Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Nov 11:11:554307.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.554307. eCollection 2020.

A Possible Association Between Executive Dysfunction and Frailty in Patients With Neurocognitive Disorders

Massimo Bartoli  1 , Sara Palermo  1   2 , Giuseppina Elena Cipriani  1 , Martina Amanzio  1   2
Affiliations
Review

A Possible Association Between Executive Dysfunction and Frailty in Patients With Neurocognitive Disorders

Massimo Bartoli et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Frailty is an age-related dynamic status, characterized by a reduced resistance to stressors due to the cumulative decline of multiple physiological systems. Several researches have highlighted a relationship between physical frailty and cognitive decline; however, the role of specific cognitive domains has not been deeply clarified yet. Current studies have hypothesized that physical frailty and neuropsychological deficits may share systemic inflammation and increased oxidative stress in different neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. However, the role of the executive dysfunction should be investigated in a more detailed way using a multidimensional approach. With this aim, we conducted a review of the literature on the few experimental articles published to discuss the existence of a relationship between frailty and cognitive impairment in neurocognitive disorders, particularly focusing on the domain of executive dysfunction. The data suggest that physical frailty and cognitive decline, especially executive dysfunction, are two aspects strongly linked in mild and major neurocognitive disorders due to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In light of this, a new framework linking aging, cognitive decline, and neurodegenerative diseases is needed. In order to analyze the effects that aging processes have on neural decline and neurocognitive disease, and to identify relevant groups of users and patients, future longitudinal studies should adopt a multidimensional approach, in the field of primary prevention and in the continuum from mild to major neurocognitive disorder.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s disease; executive functions; frailty; mild cognitive impairment; mini-review; neurocognitive disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The three main approaches to study frailty: the phenotypical model (Fried et al., 2001; A), the accumulation of deficits model (Rockwood et al., 2005; Rockwood and Mitnitski, 2007b; B), and the integral conceptual model, based on a bio-psycho-social approach (Gobbens et al., 2010; C).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Article selection flow chart according to the PRISMA statement.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ahmed N. N., Sherman S. J., Vanwyck D. (2008). Frailty in Parkinson’s disease and its clinical implications. Parkinsonism. Relat. Disord. 14 334–337. 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2007.10.004 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Amanzio M., Palermo S., Zucca M., Rosato R., Rubino E., Leotta D., et al. (2017). Neuropsychological correlates of pre-frailty in neurocognitive disorders: a possible role for metacognitive dysfunction and mood changes. Front. Med. 15:199. 10.3389/fmed.2017.00199 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Amboni M., Barone P., Hausdorff J. M. (2013). Cognitive contributions to gait and falls: evidence and implications. Mov. Disord. 28 1520–1533. 10.1002/mds.25674 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association [APA] (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edn Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    1. Angleman S. B., Santoni G., Pilotto A., Fratiglioni L., Welmer A. K. Mpi_Age Project Investigators (2015). Multidimensional prognostic index in association with future mortality and number of hospital days in a population-based sample of older adults: results of the EU funded MPI_AGE project. PLoS One 10:e0133789. 10.1371/journal.pone.0133789 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources