title: Fear of falling, but not gait impairment, predicts subjective memory complaints in cognitively intact older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Understanding the risk factors for developing subjective memory complaints (SMC) could help with early screening and treatment for cognitive impairment. The aim of the present study was to explore the risk factors for developing SMC, by focusing on gait-related variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 406 community-dwelling older adults aged 65-85 years without impending cognitive impairment participated in baseline and 1-year follow-up evaluations. A comprehensive evaluation was carried out, and included gait speed and fear of falling (FoF) assessments, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to independently evaluate the risk factors at baseline and follow-up evaluations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 45.1% of older adults had SMC. The presence of SMC at baseline was associated with being female, subjective hearing loss and FoF. Of 223 participants who did not report SMC at baseline, 48 had newly developed SMC at follow up (21.5%). The significant predictors for developing SMC were being female and FoF, but not gait speed, and were independent of depression symptoms. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment total score at baseline was a marginally significant predictor for developing SMC at follow up (P = 0.06), but a lower score in the language domain was a significant predictor in further analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FoF was a significant risk for future development of SMC, suggesting that FoF might reflect the risk of cognitive impairment at an earlier stage, or that FoF and SMC could share the same basis of anxiety for daily activities. The mechanisms and consequence of this longitudinal relationship require further study. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1125-1131.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.|Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.|Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Human Care, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Promoting Independence of the Elderly, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Promoting Independence of the Elderly, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazushige
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Human Care, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Obuchi
authors.affiliation: Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007564:Japan; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D000072797:Walking Speed / Q000502:physiology
keywords: cognitive function; fear of falling; longitudinal study; subjective memory complaints