title: Relationship between balance and cognitive performance in older people.
abstract: We investigated the relationship between balance and cognitive level in a group of 70 women with no definite Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment diagnosis and no impairment of daily activity. Static stabilometry and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test were performed. The antero-posterior sway component was demonstrated to be the best predictor of the MoCA overall score. As visual and proprioceptive components of balance could safely be excluded in our assessments, the vestibular system is to be considered as a putative link between balance and cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, DINOGMI and CIND, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leandri
authors.affiliation: School of Health, The University of Northampton, Northampton, UK.
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, DINOGMI, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Molfetta
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbera
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, DIMI, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabaton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aging; cognitive performance; postural balance; vestibular system