A prospective study of the association of cognitive and motor function with odds of life space constriction in older adults

Background: Many studies indicate that smaller life space is related to worse cognitive and motor function. It is plausible that cognitive and motor function also predict life space constriction, thus long-term, prospective studies are needed of cognitive and motor function as predictors of life space. Methods: A total of 1246 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project, who reported initial maximal life space and at least one follow-up assessment were included in this prospective study, with up to 19 years follow-up. The outcome of interest was the Modified version of the Life Space Questionnaire; which we categorized into large (beyond community), medium (neighborhood/community), and small (home/yard) life space. Participants also had detailed composite measures of global cognition and motor function as predictors and available at the first life space assessment. Life space transitions over one-year periods were modeled using multistate-Markov modeling, including confounders and both predictors simultaneously. Results: Better cognitive and motor function were broadly associated with lower odds of life space constriction (Cognitive: Large a medium: OR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.83-1.00; Large a small: OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.74- 0.97; Medium a small: OR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.82-1.22. Motor: large a medium: OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.69-0.83; large a small: OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.51- 0.67; mediumasmall: OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.57- 0.87). Conclusions: Combined with previous literature that life space predicts function, these results support the notion of complex inter-relations of cognitive function, motor function, and life space.

Automated summary

Many studies indicate a relationship between smaller life space and worse cognitive and motor function. This prospective study found that better cognitive and motor function were associated with lower odds of life space constriction.