The relationship between cognitive function and Activities of Daily Living

Dementia is a cognitive disorder that can be caused by several underlying diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular disease. Dementia is not only characterized by declines in cognition, but is also associated with declines in instrumental and basic activities of daily living (ADLs). Cognitive decline generally begins prior to any declines in ADLs, and as cognitive impairments progress, the ability to independently perform ADLs begins to decline as well. Accurate assessment of ADL functioning, though critical to the diagnosis of dementia, can be difficult with the use of self-report measures. One objective measure of ADLs is the Functional Independence Measure (FIM); however, as the FIM is often only administered in inpatient settings, neuropsychologists do not always have access to the FIM. The study examined the relationship between performance on neuropsychological measures and the FIM to assist in clinician’s ability to predict declines in ADLs based on neuropsychological testing. Results indicated that the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was a significant predictor of the FIM Total, Psychosocial Adjustment, and Cognitive Functioning scores. Performances in the Memory domain also predicted FIM Cognitive Functioning scores. Performances on measures of Executive function did not predict scores on the FIM