INTRODUCTION: The decline of cognitive capacity is due to physiological processes of normal aging or a stage of transition to dementia. Dementia is a clinical syndrome that can be caused by a number of underlying diseases related to neuronal loss and damage to brain structure. Individuals with dementia may have cognitive and functional changes that interfere with daily activities. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the decline of cognition and its impact on functional abilities in elderly non-institutionalized and institutionalized. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated a total of fifty-three elderly people divided into two groups, one group of institutionalized elderly and other non-institutionalized. In the group of non-institutionalized individuals were evaluated thirty-one individuals non-institutionalized elderly, and twenty-two in the group of elderly institutionalized individuals. The groups had both sexes and ages ranging from 55 to 86 years. Were made to characterize the elderly and application of cognitive evaluation using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage and functional evaluation by the Lawton scale for instrumental activities of daily living. These data were coded and compared among them in order to verify the correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Among institutionalized individuals obtained the mean age of 72.33 ± 10.44 years, mean MMSE 11.17 ± 5.8, scale of Lawton 8.11 ± 2.99 and scale of Yesavage 4, 06 ± 2.90. Among non-institutionalized individuals obtained the mean age of 62.78 ± 9.01 years, mean MMSE 26.41 ± 3.25, range from Lawton 15.43 ± 1.33 and scale of Yesavage 2, 02 ± 2.83. By comparing the two groups, all the rating scales obtained significant values (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The data suggest an influence of depression on cognitive status and functional activities of daily living.
Elderly; Cognition; Function; Depression
