Can maintaining cognitive function at 65 years old predict successful ageing 6 years later? The PROOF study.
BACKGROUND
preservation of cognitive abilities is required to have a good quality of life. The predictive value of cognitive functioning at 65 years old on successful ageing 6 years later is not established.


METHODS
nine hundred and seventy-six questionnaires were sent by mail to a sample of healthy and voluntary French pensioners. Successful ageing was defined through health status and well-being. Cognitive abilities had been assessed 6 years earlier according to an objective method (Free and Cued Selective Recall Reminding Test (FCSRT), the Benton visual retention test and the similarities subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised) and a subjective one (Goldberg's anxiety scale, Mac Nair's scale and a Visual Analogue Scale to evaluate memory abilities change in the last 5 years).


RESULTS
six hundred and eighty-six questionnaires could be analysed. The mean age was 72.9 ± 1.2 years old with 59% of women and 99% lived at home. Well-being was negatively correlated with the FCSRT (r = -0.08, P = 0.0318) but positively related with the Benton (r = 0.09, P = 0.0125) and the similarities tests (r = 0.09, P = 0.0118). There is a negative correlation between anxious and cognitive complaints measured at baseline, and successful ageing indicators 6 years later.


CONCLUSIONS
preservation of cognitive abilities at the age of retirement can predict a successful ageing 6 years later. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00759304.
Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, 42055 Saint Etienne Cedex 2, France. karine.castro_lionard@chu-st-etienne.fr
Karine
K
Castro-Lionard
Catherine
C
Thomas-Antérion
Emilie
E
Crawford-Achour
Isabelle
I
Rouch
Béatrice
B
Trombert-Paviot
Jean-Claude
JC
Barthélémy
Bernard
B
Laurent
Frédéric
F
Roche
Régis
R
Gonthier
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003071:Cognition; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012179:Retirement; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception