Correlation between cognition and risk of falls in elderly

Abstract

Objective: This study was to done to assess the cognitive function with the risk of fallling across participants in the elderly age group, investigating associations between the 2 aspects. Method: 31 healthy elderly subjects in the age group of 60 to 80 were selected for the study. Their cognitive and balance profiles were assessed using the MOCA and POMA scales respectively. This data was used to identify the relationship between cognitive decline and fall risk in the elderly population. Results: Findings revealed significant differences in MOCA and POMA scores across the age groups. It was observed that there was a positive correlation of MoCA (cognition) and POMA (balance) with statistically significant, moderately positive correlation (r = 0.577, p < 0.001) which means greater the age, higher is the risk of falling Conclusion: Community-dwelling elderly individuals with cognitive impairments displayed an increased risk of falling.