Cognitive Status and Nutritional Markers in a Sample of Institutionalized Elderly People

María Leirós; Elena Amenedo; Marina Rodríguez; Paula Pazo-Álvarez; Luis Franco; Rosaura Leis; Miguel-Ángel Martínez-Olmos; Constantino Arce; Rest of NUTRIAGE Study Researchers

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.880405

Cognitive Status and Nutritional Markers in a Sample of Institutionalized Elderly People

Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 May 24:14:880405. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.880405. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Collaborators

Rest of NUTRIAGE Study Researchers:
Melchor Fernández, Carlos Dieguez, Lucía Gayoso, Lourdes Vázquez Oderiz, Ángeles Romero, Nicolás Piedrafita

Affiliations

¹ Research Group in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (NECEA), Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
² Economic Analysis and Modeling Group, Instituto de Estudios y Desarrollo de Galicia (IDEGA), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
³ Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
⁴ Unit of Investigation in Nutrition, Growth and Human Development of Galicia, Department of Forensic Sciences, Pathological Anatomy, Gynecology and Obstetrics, and Pediatrics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
⁵ CIBEROBN (Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.
⁶ Section of Endocrinology-Nutrition Area, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
⁷ Department of Social, Basic and Methodology Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Abstract

Background: Since many of the risk factors for cognitive decline can be modified by diet, the study of nutrition and its relationships with cognitive status in aging has increased considerably in recent years. However, there are hardly any studies that have assessed cognitive status using a comprehensive set of neuropsychological tests along with measures of functional capacity and mood and that have related it to nutritional status measured from several nutritional parameters that have shown its relationships with cognitive function.

Objective: To test the differences in depressive symptomatology and in several measures of nutritional status between three groups classified according to their cognitive status (CS hereafter).

Method: One hundred thirteen participants from nursing homes in Galicia, Spain, underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological examination, including a general screening test (MMSE) and tests for different cognitive domains along with measures of activities of daily living (ADL) and assessment of depressive symptomatology (GDS-SF). According to established clinical criteria, participants were divided into three CS groups, Cognitively Intact (CI), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and All-Cause Dementia (ACD). Nutritional status was also examined using blood-derived measures, body mass index (BMI) and a nutritional screening test (MNA-SF). Differences between CS groups in all nutritional variables were studied by one-way ANOVAs with post-hoc Bonferroni correction or Kruskal-Wallis with Games-Howell post-hoc correction when appropriate. Multinomial logistic regression was also applied to test the association between nutritional variables and CS.

Results: Differences between CS groups were statistically significant for depressive symptomatology, vitamin A and D, albumin, selenium (Se), uric acid (UA), and BMI. The results of multinomial logistic regression found positive associations between groups with better CS and higher concentrations of vitamins A and D, transthyretin (TTR), albumin, Se, and UA, while negative associations were found for BMI.

Conclusion: Higher serum levels of vitamin A, vitamin D, TTR, albumin, Se, and UA could act as protective factors against cognitive decline, whereas higher BMI could act as a risk factor.

Keywords: aging; blood biomarkers; cognitive status; dementia; mild cognitive impairment (MCI); nursing homes; nutritional markers; nutritional status.