was no association between QOL visual analog scale scores and sarcopenia., Conclusion: Given that sarcopenia is often found in individuals with cognitive impairment, early detection by timely screening and effective intervention may help to maintain or improve QOL in this population. However, this study could not determine whether reduced QOL is a direct consequence of sarcopenia.

Frailty has been established as a risk factor for falls, and prefrailty also seems a risk; however, few studies have focused on the association between falls and each of the five components of frailty proposed by Fried. In the present study, we sought to elucidate the association between prefrailty and falls, and moreover, the association of frailty component with falls. Participants were community-dwelling older people who had cognitive complaints but not dementia (N = 447, male 54.6%). Prefrailty was defined as exhibiting one or two of the five Fried criteria. Frail individuals were excluded. Background characteristics were compared between the prefrail and robust groups, and multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the associations between fall history within the past year and factors that were significantly different between the groups. We also performed logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, education and gender to assess associations with frailty components. We found that prefrailty was associated with fall history. Depressed mood was also significantly associated with fall history. Among the five frailty criteria, exhaustion was significantly associated with falls. Prefrailty, especially the criteria of exhaustion, and depressed mood were associated with fall history., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: As the human lifespan rises, older people are increasingly affected by multimorbidity, including hearing impairment (HI), frailty, and cognitive decline., Objective: We studied the effect of HI on the cognitive performance of older patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia and how this effect is altered when HI and frailty coexist., Methods: The sample comprised 172 outpatients (age ≥65 years) with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5-1 and a Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥20. Cognitive, neuropsychological, physical function tests, and body measurements were performed. The participants' comorbidity indices were calculated, and they were asked to report their hearing condition. Finally, the participants were divided into 4 groups based on the presence of frailty, HI, both conditions, or neither., Results: The presence of HI was significantly associated with a lower Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) score (unadjusted model: p = 0.003; adjusted: p = 0.012). Moreover, people with both HI and frailty were more likely to have a low DSST score than those in the other groups (unadjusted model: OR: 3.741, 95% CI: 1.374-10.183, p = 0.010; adjusted model: OR: 4.192, 95% CI: 1.026-17.136, p = 0.046)., Conclusions: This study highlights the negative relationship between cognitive performance scored on the DSST and the presence of HI. Furthermore, the presence of both frailty and HI is associated with a worse cognitive score than HI alone., (© 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Aim: Quality of life (QOL) in older adults can be affected by many factors, such as dementia, sarcopenia and frailty. This study sought to identify factors that can lead to global deterioration in QOL among older outpatients, including factors stated in caregiver reports. This study also evaluated the discrepancy between QOL ratings reported by the patients and those by their family or professional caregivers., Methods: The sample comprised 141 patients with a Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥20 and a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5-1, indicating mild cognitive impairment to mild dementia. QOL was assessed using both components of the EQ-5D scale, namely, the index score and visual analog scale. In addition, cognitive, neuropsychological, nutritional and physical function tests were carried out, and body measurements were taken., Results: Patients' self-reported QOL was significantly associated with basic activities of daily living, Mini Nutritional Assessment score and Geriatric Depression Scale-15. QOL rated by caregivers was significantly associated with basic activities of daily living. EQ-5D index scores reported by caregivers were lower than those reported by patients. Furthermore, patients achieved a better score for self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression than those assigned by caregivers., Conclusions: As far as the patient's ratings are concerned, the presence of depressive symptoms and a worse nutritional status were indicative of lower QOL, whereas a better functional status was associated with a higher QOL. For caregivers, however, the most relevant factor negatively affecting QOL was basic activities of daily living. