Domain-Specific Cognition Mediates the Association Between Mobility and Wayfinding Ability in Older Adults

TL;DR

This study explores how mobility and cognitive abilities together influence wayfinding in older adults, finding that cognitive processes like processing speed play a key role.

Contribution

The study identifies domain-specific cognition as a mediator between mobility and wayfinding ability in older adults.

Findings

A structural equation model showed 16.3% of the variance in environment recall was explained by the model.

Processing speed was the largest contributor to the mediation effect, followed by declarative and visuospatial working memory.

Mobility's effect on environment recall was not significant directly but was supported through cognitive mediation.

Abstract

Older adults frequently report difficulties with community wayfinding, which may be further exacerbated by age-related mobility decline; however, the ways in which these processes intersect to support navigation as a fundamental behavior for independent functioning is poorly understood. The connection between mobility and wayfinding may be attributable to a shared set of cognitive processes that are vulnerable to decline. Thus, we examined the contributions of domain-specific cognition as a potential mediator between mobility and wayfinding in a community-based sample of older adults (N = 74, age 53-89 years). Participants underwent a comprehensive assessment of cognitive and mobility function and completed a seated virtual assessment of wayfinding with subsequent recall of environment details. A structural equation model was specified in which a latent mobility construct (indicators: balance, timed forward and backward walking) predicted recall of environment details via three cognitive mediators: processing speed (SDMT), visuospatial working memory (BVMT-R), and declarative memory (VAL-delay). The hypothesized model demonstrated excellent fit and accounted for 16.3% of the variance in environment recall (p = .04). While the total effect of mobility on recall of environment details was not significant (p = .072), evidence for mediation was supported by a significant cumulative indirect effect (p = .038). A comparison of the percentages of unique effects revealed processing speed as the largest contributor, followed by declarative and visuospatial working memory function. The results suggest a role of mobility in the acquisition and shaping of our memory for the environment that is explained in part by a shared cognitive-mobility architecture.