Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly

• DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181b7849b
• Publication Date: 2009-09-14T20:30:36Z
• Authors: T. N. Akbaraly; F. Portet; S. Fustinoni; J. -F. Dartigues; S. Artero; O. Rouaud; J. Touchon; K. Ritchie; C. Berr
• Keywords: Vascular dementia; Association (psychology)

There is accumulating evidence that involvement in leisure activities may be related to risk of dementia; however, there no consensus concerning the underlying mechanism this association. Hypothesizing contribute cognitive reserve (CR), we examined association between and incident dementia its subtypes within a general population sample, categorizing activity as stimulating, passive, physical, social. The possibility these associations driven by other proxies CR was also examined.Analyses were carried out on 5,698 dementia-free participants aged 65 over included Three-City cohort study Dijon Montpellier (France) 1999-2001. Hazard ratios (HR) calculated for (mixed/vascular Alzheimer disease) relation category activity.Stimulating found significantly associated with reduced (n = 161, HR 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.31; 0.79) disease 105, 0.39, CI: 0.21; 0.71) 4-year follow-up 1) independently CR, 2) after adjusting vascular factors, depressive symptoms, physical functioning, 3) activities. Furthermore, significant controlling potential confounders.Our findings support hypothesis cognitively stimulating delay onset community-dwelling elders.