Cognitive frailty: A comprehensive clinical paradigm beyond cognitive decline

Abstract

Cognitive frailty is an emerging concept in research and clinical practice that incorporates both physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Unlike traditional approaches that separate physical frailty and dementia, cognitive frailty treats these domains as interrelated and coexisting, with significant implications for clinical outcomes and predicting cognitive decline. Despite growing recognition of this interrelationship, a dualistic view of physical and cognitive processes persists. The paradigm of cognitive frailty holds promise as a biomarker- like amyloid plaques or neurofibrillary tangles- but with the advantage of identifying risk at a prefrail stage, before clinical signs of MCI or dementia emerge. This review examines the pathophysiological and clinical dimensions of cognitive frailty and promotes for its integration into routine assessments in memory clinics.

Keywords: Cognition; Cognitive frailty; Dementia; Physical frailty; Resilience.