Xin Xin ¹ Qing Liu ^1* shuqi jia ¹ ShuFan LI ¹ Peng Wang ^1* Xingze Wang ^2* Xing WANG ^1*

• ¹ Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
• ² Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China

Objective: This study investigates the interplay between muscle strength, information processing speed, EEG-specific biomarkers, and cognitive function in elderly individuals with cognitive impairments, emphasizing the mediating roles of information processing speed and EEG-specific biomarkers. Method: A cross-sectional study design was employed to recruit 151 elderly participants. The participants underwent grip strength and 30-second sit-to-stand tests to assess muscle strength, completed the Trail Making Test part A (TMT-A) and the Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT) to evaluate information processing speed, and utilized the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) to gauge cognitive function. Additionally, EEG signals were recorded for 5 minutes to capture neural activity.Results: The difference in information processing speed among elderly individuals with varying degrees of cognitive impairment was statistically significant (P<0.001). A significant negative correlation was observed between the MoCA score and the time consumption of TMT-A (r=-0.402, P<0.01), and a significant positive correlation was found between the MoCA score and the SDMT score (r=0.609, P<0.01). Grip strength was negatively correlated with the time consumption of TMT-A (r=-0.336, P<0.01) and positively correlated with the SDMT score (r=0.336, P<0.01). A significant negative correlation was found between the 30-second sit-to-stand test and the time consumption of TMT-A (r=-0.273, P<0.01), and a significant positive correlation was observed between the 30-second sit-to-stand test and the SDMT score (r=0.372, P<0.01). Additionally, we observed that the α1 power value indicators were significantly correlated with the MoCA score, the time consumption of TMT-A, and the SDMT score (all P<0.01). The α1 power values at F7+F8 and T5+T6 were identified as sensitive EEG indicators for muscle strength and information processing speed. The EEGspecific indicators (B=0.019, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.047) and information processing speed (B=0.137, 95% CI: 0.096, 0.292) were found to partially mediate the relationship between grip strength and MoCA scores, with information processing speed exerting a stronger mediating effect. Conclusions: Muscle strength, information processing speed, and EEG-specific biomarkers were closely associated with cognitive function in elderly individuals. The potential pathway of interaction-muscle strength → EEG-specific biomarkers → information processing speed → cognitive function-provides valuable insights into advancing the field of cognitive research in the elderly.