Oral Presentation 6th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research 2024

Dual deficits in cognitive function and measures of muscle function and physical performance (#10)

Julie A Pasco 1 2 , Emma C West 1 , Kara B Anderson 1 , Lana J Williams 1 , Amanda L Stuart 1 , Jacob W Harland 1 , Kara L Holloway-Kew 1
  1. Deakin University, IMPACT-Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Geelong, VICTORIA, Australia
  2. Department of Medicine-Western Health, University of Melbourne, St Albans, VICTORIA, Australia

Aim: Sarcopenia is characterised by decreases in muscle function and low physical performance. Recent data suggest that vascular dysfunction and altered myokine secretion could underpin mechanistic links between sarcopenia and cognitive decline.1 As the relationship between cognition and muscle function was unclear in our population, we aimed to compare muscle function and physical performance components of the EWGSOP2,2 Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and SDOC3 algorithms for individuals with and without low cognition.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study involved 327 older men (60-96yr). Global cognition was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), whereby MMSE scores <27 indicated low cognition. Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured by dynamometry, physical performance by the Timed Up-&-Go (TUG) test and body mass index (BMI) by measured height and weight. Chi-squared test (using Fisher’s exact test if expected cell count <5) identified differences in proportions and logistic regression models identified poor muscle function and physical performance in association with low-cognition after accounting for differences in age.

Results: Fifty-four (16.5%) men had low cognition. The proportions of men with low HGS were greater for those with vs without low cognition according to different criteria: EWGSOP2 (9.3% vs 0.7%, p=0.002), FNIH (7.4% vs 0.7%, p=0.008) and SDOC (52.4% vs 38.1%, p=0.008); and low HGS/BMI (18.5% vs 5.5%, p=0.003). Slow TUG followed the same pattern (11.1% vs 1.1%, p<0.001). In models adjusted for age, men with low cognition were 3-7 fold more likely to have low HGS by EWGSOP2 (OR 6.66, 95%CI 1.18-37.8, p=0.03), FNIH (OR 5.71, 95%CI 0.93-35.0, p=0.06) and low HGS/BMI (OR 3.01, 95%CI 1.19-7.63, p=0.02); and 6-fold more likely to have a slow TUG (OR 5.82, 95%CI 1.31-25.8, p=0.02). The association between low cognition and low HGS by SDOC criteria was explained by age (OR 1.30, 95%CI 0.68-2.49, p=0.4).

Conclusion: In sum, these data support a relationship between low cognitive function and objective measures of low muscle function and physical performance, suggesting that operational definitions of sarcopenia should consider cognitive function, at least in men, at the time of muscle function assessment. Further research will evaluate underlying mechanisms linking sarcopenia with cognitive impairment in this population.

References: 1Jo D, et al. Biomed Pharmacother 2022;147:112636; 2Cruz-Jentoft AJ, et al. Age Ageing 2019;48:16; 3Bhasin S, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020;68:1410