Living arrangement and cognitive decline among older people in Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1111-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEFANO MAZZUCO ◽  
SILVIA MEGGIOLARO ◽  
FAUSTA ONGARO ◽  
VERONICA TOFFOLUTTI
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Family Resources ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall

ABSTRACTFamily resources may play an important role in the wellbeing of older people. In this paper, we examine the association between living arrangement and cognitive decline among people over 65 living in different European countries. The underlined hypothesis is that living with others (i.e. spouse or/and children) vis-à-vis living alone may have a positive role in maintaining cognitive functioning, but also that such beneficial influence varies according to the circumstances. To this end, we used data from the first two waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which provides indicators of several cognitive functions: orientation, immediate recall, delayed recall, verbal fluency and numeracy. Net of both the potential biases due to the selective attrition and the re-test effects, the evidence shows that the association between living arrangement and cognitive decline depends on the geographical area and on the starting level of cognitive function.

scholarly journals Trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated patterns of cognitive decline

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Formánek ◽  
Zsófia Csajbók ◽  
Katrin Wolfová ◽  
Matěj Kučera ◽  
Sarah Tom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Smoothing Splines ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
Growth Mixture Modelling

AbstractThe aim was to investigate the pattern and rate of cognitive decline across distinctive trajectories of depressive symptoms in older adults. In this prospective multinational cohort study on 69,066 participants (on average 64 years at baseline, 55% women), assessments of cognitive functions (immediate recall, delayed recall, verbal fluency) and depressive symptoms (EURO-D scale) were conducted at 2-year intervals. The trajectories of depressive symptoms were obtained using latent growth mixture modelling, cognitive decline was assessed using smoothing splines and linear mixed effects models. Four distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: constantly low (n = 49,660), constantly high (n = 2999), increasing (n = 6828) and decreasing (n = 9579). Individuals with increasing and constantly high depressive symptoms showed linear cognitive decline, while those with constantly low and decreasing depressive symptoms had fluctuating cognition. Participants with increasing depressive symptoms had the fastest decline, while those with decreasing symptoms were spared from decline in cognition. This study suggests that the pattern as well as the rate of cognitive decline co-occurs with specific patterns of changes in depressive symptoms over time. The most pronounced cognitive decline is present in individuals, in whom depressive symptoms increase late in life. Unique mechanisms of cognitive decline may exist for subgroups of the population, and are associated with the trajectory of depressive symptoms.

Association Between Season of Birth and Cognitive Aging in Older Adults: Pan-European Population-Based Study on 70,000 Individuals

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Matej Kucera ◽  
Katrin Wolfova ◽  
Pavla Cermakova
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Population Based ◽  
European Population ◽  
Season Of Birth ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall

Background: Several early-life factors have been associated with higher risk of developing dementia. It is unclear whether season of birth (SOB) can affect cognitive aging in older adults or not. Objective: We aimed to study the association of SOB with the level of cognitive performance as well as with the rate of cognitive decline. Methods: We studied 70,203 individuals who participated in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe. Cognition was measured with tests on verbal fluency and immediate and delayed recall. We assessed the association of SOB with the level of cognitive performance using multiple linear regression and with the rate of cognitive decline using linear mixed-effects models. Results: When compared to individuals born in winter and adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, being born in summer was associated with a higher level of delayed recall (B 0.05; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.09) and verbal fluency (B 0.15; 95%CI 0.00 to 0.29) and being born in fall with a higher level of immediate recall (B 0.04; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.08) and verbal fluency (B 0.15; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.29). Individuals born in summer had a higher yearly decline in delayed recall (B –0.005; 95%CI –0.009 to 0.000), while the scores in delayed recall in participants born in spring showed an inverse trend (B 0.005; 95%CI 0.000 to 0.010). Conclusion: Individuals born in winter seem to carry a life-long disadvantage in a lower level of cognitive performance; however, being born in winter does not seem to affect the rate of cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Association between physical-activity trajectories and cognitive decline in adults 50 years of age or older

