Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41364412›Full record

ArticleGeroScience2026

Impairment in anticipatory cognitive brain processing in frail older adults.

Luca Boccacci, Martina Scalia, Riccardo Borzuola, Valentina Camomilla, Chiara Fossati, Federica Galli, Andrea Macaluso, Fabio Pigozzi, Sabrina Pitzalis, Arnaldo Zelli and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2026. 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
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

  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

11 authors.

Luca BoccacciDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy. l.boccacci@studenti.uniroma4.it.ORCID 0009-0003-4116-9179
Martina ScaliaDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Riccardo BorzuolaDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Valentina CamomillaDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Chiara FossatiDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Federica GalliDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Andrea MacalusoDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Fabio PigozziDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Sabrina PitzalisDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Arnaldo ZelliDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.
Francesco Di RussoDepartment of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", 00135, Rome, Italy.

Funding

European Union NextGenerationEu program CDR2.PNRR2023_DM737/2021-DRF
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Frailty of the elderly is a condition that incorporates multisystem physiological age-related impairments with poor clinical and functional outcomes. Literature shows that this condition could be associated with cognitive deterioration due to the degeneration of brain structures and functions, especially in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Despite the interest in this condition, research on cognitive performance and brain activity in frailty remains limited. The purpose of the present study was to use the event-related potential (ERP) method to investigate the frontal and prefrontal brain activity of frail elderly people during the anticipatory phase of a cognitive task. ERPs of 38 frail and pre-frail participants (Frail group) aged ≥ 65 years, and a group of 38 matched robust individuals were compared. Cognitive functions were also assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa); anxiety was evaluated with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results showed that in the Frail group, the activity from the PFC was lower than in the Robust group. This reduction of top-down cognitive control may have produced, in the frail participants, greater response errors and anxiety levels higher than those of the Robust group. Results suggest that PFC degeneration may reduce the cognitive readiness preceding a cognitive task, which is necessary for accurate task performance. This PFC hypoactivity may also lead to increased anxiety levels in frail people. Considering that this effect was of similar magnitude in frail and pre-frail participants, the anticipatory ERP activity of the PFC could be a potential neuromarker of frailty.

Indexed as

CognitionCognitive DysfunctionFrail ElderlyFrailtyPrefrontal CortexAgedAged, 80 and overAnticipation, PsychologicalAnxietyCase-Control StudiesElectroencephalographyEvoked PotentialsFemaleGeriatric AssessmentHumansMaleCognitive and motor anticipationEEGERPFrailty

Identifiers

PMID41364412
PMCPMC12972387

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.