Two Consecutive 6-Year Follow-ups of the MMSEK in the Rural Elderly.
- Author:
Jonghan PARK
1
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Aged;
Cognition;
Mini-mental state examinaiton
- MeSH:
Aged*;
Cognition;
Follow-Up Studies*;
Humans;
Rural Population
- From:Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
2005;44(5):612-618
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: To examine the changing pattern of cognitive function in old age. METHODS: Longitudinal observation of MMSEK performances of the elderly living in a rural community through 2 consecutive 6-year follow-ups. The mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variability of the three consecutive MMSEK performances with 6-year interval were indicators of the changing pattern. Paired t-test was used for comparison of two consecutive MMSEK performances : MMSEK-90 vs MMSEK-96 and MMSEK-96 vs MMSEK-02, while Student's t-test for comparison between the first and second 6-year changes of the MMSEK performance. RESULTS: In all age groups, the MMSEK performance declined significantly during the two consecutive 6-year periods, the standard deviation and coefficient of variability widened with age, and the second 6-year decline of the MMSEK performance was significantly greater than the first 6-year decline. CONCLUSION: Decline of the cognitive function is steeper in the elderly with age and the declining pattern is the 'fan-spread' shape.
