Impact of respiratory sarcopenia on attention function in community-dwelling older adults: a preliminary cross-sectional study

[Purpose] We aimed to clarify the association between respiratory sarcopenia and attention function, assessed by the Trail Making Test (TMT), in community-dwelling older adults. [Participants and Methods] Fifty-nine older adults were assessed for body composition, respiratory function, and both TMT-A and TMT-B performance times. Respiratory sarcopenia was identified by a reduction in maximal oral pressure and a low skeletal muscle mass index; multiple regression analysis examined the association between respiratory sarcopenia and TMT performance times, adjusting for age and history of respiratory disease. [Results] Respiratory sarcopenia prevalence was 10.2%. This group had significantly lower body weight, body mass index, skeletal muscle mass index, and trunk muscle ratio than the non-respiratory sarcopenia group. We found that the presence of respiratory sarcopenia was significantly associated with a prolonged TMT-A performance time, as opposed to that of TMT-B. [Conclusion] These results indicate that respiratory sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults was associated with a decline in attention, particularly reduced performance on the TMT-A (reflecting selective and sustained attention), whereas no significant association was found with the TMT-B (reflecting divided attention). We concluded that these findings suggest a potential association between respiratory sarcopenia and specific attention domains in older adults.