Incident dementia and faster rates of cognitive decline are associated with worse multisensory function summary scores
Corresponding Author
Willa D. Brenowitz
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Correspondence
Willa D. Brenowitz, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAllison R. Kaup
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
The Neurology Center of Southern California, Carlsbad, California, USA
San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorKristine Yaffe
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Willa D. Brenowitz
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Correspondence
Willa D. Brenowitz, Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAllison R. Kaup
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
The Neurology Center of Southern California, Carlsbad, California, USA
San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorKristine Yaffe
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Introduction
We created a summary score for multiple sensory (multisensory) impairment and evaluated its association with dementia.
Methods
We studied 1794 adults aged 70 to 79 who were dementia-free at enrollment and followed for up to 10 years in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. The multisensory function score (0 to 12 points) was based on sample quartiles of objectively measured vision, hearing, smell, and touch summed overall. Risk of incident dementia and cognitive decline (measured by two cognitive tests) associated with the score were assessed in regression models adjusting for demographics and health conditions.
Results
Dementia risk was 2.05 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50-2.81) comparing “poor” to “good” multisensory score tertiles and 1.45 times higher comparing the “middle” to “good” tertiles (95% CI 1.09-1.91). Each point worse in the multisensory function score was associated with faster rates of cognitive decline (P < .05).
Conclusions
Worsening multisensory function, even at mild levels, was associated with accelerated cognitive aging.
Supporting Information
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