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Grip strength may indicate cognitive impairment in mood disorders
Handgrip strength is associated with overall cognition in adults with and without major depression and bipolar depression, suggesting grip strength may be a marker of cognitive impairment in mood disorders, according to findings published in JAMA Psychiatry.
“Although handgrip strength has already been shown to be an indicator of risk of developing psychiatric disorders, the potential value of handgrip strength as a marker of cognitive status in psychiatric disorders has not been explored,” Joseph Firth, PhD, of the NICM Health Research Institute, School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney in Australia, and colleagues wrote. “If handgrip strength provides a reliable indication of overall cognitive functioning, it is an attractive measure in comparison with other neurocognitive or biological markers, being noninvasive, inexpensive and quickly administered with relatively little training.”
Firth and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional analysis in the U.K. to examine the link between handgrip strength and cognitive performance in 85,893 healthy adults, 22,699 adults with major depression and 1,475 adults with bipolar disorder after controlling for age, educational level, sex, weight and geographic region. Researchers evaluated cognitive functioning using a computerized 15-minute task battery that measured reaction time, visual memory, number memory, reasoning and prospective memory. Participants’ muscular function was measured using handgrip dynamometry assessment.
Analysis revealed associations between handgrip strength and cognition among patients in the major depression, bipolar disorder and control groups. Among those with major depression, the investigators found maximal grip strength was a significant predictor of improved performance in visual memory reaction time, reasoning, number memory and prospective memory. They observed similar results in healthy participants. Among those with bipolar disorder, grip strength was associated with visual memory (P = .01), reaction time (P < .001), reasoning (P < .001) and prospective memory (P = .003).
Researchers conducted a post-hoc sensitivity analysis to determine if significant association persisted between grip strength and cognition when controlling for metabolic health. Results demonstrated that controlling for these factors did not affect the outcomes, according to the researchers.
“To our knowledge, this study is the first to identify handgrip strength as a marker of cognitive function in mood disorders,” Firth and colleagues wrote. “Further investigation is required to assess the effects of resistance training on cognitive functioning in people with depression and bipolar disorder to determine whether muscular function provides not only a biomarker of cognition, but also potential therapeutic target for reducing the social and economic burden of these conditions.” – by Savannah Demko
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.