Cognitive impairment and functional capacity in older adults

Janeth Rosario Medina Benavides ¹, Fernando Javier Altamirano Hidalgo ², Gustavo Eleodoro Valverde Peralta ³

^1,3Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador.
Email: jmedinab4@unemi.edu.ec
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7071-6264

²Universidad Internacional SEK, Quito, Ecuador.
Email: fernando.altamirano@uisek.edu.ec
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7820-4535

³Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador.
Email: gvalverdep@unemi.edu.ec
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3050-6179

Received: 19th Dec, 2025; Revised: 11th Feb 2026; Accepted: 12th Feb, 2026; Available Online: 28th Feb, 2026

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ABSTRACT

Cognitive impairment in the elderly is a gradual process that affects a significant segment of the population, interfering with their mental faculties and functional capacity in the physical, mental, and social domains. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between cognitive impairment and functional capacity in older adults. A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional research design was employed, and studies were conducted in Ecuador on 659 older adults aged 60 and over who were part of a project aimed at fostering social connectivity. The study was conducted with the informed consent of each participant. Cognitive impairment variables were measured, and functional capacity was assessed with the Barthel Index (IB) Original Version (Basic Activities of Daily Living, ABVD) with the Mini-Mental State Examination (Mini-Mental). To this end, a descriptive analysis was performed.

Results: With respect to functional capacity, the study found that 57.8% of the older adult population was classified as independent, 21.9% exhibited moderate dependence, and 17.3% demonstrated low dependence. With respect to cognitive impairment, it is evident that 48.6% of the sample is within the normal range, while 26.3% exhibit moderate cognitive impairment, and 24.3% demonstrate mild cognitive impairment.

Summary: The study demonstrates that a significant proportion of older adults maintain independence in their daily activities and do not exhibit cognitive impairment. However, findings also indicate the presence of dependence and moderate cognitive impairment. It is imperative to ascertain whether the degree of dependence corresponds to that of the cognitive impairment.

Keywords: Cognitive impairment, functional capacity, dependence.

How to cite this article: Medina Benavides JR, Altamirano Hidalgo FJ, Valverde Peralta GE. Cognitive impairment and functional capacity in older adults. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(5s): 468-472; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.5s.63

Source of support: Nil.

Conflict of interest: None