Relationship of tooth loss to mild memory impairment and cognitive impairment: findings from the fujiwara-kyo study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between the number of remaining teeth to mild memory impairment (MMI), which is a preclinical stage of dementia, and to cognitive impairment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The subjects were aged 65 years or older and were grouped according to their score for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the three-word delayed recall test in the MMSE, and the Geriatric Depression Scale into the control group (n = 3,696), the MMI group (n = 121), and the low MMSE score (23 or lower) group (n = 214). We collected data on the number of remaining teeth, the length of the edentulous period, health-related lifestyle, medical history, blood pressure, height, and body weight. Fasting venous blood samples were also obtained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusted for depressive symptoms, age, sex, length of education, and other explanatory variables, revealed that the odds ratios of 0-10 remaining teeth to 22-32 remaining teeth were 1.679 (95% CI 1.073-2.627) for MMI and 2.177 (95% CI 1.510-3.140) for a low MMSE score. A significant relationship was also found between the length of the edentulous period and the risk of a low MMSE score (odds ratio 3.102, 95% CI 1.432-6.720) (15 years or more/less than 15 years).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings suggest that tooth loss is associated with cognitive function.</p

VOLUNTARILY ORGANIZED SYMPOSIUM II MODERN SOCIETY AND THE STUDY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

In this symposium, the propositions and arguments were discussed on the three axes as follows : (1) The evaluation of modern science : The first view point was that the methods of abstruction and conceptualization in the modern science, repressed some people who dropped out of those methods. The second was that the formation of synthetic science will correct those defects and solve the final problems. (2) The discriminatory social structure : We should emphasize the awareness of the discriminatory social structure ; for example, adult infant, the not-handicapped the handicapped, man woman, majority minority. (3) The relations between researchers or professionals and real society : The first argument criticized the situation that the modern science had changed into religion, and that the expectation to professionals'work had been enlarged. The another one pointed out that the professionals could not meet the expectation because of the low level of modern science ; therefore, we should make efforts to bring science up to a higher level