Open AccessVariability in medication taking is associated with cognitive performance in nondemented older adults
Author(s) -
Austin Johanna,
Klein Krystal,
Mattek Nora,
Kaye Jeffrey
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia: diagnosis, assessment and disease monitoring
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.497
H-Index - 37
ISSN - 2352-8729
DOI - 10.1016/j.dadm.2017.02.003
Subject(s) - cognition , cognitive decline , psychological intervention , medicine , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , gerontology , cognitive aging , psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , dementia , disease
Interventions to slow cognitive decline typically can do little to reverse decline. Thus, early detection methods are critical. However, tools like cognitive testing are time consuming and require costly expertise. Changes in activities of daily living such as medication adherence may herald the onset of cognitive decline before clinical standards. Here, we determine the relationship between medication adherence and cognitive function in preclinical older adults. We objectively assessed medication adherence in 38 older adults (mean age 86.7 ± 6.9 years). Our results demonstrate that individuals with lower cognitive function have more spread in the timing of taking their medications ( P = .014) and increase the spread in the timing of taking their medications over time ( P = .012). These results demonstrate that continuous monitoring of medication adherence may provide the opportunity to identify patients experiencing slow cognitive decline in the earliest stages when pharmacologic or behavioral interventions may be most effective.