Study Ties 1-Point Tremor Rise to 0.63-Point Cognitive Drop in Seniors 65+
Updated
Updated · Medscape · Aug 17
Study Ties 1-Point Tremor Rise to 0.63-Point Cognitive Drop in Seniors 65+
3 articles · Updated · Medscape · Aug 17
Summary
894 adults in Germany aged 65 and older showed lower cognitive scores as mild action tremor worsened, with each 1-point rise on the tremor scale linked to a 0.63-point drop on TICS-m.
The association held after adjusting for age, sex, frailty, stroke history, physical activity, sleep and Parkinson score, suggesting tremor tracked cognition independently of those factors.
Sensitivity checks still found significant declines after excluding people with stroke, higher Parkinson scores or more severe tremor; in the latter group, the drop reached 1.08 points per tremor point.
Researchers said aging-related brain changes may underlie both tremor and cognitive decline, but the cross-sectional study cannot show causation or how tremor changes over time.