TY - JOUR
T1 - Executive function correlates with walking speed in older persons
T2 - The InCHIANTI study
AU - Ble, Alesandro
AU - Volpato, Stefano
AU - Zuliani, Giovanni
AU - Guralnik, Jack M.
AU - Bandinelli, Stefania
AU - Lauretani, Fulvio
AU - Bartali, Benedetta
AU - Maraldi, Cinzia
AU - Fellin, Renato
AU - Ferrucci, Luigi
PY - 2005/3
Y1 - 2005/3
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To study the association between performance on psychological tests of executive function and performance on lower extremity tasks with different attentional demands in a large sample of nondemented, older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETlING: Community-based. PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred twenty-six persons aged 65 and older, without dementia, stroke, parkinsonism, visual impairment, or current treatment with neuroleptics, enrolled in a large epidemiological study. MEASUREMENTS: Trail Making Test (TMT) parts A and B and two performance-based measures of lower extremity function that require different executive/attentional-demanding skills: walking speed on a 4-m course at usual pace and walking speed on a 7-m obstacle course at fast pace. A difference score (Delta TMT), obtained by subtracting time to perform part A from time to perform part B of the TMT, was used as an indicator of executive function. Based on Delta TMT, subjects were divided into poor performance, intermediate performance, and good performance. RESULTS: After adjustment, no association between Delta TMT and 4-m course usual-pace walking speed was found. Participants with poor Delta TMT and with intermediate Delta TMT performance were more likely to be in the lowest tertile for 7-m obstacle course walking speed. CONCLUSION: In nondemented older persons, executive function is independently associated with tasks of lower extremity function that require high attentional demand.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To study the association between performance on psychological tests of executive function and performance on lower extremity tasks with different attentional demands in a large sample of nondemented, older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETlING: Community-based. PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred twenty-six persons aged 65 and older, without dementia, stroke, parkinsonism, visual impairment, or current treatment with neuroleptics, enrolled in a large epidemiological study. MEASUREMENTS: Trail Making Test (TMT) parts A and B and two performance-based measures of lower extremity function that require different executive/attentional-demanding skills: walking speed on a 4-m course at usual pace and walking speed on a 7-m obstacle course at fast pace. A difference score (Delta TMT), obtained by subtracting time to perform part A from time to perform part B of the TMT, was used as an indicator of executive function. Based on Delta TMT, subjects were divided into poor performance, intermediate performance, and good performance. RESULTS: After adjustment, no association between Delta TMT and 4-m course usual-pace walking speed was found. Participants with poor Delta TMT and with intermediate Delta TMT performance were more likely to be in the lowest tertile for 7-m obstacle course walking speed. CONCLUSION: In nondemented older persons, executive function is independently associated with tasks of lower extremity function that require high attentional demand.
KW - Aging
KW - Cognitive function
KW - Executive function
KW - Inchianti
KW - Lower extremity function
KW - Walking speed
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=20244371986&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=20244371986&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53157.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53157.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 15743282
AN - SCOPUS:20244371986
SN - 0002-8614
VL - 53
SP - 410
EP - 415
JO - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
JF - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
IS - 3
ER -