VEGI GRASP: A Virtual Reality Platform for Integrated Cognitive-Motor Assessment in Frail Older Adults

The relationship between physical frailty and verbal fluency becomes particularly apparent when examining the performance patterns of frail older adults. These individuals typically exhibit distinctive characteristics in verbal fluency tasks, including reduced word production rate, increased clustering difficulties, and less efficient switching between categories. Such changes are especially noticeable in semantic fluency tasks, which heavily depend on preserved semantic networks and executive function. Notably, studies have demonstrated that lower handgrip strength correlates with reduced performance in both phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks, independent of age and education level.2 This independence makes handgrip strength a particularly valuable marker for early detection of cognitive vulnerability in physically frail individuals. The implications of this relationship between physical frailty and verbal fluency extend far beyond theoretical interest. Understanding this connection offers promising opportunities for preventive medicine and clinical intervention strategies. By recognizing cognitive alterations through their association with physical indicators, healthcare providers may be better positioned to implement early detection and intervention protocols, potentially slowing the progression of both physical and cognitive decline in the aging population.