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 999-1005., (© 2019 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Aim: Polypharmacy has been reported to be associated with poor outcomes, including falls and frailty, in older populations. Past studies have found that slower walking speed is a good predictor of progression to frank dementia in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Some studies of the general population reported that polypharmacy was associated with slower gait speed; however, it remains to be elucidated whether polypharmacy affects gait speed even in individuals with MCI, who already have some deterioration in gait compared with cognitively preserved individuals. The current study explored the association between the number of medications and gait speed in older adults with MCI who have a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0.5., Methods: A total of 128 individuals with MCI were included in the present study. The participants were divided into three groups according to the number of medications they were taking: up to four medications was non-polypharmacy; five to nine medications was polypharmacy; and ≥10 medications was hyperpolypharmacy. The background characteristics were compared by analysis of variance for numerical numbers, and by χ 2 analysis for categorical factors. Multiple regression and logistic analysis were applied to investigate the association between gait speed and polypharmacy status or number of medications., Results: Gait speed was significantly negatively associated with hyperpolypharmacy status and the number of medications. Slow gait speed (<1 m/s) was also significantly associated with polypharmacy status and the number of medications., Conclusions: We found that polypharmacy was associated with slow gait speed in older adults with MCI. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 730-735., (© 2019 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Background: With multimorbidity increasing among older people, polypharmacy and the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are assuming a prominent role in the life of the geriatric population., Objective: To investigate the association of polypharmacy and PIM use with a wide range of factors in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to mild dementia., Methods: The study population comprised 160 outpatients with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5-1 and a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 20-30. Patients were classified as receiving polypharmacy when they took ≥5 different medications at the same time. PIMs were identified using the STOPP-J criteria. Cognitive, neuropsychological, nutritional, and physical function tests were performed and body measurements taken. Quality of life (QOL) was assessed using both components of the EQ-5D scale, the index score and the visual analogue scale (QOL VAS). A comorbidity index was calculated for all participants., Results: PIM use was significantly associated with lower scores on the verbal fluency (initial letters) test and QOL index. Participants receiving polypharmacy showed an increased likelihood of worse frailty status and lower QOL VAS score. The number of medications was significantly associated with a worse frailty status., Conclusion: In a geriatric population with MCI to mild dementia, PIM use was associated with lower verbal fluency (initial letters) score and lower QOL, while the presence of polypharmacy was correlated with a worse frailty status and lower QOL. The number of medicines, instead, was correlated with a worse frailty status only.

Objectives: A number of studies have reported that frailty is cross-sectionally associated with cognitive decline and is also a risk for future cognitive decline or dementia; however, there have been only a few studies that focus on the association between prefrailty and cognitive dysfunction. In the current study, we investigated the association between prefrailty and cognition., Design: A cross-sectional study of the data obtained at registration in a randomized control trial., Setting: Toyota, Japan., Participants: Community-dwelling older subjects (male 54.6%) who had cognitive complaints., Measurements: A battery of neuropsychological and physical assessments were performed. Prefrailty was defined as exhibiting one or two of the five Fried criteria (weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slow gait speed and low physical activity). We performed a multiple regression analysis to investigate the associations of cognitive performance with prefrailty, adjusting for the factors that were significantly different between the robust and prefrailty groups. To assess the cognitive attributes that were significantly associated with prefrailty, logistic analysis was performed to see if one specific criterion of the five frailty criteria was associated with cognitive performance., Results: The study subjects included 183 prefrail and 264 robust individuals. The prefrail subjects with cognitive complaints were older, less educated, more depressive, and more likely to have diabetes mellitus than the robust subjects. The prefrail subjects had lower performance in a wide-range of cognitive domains, and after adjustments for age, education, depressive mood, and diabetes mellitus, prefrailty was associated with a decline in delayed memory and processing speed. Among the components of the Fried criteria, slow gait speed and loss of activity were significantly associated with slow processing speed as assessed by the digit symbol substitution test., Conclusion: The current results demonstrated that prefrailty was associated with worse memory and processing speed performance, but not with other cognitive domains., Competing Interests: Nothing to declare.

