Low cognitive status is associated with a lower ability to maintain standing balance in elderly outpatients

Abstract

Background: Evidence is emerging that cognitive performance is involved in maintaining balance and thereby involved in falls in the elderly. Objective: To investigate the association of cognitive status with measures of standing balance in elderly outpatients. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 197 community-dwelling elderly [mean age (SD) 81.9 (7.1) years] referred to a geriatric outpatient clinic were included and subsequently dichotomized into a group with low and normal cognitive status based on cut-off values of the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Visual Association Test. The ability to maintain standing balance as well as the center of pressure (CoP) ..