Association Between Cognitive Function and Emotion, Sleep, Frailty, and Nutrition in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

Background: With the rapid increase in China's aging population, cognitive impairment in the elderly has become a significant public health issue.

Aims: In this study we performed a cross-sectional analysis to comprehensively investigate the relationship between cognitive function and emotion, sleep, frailty, nutrition, and clinical variables in hospitalized geriatric patients according to age group and sex. We determined the most important risk factors for cognitive impairment.

Method: A total of 1121 inpatients were recruited from the Department of Gerontology at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, China, from August 2023 to April 2024. Cognitive assessment was performed using the Mini-Mental State Examination scale and Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The sleep quality was evaluated based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and anxiety and depression were evaluated based on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale.

Results: Sex and age differences existed with respect to cognition, emotion, and sleep quality. After full adjustment, age, education level, working status, hemoglobin level, activities of daily living, Hamilton Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were significantly and independently associated with cognitive impairment.

Discussion: Geriatric patients with a better mood, sleep and nutrition status, higher education level, and more social engagement performance had superior cognitive function. Interventions, such as valuing education, improving sleep, relaxing emotions, preventing anemia, and adjusting lifestyle, may help prevent the development of cognitive deficits. Elderly and female patients required special attention.

Conclusions: Various factors were shown to contribute to maintenance of cognitive function.

Keywords: cognitive function; emotion; frailty; nutrition; sleep quality.