Incident dementia and faster rates of cognitive decline are associated with worse multisensory function summary scores

Abstract

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.

Longitudinal Changes in Hearing and Visual Impairments and Risk of Dementia in Older Adults in the United States

“…These results suggest that there are additive effects of multiple sensory impairments on dementia risk. Other studies found that multisensory impairment, based on objective tests of hearing, vision, smell, and touch, was strongly associated with increased risk of dementia, with worsening multisensory function associated with higher risk of dementia and faster rates of cognitive decline . Using longitudinal measures of hearing and vision collected in CHS, we extend these findings to show that longer duration of DSI is also associated with increased risk of dementia.…”

“…Other studies found that multisensory impairment, based on objective tests of hearing, vision, smell, and touch, was strongly associated with increased risk of dementia, 44 with worsening multisensory function associated with higher risk of dementia and faster rates of cognitive decline. 45 Using longitudinal measures of hearing and vision collected in CHS, we extend these findings to show that longer duration of DSI is also associated with increased risk of dementia. We also extend previous findings that found increased risk of dementia associated with DSI based on functional hearing and visual impairments, 46 which may provide a comprehensive assessment of the association between sensory impairment and dementia by measuring sensory impairment from a functional disability approach and is a construct that affects health differently from objectively measured sensory impairment.…”

Associations of Lower Extremity Peripheral Nerve Impairment and Risk of Dementia in Black and White Older Adults

“…12,20,21,[28][29][30][31][32][33] Several small studies have shown that patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment have worse tactile discrimination, fine motor control, peripheral nerve CMAP amplitudes, and vibration detection than cognitive normal older adults. 5,6,34,35 In prior work, we found mixed evidence for an association with sensory peripheral nerve measures in the context of multisensory impairment, 30,36 and another study found no associations with peripheral neuropathies and cognitive decline in those with diabetes. 14 This current study clarifies and extends findings across multiple measures of sensory and motor nerve impairments by including robust adjustment for potential explanatory clinical factors and by evaluating for differences by comorbidity subgroups.…”

“…Health ABC participants identified as Black or White; therefore, our findings may not apply to other racial/ethnic groups not studied in this cohort. In addition, due to enrollment criteria, participants were generally healthier than the general population of older adults at enrollment, 36 so these findings may not be generalizable to a broader population of Black and White women and men. However, it is also possible that these associations could be stronger in a sample with a greater range in health status.…”

Visual Impairment, Eye Disease, and 3-Year Cognitive Decline: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

“…A null relationship between VI and cognitive change was also reported in 4 other longitudinal studies. 25,[50][51][52] For example, Hong et al 51 performed a prospective, population-based study of 3,654 participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study in Australia and reported that VI was not associated with a ≥ 3 point decline in MMSE-Blind scores over 5 years (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.40-1.79) or 10 years (OR = 1.09; 95% CI 0.52-2.30). This is in contrast to 4 longitudinal studies and one meta-analysis that have found a relationship between VI and cognitive function [12][13][14]53,54 and 1 study that found a relationship between visual acuity, used as a continuous variable, and cognitive decline.…”