THE RELATION OF HYDRATION STATUS TO DECLARATIVE MEMORY AND WORKING MEMORY IN OLDER ADULTS

Objectives: Prior studies have suggested a relationship between dehydration and poor cognitive performance. The present study examined the relationships among hydration status, declarative memory and working memory skills, and blood pressure in a sample of older community dwelling females. Design: Data was analyzed from a larger study; relationships among hydration status, blood pressure, and cognitive measures were assessed with correlation and meditational analyses. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: 21 postmenopausal women (mean age 60.3, SD 8.03). Measures: Hydration status was measured using bioelectrical impedance, baseline blood pressure was assessed using a Colin Pressmate, and cognition was examined using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Auditory Consonant Trigrams. Results: Bioelectrical impedance total body water by weight was found to be related to working memory, r = .47, p = .04, and memory skills, r = .54, p = .01. Total body water by weight was also found to be related to diastolic blood pressure, r = -.56, p = .01, which in turn was related to working memory, r = -.67, p = .002, and declarative memory, r = -.57, p = .009, skills. When diastolic blood pressure was accounted for, the relationship between hydration status and cognitive skills was attenuated. A similar pattern of results was seen for systolic blood pressure, although findings did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Results emphasize the importance of considering hydration status and blood pressure when interpreting cognitive performance in older adults.