Frailty dimensions and cognitive function in relation to dual-task cost: A multidomain analysis in community-dwelling older adults.

IF 3.2 Q2 GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY

Journal of Frailty & Aging Pub Date : 2026-08-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-06 DOI:10.1016/j.tjfa.2026.100166

Louise Heyzer, Kristabella Low, Cai Ning Tan, Audrey Yeo, Jia Qian Chia, Justin Chew, Joanne Kua, Wee Shiong Lim

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Dual-task cost (DTC) is the performance decline observed during simultaneous motor and cognitive tasks. It is associated with cognitive and physiological vulnerability. However, it remains unclear how specific frailty dimensions and cognitive domains contribute to DTC during arithmetic and verbal fluency tasks.

Objectives: We aim to investigate the independent associations between physical, social and oral frailty dimensions versus cognition function with DTC in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: We studied 281 participants from the GeriLABS-2 study. Physical frailty was assessed using Fried's Frailty Phenotype, social frailty using the 8-item Social Frailty Scale (SF8) and oral frailty using the Oral Frailty Index-8 (OFI-8). Cognitive function was assessed with Chinese Mini Mental State Examination (CMMSE) and Chinese Frontal Assessment Battery (CFAB). DTC on gait was assessed with arithmetic (counting backwards from 100) and verbal fluency (animal naming) cognitive tasks. Association of DTC with frailty dimensions and cognition were evaluated via hierarchical linear regression, adjusted for demographics.

Results: Higher CFAB score was significantly associated with lower DTC in both arithmetic (B=-2.067, p < 0.001) and verbal fluency (B=-1.489, p = 0.020) tasks, suggesting individuals with better executive function showed lower DTC. Social frailty (Factor 2 - social activity and financial resources) and oral frailty (Factor 3 - dietary and social habits) were significantly associated with DTC for arithmetic task (B = 2.664, p = 0.030; B = 3.718, p = 0.007). No significant association was observed for physical frailty. The final composite model showed that CFAB has a significant associated with DTC arithmetic (B=-2.012, p < 0.001) and DTC verbal fluency (B=-1.537, p = 0.016) tasks.

Conclusion: Cognitive frailty, particularly executive dysfunction, is a key factor contributing to difficulties with dual tasking. Social and oral frailty factors may influence DTC during arithmetic tasks, however their effects were attenuated after adjusting for cognition. Interventions addressing cognitive frailty may be a promising target for mitigating DTC in older adults.

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脆弱性维度和认知功能与双重任务成本的关系：社区居住老年人的多领域分析。

背景：双任务成本（Dual-task cost， DTC）是指在同时进行运动和认知任务时所观察到的表现下降。它与认知和生理脆弱性有关。然而，目前尚不清楚具体的脆弱维度和认知领域是如何在算术和语言流畅性任务中促进DTC的。目的：研究社区生活老年人DTC患者的身体、社会和口腔虚弱维度与认知功能之间的独立关联。方法：我们研究了来自GeriLABS-2研究的281名参与者。身体虚弱采用弗里德虚弱表型进行评估，社会虚弱采用8项社会虚弱量表（SF8），口腔虚弱采用口腔虚弱指数-8 （OFI-8）。认知功能用汉语迷你精神状态测验（CMMSE）和汉语额叶评估组（CFAB）进行评估。通过算术（从100开始倒数）和语言流畅性（动物命名）认知任务评估步态的DTC。通过分层线性回归评估DTC与脆弱维度和认知的关系，并根据人口统计学进行调整。结果：CFAB得分越高，算术（B=-2.067, p < 0.001）和语言流畅（B=-1.489, p = 0.020）任务的DTC越低，说明执行功能越好的个体DTC越低。社会脆弱（因子2 -社会活动和经济来源）和口腔脆弱（因子3 -饮食和社会习惯）与算术任务DTC显著相关（B = 2.664, p = 0.030; B = 3.718, p = 0.007）。在身体虚弱方面没有观察到显著的关联。最终的复合模型显示，CFAB与DTC算术（B=-2.012, p < 0.001）和DTC语言流畅性（B=-1.537, p = 0.016）任务显著相关。结论：认知脆弱，尤其是执行功能障碍，是导致双重任务困难的关键因素。社会和口腔脆弱因素可能影响算术任务中的DTC，但在调整认知后其影响减弱。针对认知脆弱的干预措施可能是减轻老年人DTC的一个有希望的目标。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Frailty & Aging GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY-

CiteScore

5.90

自引率

7.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Frailty & Aging is a peer-reviewed international journal aimed at presenting articles that are related to research in the area of aging and age-related (sub)clinical conditions. In particular, the journal publishes high-quality papers describing and discussing social, biological, and clinical features underlying the onset and development of frailty in older persons. The Journal of Frailty & Aging is composed by five different sections: - Biology of frailty and aging In this section, the journal presents reports from preclinical studies and experiences focused at identifying, describing, and understanding the subclinical pathophysiological mechanisms at the basis of frailty and aging. - Physical frailty and age-related body composition modifications Studies exploring the physical and functional components of frailty are contained in this section. Moreover, since body composition plays a major role in determining physical frailty and, at the same time, represents the most evident feature of the aging process, special attention is given to studies focused on sarcopenia and obesity at older age. - Neurosciences of frailty and aging The section presents results from studies exploring the cognitive and neurological aspects of frailty and age-related conditions. In particular, papers on neurodegenerative conditions of advanced age are welcomed. - Frailty and aging in clinical practice and public health This journal’s section is devoted at presenting studies on clinical issues of frailty and age-related conditions. This multidisciplinary section particularly welcomes reports from clinicians coming from different backgrounds and specialties dealing with the heterogeneous clinical manifestations of advanced age. Moreover, this part of the journal also contains reports on frailty- and age-related social and public health issues. - Clinical trials and therapeutics This final section contains all the manuscripts presenting data on (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) interventions aimed at preventing, delaying, or treating frailty and age-related conditions.The Journal of Frailty & Aging is a quarterly publication of original papers, review articles, case reports, controversies, letters to the Editor, and book reviews. Manuscripts will be evaluated by the editorial staff and, if suitable, by expert reviewers assigned by the editors. The journal particularly welcomes papers by researchers from different backgrounds and specialities who may want to share their views and experiences on the common themes of frailty and aging.The abstracting and indexing of the Journal of Frailty & Aging is covered by MEDLINE (approval by the National Library of Medicine in February 2016).