Correlation between Head Circumference and Cognition in the Elderly

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Head circumference (HC) has been reported to be an index of cognitive functioning in the elderly and in Alzheimer's patients. The object of the study is to find the relationship between HC and cognition. METHODS: A total of 7,603 subjects over 60 years of age were analyzed from preliminary data of Gwangju Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Study. HC was manually measured and cognitive functioning was assessed by the Korean version of the Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). RESULTS: Correlational analysis showed that HC was associated with age (r=-0.14, p<0.01), education (r=0.33, p<0.01), height (r=0.26, p<0.01), and K-MMSE (r=0.28, p<0.01). Also, even after adjusting for confounding variables (age, education, height, gender) the positive association between HC and K-MMSE score remained significant (beta=0.18, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that HC may play an important role in predicting cognitive impairment in the elderly.