Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42833623›Full record

ArticleJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2026

Physical Performance Moderates the Association Between Age and Executive Function in Older Adults at Elevated Risk of Dementia: Cross-Sectional Analysis From the CITA GO-ON Trial.

Imanol Reparaz-Escudero, Mikel Izquierdo, Mirian Ecay-Torres, Miren Altuna, Carolina López, Ainara Estanga, Maite García-Sebastián, María de Arriba, Naia Ros, Jon Saldias and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

13 authors.

Imanol Reparaz-EscuderoNavarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN)-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain.
Mikel IzquierdoNavarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN)-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1506-4272
Mirian Ecay-TorresCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Miren AltunaCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Carolina LópezCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Ainara EstangaCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Maite García-SebastiánCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
María de ArribaCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Naia RosCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Jon SaldiasCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Marina LimousinCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Pablo Martínez-LageCentre for Research and Memory Clinic, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, Donostia-San Sebastián, País Vasco, Spain.
Mikel L Sáez de AsteasuNavarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN)-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain.

Funding

Academy of FinlandDepartment of Health of the Basque Government and FundaciónFederal Ministry of Education and ResearchJoint Program of Neurodegenerative Disorders projectNational Institute of Health Carlos IIINational Research, Development and Innovation OfficeNational Research FundNetherlands Organization for Health Research and Development
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPreservation of executive function is vital for independence and dementia prevention, yet the physical performance levels at which age-related executive vulnerability becomes detectable remain uncertain. This study examined whether gait speed, handgrip strength and leg muscle power influence the relationship between age and executive function in older adults at increased dementia risk and assessed how sex and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden affect this relationship.

methodsCross-sectional analysis of 920 community-dwelling older adults (aged 60-85) at high dementia risk, enrolled in the CITA GO-ON trial. Executive function was measured by the Trail Making Test (TMT B minus A) and the Stroop interference score. Physical performance included gait speed, handgrip strength and peak leg muscle power. Moderation analyses tested whether physical performance moderated the age-executive function association, adjusting for sex, socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms, cardiometabolic conditions, BMI and smoking; three-way interactions tested sex effects. The Johnson-Neyman technique identified regions of significance, the range of performance values over which the age-executive function association was statistically detectable. Sensitivity analyses included cognitively healthy participants and WMH adjustment.

resultsThe average (SD) age was 69.5 (6.2) years; 48.4% were female, and average education was 13.0 (4.5) years. At baseline, 63 participants (6.8%) had mild cognitive impairment. Gait speed (β = -0.27, p < 0.05), handgrip strength (β = -0.08, p < 0.05) and peak leg muscle power (β = -0.007, p < 0.05) moderated the age-executive function link. Johnson-Neyman regions-of-significance were located in the upper range of the performance distribution. For TMT B minus A, the age-executive function association was statistically detectable below gait speed 1.83 m/s, handgrip 48.8 kg and leg power 438 W (1.0%-4.8% of participants), whereas for Stroop interference the corresponding values were lower (gait 1.68 m/s, handgrip 43.9 kg, leg power 366 W; up to 15.9% of participants). In sex-stratified analyses, gait speed moderated the age-executive function association for TMT B minus A in males and for Stroop interference in females. WMH burden was not independently associated with executive function.

conclusionsIn older adults at increased dementia risk, higher physical performance was associated with a weaker relationship between age and executive function, independent of socioeconomic, emotional, body composition and cardiovascular factors. This moderation was most consistent for gait speed, with a sex pattern that differed by outcome. Longitudinal studies are needed to test whether maintaining high physical performance helps preserve executive function and inform preventive strategies.

Indexed as

AgingDementiaExecutive FunctionPhysical Functional PerformanceAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHand StrengthHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk Factorsdementiafunctional capacityphysical performance

Identifiers

PMID42833623
PMCPMC13638253

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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.