Widowhood Status as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline among Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 778-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Hyun Shin ◽  
Giyeon Kim ◽  
Soohyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Cognitive Decline

scholarly journals BODY MASS INDEX AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION DECLINE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S815-S815
Author(s):  
Yingxiao Hua ◽  
Yingxiao Hua ◽  
Dexia Kong ◽  
XinQi Dong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Work Memory ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Chinese Older Adults

Abstract Body composition has been proposed as an important modifiable risk factor of cognitive decline in multiple epidemiological studies. However, the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cognitive function remains controversial and conflicting in diverse populations. This study aims to investigate the association between BMI and cognitive decline in U.S. Chinese older adults. Classifications of BMI are based on Asian criteria recommended by WHO (underweight: BMI<18.5, normal weight: 18.5≤BMI<23, overweight: 23≤bmi<27.5, obesity: bmi≥27.5). Logistic regression models were conducted. Compared with normal-weight participants, underweight participants were more likely to experience decline in episodic memory (OR=1.68, p=0.002) and work memory (OR=1.38, p=0.05). Being overweight and obesity were not associated with cognitive function decline. The findings indicate that underweight could potentially be a risk factor of cognitive function decline among U.S. Chinese older adults. Perspective studies may further investigate the association between weight loss and cognitive decline for the development of prevention strategies.

scholarly journals 0737 Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Distinct Physiological Phenotypic Risk Factor in older adults with Cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease

SLEEP ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. A273-A274
Author(s):  
O M BUBU ◽  
A Andrade ◽  
M M Hogan ◽  
O Q Umasabor-Bubu ◽  
F Mukhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Obstructive Sleep

Education Differences in the Adverse Impact of PM2.5 on Incident Cognitive Impairment Among U.S. Older Adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Jennifer Ailshire ◽  
Katrina M. Walsemann
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Nationally Representative

Background: Air pollution is linked to worse cognitive function in older adults, but whether differences in this relationship exist by education, a key risk factor for cognitive decline, remains unknown. Objective: To determine if the association between fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and incident cognitive impairment varies by level of education in two cohorts assessed a decade apart. Methods: We used data on adults ages 60 and older from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS) linked with tract-level annual average PM2.5. We used mixed-effects logistic regression models to examine education differences in the association between PM2.5 and incident cognitive impairment in two cohorts: 2004 (n = 9,970) and 2014 (n = 9,185). Cognitive impairment was determined with tests of memory and processing speed for self-respondents and proxy and interviewer assessments of cognitive functioning in non-self-respondents. Results: PM2.5 was unrelated to incident cognitive impairment among those with 13 or more years of education, but the probability of impairment increased with greater concentrations of PM2.5 among those with 8 or fewer years of education. The interaction between education and PM2.5 was only found in 2004, possibly because PM2.5 concentrations were much lower in 2014. Conclusion: Education is an important risk factor for cognitive decline and impairment, and in higher pollution contexts may serve as a protective factor against the harms of air pollution on the aging brain. Additionally, because air pollution is ubiquitous, and particularly harmful to vulnerable populations, even small improvements in air quality may have large impacts on population health.

scholarly journals Mild Cognitive Decline Is a Risk Factor for Scam Vulnerability in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Ueno ◽  
Yasuhiro Daiku ◽  
Yoko Eguchi ◽  
Minako Iwata ◽  
Shoka Amano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Japanese Version ◽  
Disease Assessment ◽  
Financial Exploitation ◽  
Cognitive Subscale ◽  
Interview Survey

Research on elderly financial exploitation has mostly focused on financial abuse that occurs in families and other types of trusted relationships. As such, little is known about financial frauds and scams perpetrated by strangers. Financial fraud and scam prevention activities for older adults must be promoted, for which the correlation between the psychological, social, and cognitive characteristics of their vulnerability needs to be determined. The present study aimed to determine whether cognitive decline is a risk factor for scam vulnerability in older adults. Thus, we created a scam vulnerability scale for older adults with cognitive decline and analyzed the data to reveal the correlation between them, including inhibition and executive function. We conducted an interview survey with 50 older adults with cognitive decline (average age: 79.42 years, SD: 5.44) and 51 older adults without cognitive decline (average age: 76.12 years, SD: 5.82). The interview survey included the scam vulnerability scale, psychosocial questionnaires, and neuropsychological tests. The scale included six items with a four-point Likert scale based on a previous study. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that lower scores on the Japanese version of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Jcog; indicating higher general cognitive function) correlated with higher scam vulnerability in the cognitive decline group (β = −0.46, p < 0.001). In addition, men were found to be more vulnerable in both groups (cognitive decline group: β = −0.29, p = 0.015, cognitive non-decline group; β = −0.32, p = 0.018). Inhibition and executive function were found not to correlate significantly with scam vulnerability. These results suggest that mild cognitive decline correlates with higher scam vulnerability, whereas moderate to severe cognitive decline correlates with lower vulnerability, possibly because it makes understanding the scam attempt itself difficult. Older adults with mild cognitive decline and their families, particularly those visiting elderly care or outpatient facilities, should be notified of the scam vulnerability of older clients using the ADAS-Jcog score as an index to help them avoid victimization.

