Abstract
BACKGROUND: Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) has been recognized as a risk factor for dementia, but its role in the transition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among community-dwelling older adults remains unclear. This study investigated the associations between MCR and the risk of incident MCI or cognitive decline over a one-year follow-up period. METHODS: We investigated whether MCR predicted the risk of incident MCI and cognitive decline (Mini-Mental State Examination decline ≥ 4 points) in 853 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above from a northern Chinese urban area, all without dementia or disability at baseline. Logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders, was used to assess the overall prediction value of MCR and the associations of its cognitive (subjective cognitive complaint, SCC) and motoric (gait speed) components with the risk of MCI. RESULTS: Participants with MCR had a higher risk of developing MCI [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-4.17] and cognitive decline (adjusted OR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.11-4.70). Among the individual components of MCR, slow gait speed was significantly associated with MCI risk (adjusted OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.19-3.87). Subgroup analysis in the MCR population showed that individuals under 75 years of age and women were at greater risk of incident MCI. CONCLUSION: MCR, characterized by subjective cognitive complaints and slow gait speed, is significantly associated with an increased risk of developing MCI and cognitive decline in this cohort of community-dwelling older adults in northern China.