EXECUTIVE FUNCTION OF THE ELDERLY IN INSTITUTIONS: RELATIONSHIP WITH COGNITIVE AND FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES

  • Alessandra Vieira Menezes Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
  • Alessandra da Silva de Aguiar Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
  • Elysama Fernandes Alves Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
  • Layse Biz de Quadros Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
  • Poliana Penasso Bezerra Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Keywords: Homes for the Aged, Health of Institutionalized Elderly, Executive function, Cognition

Abstract

The demographic profile and cognitive and functional abilities of elderly people in institutions or not are characterized and their association with the executive function verified. Sample comprises 25 elderly people in homes (20 females; 69.52±8.99 years) and 26 institutionalized (11 females; 74.69±7.94 years; 47.03±58.31 years in the institution). The institutionalized group had lower scores in cognitive and functional assessments (ρ<0.001; Mann-Withney Test). The executive function evaluated by the Frontal Assessment Battery showed a positive co-relationship (Spearman´s Test with Verbal Fluency (ρ=0.818), Mental State Mini-test (ρ=0,649), Barthel´s Index (ρ=0.468) and Pfeffer´s Index (ρ=-0.70) in the institutionalized group and only with verbal fluency (ρ=0.523) in the home group. Highest impairment of the executive function in the institutionalized group may be related to greater functional dependence and decreasing cognitive rate.

Author Biographies

Alessandra Vieira Menezes, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Discentes do curso de graduação em Fisioterapia na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brasil
Alessandra da Silva de Aguiar, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Discentes do curso de graduação em Fisioterapia na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brasil
Elysama Fernandes Alves, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Discentes do curso de graduação em Fisioterapia na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brasil
Layse Biz de Quadros, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Discentes do curso de graduação em Fisioterapia na Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brasil
Poliana Penasso Bezerra, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Docente do Curso de graduação em Fisioterapia e Pós-graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Centro Araranguá, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina(UFSC), Brasil
Published
2017-03-29
Section
Artigos Originais