Associations between Fine Motor Performance in Activities of Daily Living and Cognitive Ability in a Nondemented Sample of Older Adults: Implications for Geriatric Physical Rehabilitation

Objective: Fine motor ability (FMA) is essential in certain activities of daily living (ADL) and is considered mostly as a component of physical function. We hypothesize that cognitive ability explains significant variance in ADL-related FMA, above and beyond what is explained by physical ability (grip strength). Method: Origins of Variance in the Old Old Study (OCTO)-Twin participants (n = 218), aged 80+ (dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease excluded) were assessed on depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale [CES-D]), a cognitive battery, grip strength, and FMA. Results: In a series of ordinary least squares regression models, FMA was not associated with gender or depressive symptoms, but was associated with age (marginally; β = '.164, p =.051), grip strength (β = '.381, p <.01), and one cognitive measure, perceptual speed (β = '.249, p <.01). Discussion: In nondemented older adults, cognitive speed predicts ADL-related FMA after controlling for age and physical ability. Physical rehabilitation of FMA in ADL tasks should consider the importance of cognitive ability, even in nondemented older adults.