title: An assessment of neurocognitive speed in relation to frailty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the relationship between neurocognitive speed (NCS) and frailty; to consider how this relationship is affected by how frailty is operationalised.
  
  
  METHODS
  secondary analysis of the baseline cohort of the Oxford Project To Investigate Memory and Aging (OPTIMA), a longitudinal observational cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  of 388 participants who underwent a comprehensive intake assessment followed by an annual follow-up for at least 3 years, data on all measures were available on 164 people.
  
  
  METHODS
  NCS was defined as a combined score of <18 on the pattern comparison test (<11 is abnormal) and letter comparison test (<7 is abnormal). Frailty was defined from a modified Phenotype model, the Edmonton Frailty Scales (EFS) and a frailty index (FI); the latter two were adapted here to exclude cognitive measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  in multivariate logistic (NCS as < or ≥18) and linear regression (NCS as continuous variable), only the FI (OR = 0.87) was significant (P < 0.05). When all frailty measures were included in the multivariate analysis only, FI (OR = 0.88) was significant (P < 0.05). Mini-mental Status Examination remained significantly related to NCS throughout all analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NCS slows with increasing frailty as shown with the FI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. darryl.rolfson@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: Darryl B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Rolfson
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilcock
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitnitski
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Celeste A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: de Jager
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rockwood
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fallah
authors.forename: Samuel D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Searle
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013997:Time Factors