Activities of Daily Living Are Linked to Cognitive Function

Clinicians often screen at-risk patients for impaired executive functioning and inquire about their abilities to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), but little has been published tying specific cognitive deficits to impairments in ADLs. Investigators in Taiwan studied mental status and ADLs in 102 people aged ≥65 (55 women) — 31 with Alzheimer or vascular dementia (subgrouped into mild, moderate, and severe dementia), 36 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 35 normal controls. Three standardized tests assessed mental status, and other scales measured basic ADLs (e.g., bathing, dressing, controlling bladder and bowels, climbing stairs) and instrumental ADLs (e.g., telephone use, finance handling, food preparation).

Patients with d…