Usefulness of a Virtual Response Test as a Predictor of Functional and Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults With Different Degrees of Cognitive Impairment: a Pilot Study (ReactVR)

1. BACKGROUND Population aging is one of the most significant trends of the 21st century.In 2020, 21% of the European population was 65 years of age or older, compared to 16% in 2001.Today, 1 in 9 people is over 60, but it is estimated that by 2050, this will be 1 in 5. Therefore, population aging is a phenomenon that can no longer be ignored. In recent decades, the increase in the number of older people is due to the increase in life expectancy. By 2026, the average life expectancy for men is estimated at 77.65 years, and for women, values are projected to reach 85.5 years. Aging is generally associated with neuromuscular deterioration (such as sarcopenia), gait and balance disorders and loss of mobility. In general, a loss of functional independence. In the population over 60 years of age, approximately 3% of muscle strength is lost per year due to muscle denervation and the conversion of type II muscle fibers to type I muscle fibers, decreasing their muscle power for performing activities of daily living. This muscle weakness eventually leads to frailty in older adults, and, consequently, an increased rate of falls and fractures. Cognitive ability is also closely related to motor ability, since there are cognitive requirements for developing all physical functions and balance, and these can be altered when attention is diverted or reduced. Executive function and processing speed are some of the cognitive functions related to postural stability, which can be impaired in older adults with cognitive decline. Cognitive decline and dementia are geriatric syndromes with a fairly high incidence. Around 7% of those over 65 years of age are affected. affected, a percentage that increases to 50% for people over 80 years old, which means that more than 1.5 million people in Spain directly suffer from this condition. Furthermore, the risk of falls is linked to reaction times, which involve both cognitive and motor aspects (discussed above). These combine attentio