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Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: multicountry prevalence and dementia risk
Verghese J, Annweiler C, Ayers E, Barzilai N, Beauchet O, Bennett DA, Bridenbaugh SA, Buchman AS et al.. Neurology, 2014-07-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objectives Our objective is to report prevalence of motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR), a newly described predementia syndrome characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints, in multiple countries, and its association with dementia risk. Methods Pooled MCR prevalence analysis of individual data from 26,802 adults without dementia and disability aged 60 years and older from 22 cohorts from 17 countries. We also examined risk of incident cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination decline ≥4 points) and dementia associated with MCR in 4,812 individuals without dementia with baseline Mini-Mental State Examination scores ≥25 from 4 prospective cohort studies using Cox models adjusted for potential confounders. Results At baseline, 2,808 of the 26,802 participants met MCR criteria. Pooled MCR prevalence was 9.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.2%-11.2%). MCR prevalence was higher with older age but there were no sex differences. MCR predicted risk of developing incident cognitive impairment in the pooled sample (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.0, 95% CI 1.7-2.4); aHRs were 1.5 to 2.7 in the individual cohorts. MCR also predicted dementia in the pooled sample (aHR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.3). The results persisted even after excluding participants with possible cognitive impairment, accounting for early dementia, and diagnostic overlap with other predementia syndromes. Conclusion MCR is common in older adults, and is a strong and early risk factor for cognitive decline. This clinical approach can be easily applied to identify high-risk seniors in a wide variety of settings.
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APA 7th
Verghese, J., Annweiler, C., Ayers, E., Barzilai, N., Beauchet, O., Bennett, D. A., et al. (2014). Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: multicountry prevalence and dementia risk. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000000717
Vancouver
Verghese J, Annweiler C, Ayers E, Barzilai N, Beauchet O, Bennett DA, et al. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: multicountry prevalence and dementia risk. Neurology. 2014. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000000717. PMID: 25031288.
BibTeX
@article{verghese2014-25031288,
author = {Verghese, J. and Annweiler, C. and Ayers, E. and Barzilai, N. and Beauchet, O. and Bennett, D. A. and Bridenbaugh, S. A. and Buchman, A. S. and others},
title = {{Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: multicountry prevalence and dementia risk}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000000717},
pmid = {25031288},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000000717}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- We also examined risk of incident cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination decline ≥4 points) and dementia associated with MCR in 4,812 individuals without dementia with baseline Mini-Mental State Examination scores ≥25 from 4 prospective cohort studies using Cox models adjusted for potential confounders.
- Results At baseline, 2,808 of the 26,802 participants met MCR criteria.
- The results persisted even after excluding participants with possible cognitive impairment, accounting for early dementia, and diagnostic overlap with other predementia syndromes.
Why it matters
This multicountry study found that motoric cognitive risk syndrome, characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints, had a pooled prevalence of 9.7% and predicted risk of developing incident cognitive impairment and dementia. The results persisted even after excluding participants with possible cognitive impairment and accounting for early dementia and diagnostic overlap with other predementia syndromes.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants26,802
- Effect size9.7%; 8.2%; 11.2%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 74/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2014 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 26,802 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 484 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 34.6 citations a year over 14 year(s) since 2014 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 20.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 131 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Cuiling Wang: h-index 33 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | National Institutes of Health: institution h-index 2,723 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 18 institution(s) in 10 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25031288) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 74 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000000717
- PubMed: 25031288
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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