Background: Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) start to decline during the progression of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) to Alzheimer disease (AD). Cognitive and physical decline are involved in the loss of functional independence. However, little is known about AD-related neural change that leads to IADL impairment. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of regional white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on IADL impairment in persons with AD and aMCI., Methods: The participants were 347 female subjects aged 65-85 years diagnosed with AD (n = 227), aMCI (n = 44) or normal cognition (n = 76). IADL was assessed by the Lawton Index. Cognition, mood and mobility function were evaluated by comprehensive geriatric assessment batteries. WMH and brain atrophy were analyzed with brain magnetic resonance imaging, using an automatic segmentation program. Regional WMH was measured in the frontal, temporal, occipital and parietal lobes., Results: Ability to carry out IADL of shopping, food preparation, mode of transportation, responsibility for own medication, and ability to handle finances was obviously impaired in the early stage of AD. Frontal WMH was specifically associated with disability to do shopping and food preparation even after adjusting for several confounders including brain atrophy., Conclusions: IADL subcategories were differentially impaired along with cognitive status in persons with AD and aMCI. Frontal WMH was an important predictor of impaired ability to do shopping and food preparation. A preventive strategy for WMH might lead to suppression of IADL disability and slow the progression of AD.

On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 and subsequent enormous tsunamis. This disaster destroyed many coastal cities and caused nearly 20,000 casualties. In the aftermath of the disaster, many tsunami survivors who lost their homes were forced to live in small temporary apartments. Although all tsunami survivors were at risk of deteriorating health, the elderly people were particularly at a great risk with regard to not only their physical health but also their mental health. In the present study, we performed a longitudinal cohort study to investigate and analyze health conditions and cognitive functions at 28, 32, and 42 months after the disaster in the elderly people who were forced to reside in temporary apartments in Kesennuma, a city severely damaged by the tsunamis. The ratio of people considered to be cognitively impaired significantly increased during the research period. On the other hand, the mean scores of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6 and Athens Insomnia Scale improved based on the comparison between the data at 24 and 42 months. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that frequency of "out-of-home activities" and "walking duration" were independently associated with an increase in the ratio of people with cognitive impairment. We concluded that the elderly people living in temporary apartments were at a high risk of cognitive impairment and "out-of-home activities" and "walking" could possibly maintain the stability of cognitive functions.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects the development of fear of falling (FoF) in older adults., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: The Obu Study for Health Promotion in the Elderly, Japan., Participants: A total of 1700 community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older without FoF at baseline participated., Measurements: FoF and related variables, such as physical function, self-rated health, depression, and total number of medication doses, were investigated at baseline. Participants also underwent cognitive tests and were divided into cognitive healthy and MCI. Fifteen months after the baseline measurements, we collected information about the status of FoF and fall incidence during the 15-month follow-up., Results: At the 15-month follow-up survey, 452 participants (26.5%) reported the development of FoF. Logistic regression analysis showed that MCI (odds ratio [95% CI] = 1.41 [1.07-1.87]) and a fall incident (3.00 [2.23-4.07]) during follow-up independently predicted the development of FoF, after controlling for demographic factors, physical function, self-rated health, and depression. The odds ratio for the development of FoF in participants with both MCI and a fall incident compared with those without them was 7.34 (4.06-13.3), after controlling for confounding factors., Conclusion: MCI predicts the new onset of FoF in older adults, especially when they have experience with falling. Aside from the risk of falling, it is suggested that individuals with MCI are an at-risk population for FoF and related negative consequences in terms of postfall syndrome., (Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of small cerebral white matter lesions on cognitive functions, and its difference by clinical stage., Methods: A total of 160 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 40 older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment were enrolled in the present study. The Fazekas rating scale was used for the semi-quantitative measurement of white matter lesions. Participants whose scales were more than grade 2 were excluded. Associations between the degree of small white matter lesions and cognitive functions including memory, verbal fluency, working memory, processing speed, and executive function were examined., Results: We found that small white matter lesions influenced the performances of neuropsychological tests differently between Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Analysis of covariance showed significant effects of interaction on a test that assessed categorical verbal fluency. In the amnestic mild cognitive impairment group, small periventricular white matter hyperintensities were significantly associated with poor performances in categorical verbal fluency; whereas in the Alzheimer's disease group, such associations were not observed. Deep white matter hyperintensities did not influence any cognitive functions examined in both groups., Conclusions: The results suggested the involvement of periventricular small white matter lesions on impairment in verbal fluency, and such influence might be different depending on an individual's clinical stage., (© 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.)