Frailty is a syndrome resulting from age-related decline across multiple organ systems. A new study, conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, shows that slower reaction time and lower response accuracy in cognitive tasks are associated with higher levels of frailty. Notably, this association can already be detected in late midlife, among individuals aged 57 to 70 years.

Frailty has been linked to several adverse health outcomes, including increased risk of falls, greater need for hospitalization, and higher mortality.

“Our findings showed that slower reaction time in cognitive tasks was associated with higher levels of frailty in late midlife, among adults aged 57 to 70 years,” says postdoctoral researcher Anna Tirkkonen from the Gerontology Research Center and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä. “For response accuracy, the association was observed across all participants, and particularly among women.”

“We also found that only response accuracy – but not reaction time – was associated with the development of frailty,” Tirkkonen adds. “Moreover, the association depended on which specific domain of cognitive functioning was examined.”

The findings complement earlier evidence and highlight the link between cognitive functioning and frailty in a younger age group than is typically studied.

“Our results indicate that these associations are already visible in late midlife and that they vary according to sex as well as the particular cognitive domain and trait assessed,” Tirkkonen notes.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the Universities of Jyväskylä and Tampere and the Folkhälsan Research Center. It utilized data from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study.