FROM : Time Series Analysis for Forecasting Cognitive Deterioration After The Covid-19 Pandemic in Healthy Japanese Elderly: A Pilot Study

Thank you for your suggestions.

All the authors have read your comments. We agree with you and have incorporated your suggestions throughout our paper. The writing in red shows the places we have corrected.

Reviewer-1 Comment

Comment #1

 Did the eight individuals with MCI before the pandemic change their MOCA-J scores after the pandemic?

Response

 The average change scores of the eight individuals diagnosed with MCI before the pandemic were found to be within the MCID after post-pandemic, suggesting that no clinically significant changes occurred post-pandemic. We have revised the text (p. 6, lines 1-3 from the bottom) to reflect your suggestion.

Comment #2

You presented BMI and %Fat in the result section, but there are no comments in the discussion section. What is the significance of BMI and %Fat in this study?

Response

To demonstrate that our study participants had a typical body composition for Japanese individuals, we have included data on BMI and % body fat.

This is described in the results section (p. 5, lines 18 from the top and Discussion).

Comment #3

It has been noted that diagnosing MCI using only the MOCA-J score is not straightforward. Did the five individuals who developed MCI after the pandemic consult a specialist for dementia?

Response

Thank you for your kind advice. Due to their age, there may be some limitations in their comprehension of the results. Therefore, we will strive to emphasize the importance of follow-up with a healthcare provider.

Comment #4

Although you mentioned that a significant decline in the MOCA-J score was observed, you did not specify the declined areas, such as visuospatial abilities, memory function, and executive function. I would like to know these data of 6 individuals who declined MOCA-J score.

Response

The only item that showed a decrease in all participants was delayed recall, with an average score of 2.6. We have revised the text (Abstract and p. 6, lines 8-9 from the top) to reflect your suggestion.

Comment #5

It may be necessary to disclose any relationships with companies that provided research funding or any specific interests that could influence the research outcomes, in addition to competing interests.

Response

Thank you for your helpful comments.

This study was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. While it was originally mentioned in the results section, we have moved it to the Competing Interests section.We are planning to create an online platform for the ongoing assessment of cognitive function in homebound elderly individuals, which will trigger recommendations for medical follow-up when cognitive decline is observed. We have revised the competing interests to reflect your suggestion.

Reviewer Comments-2

The paper is very interesting and fruitful for publishing in the esteemed journal. Please rearrange the article as per the journal guideline before publications.

Response Report-2

Thank you for your helpful comments. All the authors have read the manuscript and have approved this submission.