Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33279666›Full record

ArticleExperimental gerontology2021

Bidirectional associations between word memory and one-legged balance performance in mid and later life.

Joanna M Blodgett, Rachel Cooper, Daniel H J Davis, Diana Kuh, Rebecca Hardy

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental gerontology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Joanna M BlodgettMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK. Electronic address: joanna.blodgett.16@ucl.ac.uk.
Rachel CooperMusculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine Research Centre, Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
Daniel H J DavisMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK.
Diana KuhMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, London, UK.
Rebecca HardyCLOSER, Social Research Institute, UCL, London, UK.
MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing · GBUniversity College London · GBManchester Metropolitan University · GB

Funding

CIHRMedical Research Council MC_UU_00019/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_00019/4Medical Research Council MC_UU_12019/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_12019/2Medical Research Council MC_UU_12019/4Wellcome Trust 107467/Z/15/ZWellcome Trust WT107467
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAge-related changes in cognitive and balance capabilities are well-established, as is their correlation with one another. Given limited evidence regarding the directionality of associations, we aimed to explore the direction and potential explanations of associations between word memory and one-legged balance performance in mid-later life.

methodsA total of 3062 participants in the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development, a British birth cohort study, were included. One-legged balance times (eyes closed) were measured at ages 53, 60-64 and 69 years. Word memory was assessed at ages 43, 53, 60-64 and 69 with three 15-item word-recall trials. Autoregressive cross-lagged and dual change score models assessed bidirectional associations between word memory and balance. Random-effects models quantified the extent to which these associations were explained by adjustment for anthropometric, socioeconomic, behavioural and health status indicators.

resultsAutoregressive cross-lagged and dual change score models suggested a unidirectional association between word memory and subsequent balance performance. In a sex-adjusted random-effects model, 1 standard deviation increase in word memory was associated with 9% (7,12%) higher balance performance at age 53. This association decreased with age (-0.4% /year (-0.6,-0.1%). Education partially attenuated the association, although it remained in the fully-adjusted model (3% (0.1,6%)).

conclusionsThere was consistent evidence that word memory is associated with subsequent balance performance but no evidence of the reverse association. Cognitive processing plays an important role in the balance process, with educational attainment providing some contribution. These findings have important implications for understanding cognitive-motor associations and for interventions aimed at improving cognitive and physical capability in the ageing population.

Indexed as

CognitionMemoryAgingCohort StudiesEducational StatusHumansBalanceBirth cohortCognitive ageingEpidemiologyLife coursePhysical performance

Identifiers

PMID33279666
PMCPMC7840581
OpenAlexW3113009099

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.