ISSN: 2640-2734
Authors: Lipardo DS and Tsang WWN*
Background: The risk of falling in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could be higher than their cognitively intact peers in the presence of both physiological and physical factors. This study aimed to compare the physiological and physical fall risks of older adults with MCI to those with normal cognition. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited community-dwelling older adults from Manila, Philippines. The Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA) was used to examine physiological fall risk. The Timed-Up and Go Test (TUGT) and the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) were used to evaluate physical fall risk in terms of dynamic balance and gait speed (preferred mode and fastest mode), respectively. Independent samples t-test and chi-square were used to compare data for continuous and categorical variables, separately. Results: One hundred eighty-eight older adults with MCI and 42 with normal cognition participated. With age as a confounding factor, those with MCI have statistically significant poorer PPA scores (p <.001, 95% CI [.736, 1.57]) compared to those with intact cognition. There is no significant difference between the two groups in terms of TUGT scores (p = .345), 10MWT preferred gait speed (p = .190) and 10MWT fastest gait speed (p = .138). Conclusions: Older adults with MCI are at higher risk of falling compared to those with normal cognition based on poorer physiological profile but not on physical fall risks. An intervention study addressing both cognitive and physiological declines in older persons with MCI is warranted.
Keywords: Older Adults; Mild Cognitive Impairment; Risk of Falls
