[Cognitive activities and cognitive functioning in the elderly].
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to analyse whether the activity is a protective factor of intellectual decline, and specifically to examine whether intellectual activity versus other activities, is a better predictor for the maintenance of cognitive functioning in a group of people over 90 years, independent in basic daily living activities and having preserved cognitive capacity.


METHODS
This sample was selected from a bio-psycho-social longitudinal study of independent persons 90 and over. This is a longitudinal study involving 188 people, 67 males and 121 females. Measurements were taken of cognitive functioning and level of activity and repeated between 6 and 14 months; inferential analysis was performed at baseline and follow-up.


RESULTS
At base-line, there is a strong association between the level of activity and performance. Also, and most important, intellectual activities at baseline predict cognitive functioning at follow-up. According to our results, intellectual activities and the maintenance of cognitive functioning are associated with the absence of cognitive impairment in the very elderly.


CONCLUSIONS
This has important implications for the scientific community in finding a predictive index and strategies, but also for the individual to identify factors of change on which to act to reduce problems associated with aging.
Programa universitario para mayores de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, España. mangeles.molina@uam.es
María Ángeles
MÁ
Molina
Rocío
R
Schettini
María Dolores
MD
López-Bravo
María Dolores
MD
Zamarrón
Rocío
R
Fernández-Ballesteros
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male