Activity Engagement in Cognitive Aging: A Review of the Evidence

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rogalski ◽  
Muriel Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The population of older adults is rapidly increasing, as is the number and type of products and interventions proposed to prevent or reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Advocacy and prevention are part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) scope of practice documents, and speech-language pathologists must have basic awareness of the evidence contributing to healthy cognitive aging. In this article, we provide a brief overview outlining the evidence on activity engagement and its effects on cognition in older adults. We explore the current evidence around the activities of eating and drinking with a discussion on the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, alcohol, and coffee. We investigate the evidence on the hypothesized neuroprotective effects of social activity, the evidence on computerized cognitive training, and the emerging behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on physical activity. We conclude that actively aging using a combination of several strategies may be our best line of defense against cognitive decline.

Cognitive Flexibility Difficulties Predict Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay R. Clark ◽  
Eric M. Fine ◽  
Gali H. Weissberger ◽  
David P. Salmon ◽  
Dean C. Delis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility

scholarly journals Social isolation, rather than loneliness, is associated with cognitive decline in older adults: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Bin Yu ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Yongjie Chen ◽  
Xiaohua Jia
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Confounding Variables

Abstract Background Social isolation and loneliness have each been associated with cognitive decline, but most previous research is limited to Western populations. This study examined the relationships of social isolation and loneliness on cognitive function among Chinese older adults. Methods This study used two waves of data (2011 and 2015) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and analyses were restricted to those respondents aged 50 and older. Social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function were measured at baseline. Follow-up measures on cognitive function were obtained for 7761 participants (mean age = 60.97, s.d. = 7.31; male, 50.8%). Lagged dependent variable models adjusted for confounding factors were used to evaluate the association between baseline isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function at follow-up. Results Loneliness was significantly associated with the cognitive decline at follow-up (episodic memory: β = −0.03, p < 0.01; mental status: β = −0.03, p < 0.01) in the partially adjusted models. These associations became insignificant after additional confounding variables (chronic diseases, health behaviors, disabilities, and depressive symptoms) were taken into account (all p > 0.05). By contrast, social isolation was significantly associated with decreases in all cognitive function measures at follow-up (episodic memory: β = −0.05, p < 0.001; mental status: β = −0.03, p < 0.01) even after controlling for loneliness and all confounding variables. Conclusions Social isolation is associated with cognitive decline in Chinese older adults, and the relationships are independent of loneliness. These findings expand our knowledge about the links between social relationships and the cognitive function in non-Western populations.

scholarly journals A Novel Touch-Screen, Dual-Language Intervention Program for Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 559-559
Author(s):  
W Quin Yow ◽  
Hui-Ching Chen ◽  
Tharshini Lokanathan ◽  
Attila Achenbach ◽  
Lucienne Blessing
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Semantic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Touch Screen ◽  
Language Intervention

Abstract Although cognitive training in healthy older adults (OA) has been controversial, specific and isolated cognitive skills such as semantic memory can be improved with appropriate designs. Semantic memory has been considered as a clinical marker for cognitive decline in dementia. The current study, as part of a larger touch-screen dual-language intervention program with cognitive training tools, aims to slow down the rate of cognitive decline in OA with dementia (OwD). A set of neuropsychological tests was conducted before and after the training program. After 24 training sessions over 8-12 weeks, OwD (11 females, 1 male, mean=85.8yo) improved significantly in their verbal working memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; RAVLT) while performance of the cognitive-healthy OA (5 females, 3 males, mean=76.3yo) remained the same post-intervention. Our findings suggest that touch-screen technology can help OwD improve their semantic memory. The strengths and limitations of our game design and intervention will be discussed. Part of a symposium sponsored by Technology and Aging Interest Group.

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