94 * METABOLIC SYNDROME AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN SINGAPORE-A PILOT STUDY USING THE CAMBRIDGE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST AUTOMATED BATTERY (CANTAB)

Abstract

Aim of study: There are many previous studies reporting an association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and impaired global cognition. Chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, dyslipidaemia and hypertriglyceridemia have been found to play a considerable role in preclinical dementia symptoms and dementia. However, evidence to support this relationship is still limited. This study investigates the relationship between MetS and cognition, and the influence of ethnicity.Methods: Participants aged 55 years and above who met the MetS criteria (n = 53) and controls (n = 44) were identified from an on-going study conducted at the National University Health System (NUHS). Exclusion criteria include formal diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment, on-going radiotherapy or chemotherapy, depression, wheelchair or bedbound and visual or hearing impairment. Cognitive function was assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB).Results: 97 participants were enrolled in the study. Amongst them, 56.7% (n = 55) were male, 78.4% (n = 76) were Chinese, 5.2% (n = 5) were Malay, 13.4% (n = 13) were Indian and 3.1% (n = 3) were Mixed. The average age of the study participants was 64.96 years (SD= 7.23) and mean education level was 10.37 (SD = 3.89) years. Independent samples t-tests and chi-square tests revealed no significant effects of age (p = .324, ns), education level (p = .904, ns) and gender (p = .665, ns) between the MetS and the control group. Findings from ANOVA showed MetS participants consistently performed poorly in all CANTAB tests. The regression analyses also revealed protective factors such as education level and Chinese origins.Conclusion: Our findings indicate the presence of multiple cognitive domain impairments in individuals with MetS as compared to healthy controls, and further support earlier published studies and meta-analysis. Participants with MetS demonstrated overall decline in memory, visuospatial abilities and executive functioning. This study is the first local study that demonstrates a positive relationship between MetS and multiple cognitive domains (i.e. memory, executive functioning and attentional flexibility) and Asians may be particularly vulnerable to the detrimental impacts of MetS.