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Could intelligency be a proxy for cognitive resilience in the elderly?
Author(s) -
Pires Lívia Rabelo,
Ávila Rafaela,
Costa Mônica Vieira,
Dias Bruna Fugêncio,
Bertola Laiss,
Bicalho Maria Aparecida
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.046366
Subject(s) - proxy (statistics) , cognition , psychology , psychological resilience , multivariate statistics , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , gerontology , neuropsychology , context (archaeology) , medicine , statistics , psychiatry , social psychology , geography , mathematics , archaeology
Abstract Background Resilience is a concept related to individual diferences between functionality/cognition and clinical situations associated to aging. In Brazil, elderlies commonly have low educational level and, years of schooling , is not necessarily associated to learning. In this context, we hypothesize that inteligency could be a potencial proxy of cognitive resilience. The aim of this study was to evaluate if inteligency could act as a measure of cognitive resilience, explaining individual variation between expected cognitive profile and its performance. Method We conducted a cross sectional study, enrolling 60 elderlies, 29 without functional and Cognitive Impairment (CG) and 31 with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). To evaluate inteligency we applied WASI, Mattis scale for general cognition and, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) for executive functions. Participants were submitted to the same study protocol, including a geriatrician evaluation and neuropsychological assessment. We applied Mann‐Whitney and chi‐square to compare the groups. Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate analysis were employed to compare samples. Linear regression analysis with control of independent variables age, sex and years of schooling and, the outcomes Mattis and FAB were applied to verify cognitive discrepancy. The intelligency quociente (IQ) was analyzed as a cognitive discrepancy predictor by regression analysis. Result 60 individuals were selected, aged 76.8 ± 5.80 years, 75% female and 4.6 ± 3.42 years of schooling. There were no diferences between groups considering age, schooling and IQ, Mattis and FAB. In CG, we observed correlation between age and IQ and Mattis; and, schooling and IQ and Mattis. For MCI, there were correlation between age and Mattis; schooling and Mattis; IQ and FAB; and, Mattis and FAB. The regression model showed the higher the intelligence level, the greater the positive discrepancy in general cognition (Mattis) (Figure 1). The result of analysis carried out between IQ and discrepancy in executive functions (FAB) showed the higher the IQ, the greater the positive discrepancy in executive functions (Figure 2). Conclusion Our results suggest IQ can be measure of discrepancy in general cognition and executive functions. It can be a good proxy of cognitive reserve.