Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical performance and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Chinese older adults.
Methods: The sample comprised 956 relatively healthy and aged ≥ 65 years old Chinese community-dwelling participants (mean age, 72.56 ± 5.43 years; 56.8% female), which did not include those with dementia, severe cognitive impairment, mental illness etc. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale were used for the initial classification of patients with MCI. Physical performance was measured via hand grip, Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), and 4-m walking speed.
Results: The physical performance (grip strength, TUGT, and 4-m walking speed) correlated with MCI. The grip strength [odds ratio (OR) = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.93– 0.99] and 4-m walking speed (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.10– 0.64) correlated negatively with MCI, while TUGT (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.03– 1.13) and MCI correlated positively.
Conclusion: The physical performance (grip strength, TUGT, and 4-m walking speed) correlated with MCI. Further analysis showed that the grip strength was associated with overall cognition, time orientation, recall, and language, while TUGT and 4-m walking speed were associated with overall cognition and various cognitive domains, except recall.
Keywords: mild cognitive impairment, grip strength, TUGT, 4-meter walking speed