Article

Ageing is associated with declines in cognitive function and mobility. The extent
to which this relationship encompasses the subdomains of cognition and mobility
remains unclear, however.
We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for
cross-sectional studies examining the association between objective mobility
measures (gait, lower-extremity function, balance) and cognitive function
(global, executive function, memory, processing speed) in healthy older adults.
Of the 642 studies identified,
26 studies met the inclusion criteria, with a
total of 26,355 participants. For each feature of physical mobility, the relation
to each aspect of cognition was reviewed. In the context of each association, we
summarised the results to date and performed random-effects meta-analyses of
published data. Reviewed findings suggest that individuals with better mobility
perform better on assessments of global cognition, executive function, memory and
processing speed. Not all measures of mobility were equally associated with
cognitive function, however. Although there was a larger number of gait and
lower-extremity function studies, and this may have driven findings, most studies
examining balance and cognition measures reported no significant results.
Meta-analyses on reported associations supported results by revealing
significant, albeit small, effect sizes in favour of a positive association
between performance on mobility measures and cognitive assessments. Future
research should aim to establish the mechanisms driving this relationship, as
this may identify predictors of age-related impairments.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Langue : ANGLAIS