Association of Sarcopenia with Executive Function and Episodic Memory

An Xiaoting; Wang Jiaqi; Xu Xiaoxia

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-5775.2025.01.001

Abstract：Objective:To explore the association of sarcopenia on different cognitive domains of middle-aged and elderly people.Methods:Using data from China Health and Elderly Care Tracking Survey Database(CHARLS,from 2013 to 2015).Based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019(AWGS 2019)criteria,sarcopenia status was classified into three types:no-sarcopenia,possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia.If the difference in cognitive scores between two waves of data was＞0,it is defined as a decrease in cognitive function.Multivariate linear regression model were used to analyze the cross-sectional relationship between sarcopenia and different cognitive functions.Logistic regression model was used to analyze the longitudinal correlation between sarcopenia and cognitive decline.Results:In cross-sectional studies,possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia were negatively correlated with executive function and episodic memory scores(P＜0.001),and the sarcopenic group had lower scores than the possible sarcopenic group.β(95%CI)values were-0.42(-0.62,-0.21),-0.33(-0.46,-0.21);-0.64(-0.94,-0.34),-0.41(-0.59,-0.23),respectively.In the longitudinal analysis,both possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia were positively associated with decreased episodic memory,the OR(95%CI)values were 1.12(1.02,1.24),1.23(1.07,1.41),respectively.Conclusion:Possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia assessed by AWGS 2019 criteria are independent predictors of cognitive decline in middle-aged and elderly Chinese,increasing their risk of episodic memory decline.