UPPER LIMB MOVEMENT USED FOR MEMORY RECALL TESTING TO SCREEN FOR COGNITIVE FUNCTION: A FEASIBILITY STUDY

Yokogawa M1, Notoya M2, Toyama M2, Takemura K3, Goto Y4
1Kanazawa University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan, 2Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Kyoto, Japan, 3OURS Home Visit Nursing Rehabilitation Station, Department of Physical Therapy, Fukui, Japan, 4Sapporo Medical University, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Science, Sapporo, Japan

Background: Written and oral screening testing for cognitive function may not be feasible for some elderly individuals.

Purpose: To examine a tentative screening test involving memory recall of upper limb movement for cognitive function of the elderly.

Methods: Participants were 12 community-dwelling elderly with a mean (SD) age of 70.3 (3.5) years. Testing consisted of two preliminary practice tasks involving the upper limbs, followed by ten tasks in sitting. The two preliminary practice tasks were as follows:
a) forming a circle above the head with the arms; and
b) crossing the arms in front of the chest with the right arm in front of the left. The ten tasks were as follows:
1) bilateral shoulder flexion;
2) bilateral shoulder abduction;
3) bilateral shoulder flexion;
4) right shoulder abduction with lateral rotation and elbow flexion and left shoulder flexion;
5) right shoulder in flexion and left shoulder in abduction with elbow in flexion;
6) right shoulder abduction with lateral rotation and elbow flexion and left shoulder abduction with medial rotation and elbow flexion;
7) horizontal adduction of the right shoulder with extension of the elbow and left shoulder in flexion with the elbow flexed and forearm supinated in front of the right arm;
8) right shoulder in medial rotation with the elbow flexed and right palm placed on the abdomen and left shoulder in lateral rotation with the elbow flexed and palm placed on the back of the head;
9) dorsum of the right hand placed on the right side of the waist and left fist in the left axilla; and
10) clasping of the elbows behind the head with opposite hands.
An image of each individual movement of the ten tasks was projected on a screen for five seconds in front of the participant. They were instructed to imitate it immediately after it disappeared. The testing was carried out twice reversing the sequence of the movements on the second trial. The response of the participants was recorded on videotape and appraised by three examiners. When the three examiners' appraisals did not concur, they held further discussion to determine the outcome. The rate of correct response (RCR) was determined by the total number of participants who responded correctly to each movement.

Results: For the two trials, RCR for Tasks 1, 2, 3 and 8 was 92 to 100%. RCR for Tasks 4, 5, 6 and 7 was 17 to 50%, but increased to 50 to 83% for the second trial. RCR for Task 9 was 33%, but 25% for the second trial. As for Task 10, RCR for both trials was 75% and 83%, respectively. However, two or three participants stated that this task might be difficult for the elderly because of limited range of joint movement.

Conclusion(s): RCR for symmetrical movements was higher than that for asymmetrical ones. Uncommon daily life movements that are difficult to verbalise are related to low memory recall.

Implications: This memory recall test may be utilised to supplement a written screening test for cognitive function.

Keywords: cognitive screening, immediate recall, upper limb movement

Funding acknowledgements: This study was supported by Kyoto Gakuen University (Project leader: Dr. Masako Notoya).

Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Older people

Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Kanazawa University
Ethics committee: Medical Ethics Review Board
Ethics number: Approval No.763


All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.

Back to the listing