Academic Journal
Age Effects and Associations among Cognitive, Language, and Swallowing Functions in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
| Title: | Age Effects and Associations among Cognitive, Language, and Swallowing Functions in Community-Dwelling Older Adults |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Heewon Moon, Yunju Han |
| Source: | Communication Sciences & Disorders. 31:170-186 |
| Publisher Information: | Korean Academy of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, 2026. |
| Publication Year: | 2026 |
| Description: | Objectives: This study comprehensively examined 1) age-related changes in cognitive, language, and swallowing functions by classifying participants into young-old (55-69 years), middle-old (70-79 years), and oldest-old (≥80 years) groups, and 2) the associations among cognitive, language, and swallowing functions in community-dwelling elderly.Methods: Cognitive function was assessed using subtests of the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery-II (SNSB-II). Language function was evaluated using the Paradise Korean Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (K-WAB-R), the Korean Boston Naming Test (K-BNT), and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT). Swallowing function was assessed using the self-report sections of the Swallowing Monitoring and Assessment Protocol (SMAP). All scores were standardized using Z-scores. Group differences were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), controlling for years of education, and inter-domain associations were examined using multiple linear regression analyses.Results: In cognition, attention and memory declined significantly with age after controlling for years of education, whereas working memory and frontal/executive functions did not show significant differences across age groups. In language, auditory comprehension and naming showed significant age effects. In swallowing, the oldest-old group showed the lowest mean swallowing function; however, a significant group difference was observed only between the middle- old and oldest-old groups. Regression analyses revealed significant associations between the cognitive and language domains, whereas swallowing function showed minimal associations with other domains.Conclusion: These findings provide a basis for early detection of cognitive, language, and swallowing decline in community-dwelling older adults, as well as for establishing priorities for domain-specific interventions. |
| Document Type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 2288-0917 |
| DOI: | 10.12963/csd.260179 |
| Accession Number: | edsair.doi...........e079e548db17bdf4f1858873d8f09c28 |
| Database: | OpenAIRE |
Be the first to leave a comment!