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Cheval ◽  
Zsófia Csajbók ◽  
Tomáš Formánek ◽  
Stefan Sieber ◽  
Matthieu P. Boisgontier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Cognitive Measures ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
High Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Group ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
Growth Mixture Modelling ◽  
Physical Activity Group

Abstract Aims To investigate the associations of physical-activity trajectories with the level of cognitive performance (CP) and its decline in adults 50 years of age or older. Methods We studied 38 729 individuals (63 ± 9 years; 57% women) enrolled in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Physical activity was self-reported and CP was assessed based on immediate recall, verbal fluency and delayed recall. Physical-activity trajectories were estimated using growth mixture modelling and linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the associations between the trajectories and CP. Results The models identified two trajectories of physical activity: constantly high physical activity (N = 27 634: 71%) and decreasing physical activity (N = 11 095; 29%). Results showed that participants in the decreasing physical-activity group exhibited a lower level of CP compared to the high physical-activity group (immediate recall: ß = 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.92–0.95; verbal fluency: ß = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97–0.98; delayed recall: ß = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.94–0.97). Moreover, compared with participants in the constantly high physical-activity group, participants in the decreasing physical-activity group showed a steeper decline in all cognitive measures (immediate recall: ß = −0.04; 95% CI = −0.05 to −0.04; verbal fluency: ß = −0.22; 95% CI = −0.24 to −0.21; delayed recall: ß = −0.04; 95% CI = −0.05 to −0.04). Conclusions Physical-activity trajectories are associated with the level and evolution of CP in adults over 50 years. Specifically, our findings suggest that a decline in physical activity over multiple years is associated with a lower level and a steeper decline in CP.

scholarly journals Accelerated long-term forgetting in healthy older adults predicts cognitive decline over 1 year

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfie R. Wearn ◽  
Esther Saunders-Jennings ◽  
Volkan Nurdal ◽  
Emma Hadley ◽  
Michael J. Knight ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobe ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Better Than

Abstract Background Here, we address a pivotal factor in Alzheimer’s prevention—identifying those at risk early, when dementia can still be avoided. Recent research highlights an accelerated forgetting phenotype as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. We hypothesized that delayed recall over 4 weeks would predict cognitive decline over 1 year better than 30-min delayed recall, the current gold standard for detecting episodic memory problems which could be an early clinical manifestation of incipient Alzheimer’s disease. We also expected hippocampal subfield volumes to improve predictive accuracy. Methods Forty-six cognitively healthy older people (mean age 70.7 ± 7.97, 21/46 female), recruited from databases such as Join Dementia Research, or a local database of volunteers, performed 3 memory tasks on which delayed recall was tested after 30 min and 4 weeks, as well as Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) and CANTAB Paired Associates Learning. Medial temporal lobe subregion volumes were automatically measured using high-resolution 3T MRI. The ACE-III was repeated after 12 months to assess the change in cognitive ability. We used univariate linear regressions and ROC curves to assess the ability of tests of delayed recall to predict cognitive decline on ACE-III over the 12 months. Results Fifteen of the 46 participants declined over the year (≥ 3 points lost on ACE-III). Four-week verbal memory predicted cognitive decline in healthy older people better than clinical gold standard memory tests and hippocampal MRI. The best single-test predictor of cognitive decline was the 4-week delayed recall on the world list (R2 = .123, p = .018, β = .418). Combined with hippocampal subfield volumetry, 4-week verbal recall identifies those at risk of cognitive decline with 93% sensitivity and 86% specificity (AUC = .918, p < .0001). Conclusions We show that a test of accelerated long-term forgetting over 4 weeks can predict cognitive decline in healthy older people where traditional tests of delayed recall cannot. Accelerated long-term forgetting is a sensitive, easy-to-test predictor of cognitive decline in healthy older people. Used alone or with hippocampal MRI, accelerated forgetting probes functionally relevant Alzheimer’s-related change. Accelerated forgetting will identify early-stage impairment, helping to target more invasive and expensive molecular biomarker testing.

scholarly journals Role of sex in the association between childhood socioeconomic position and cognitive ageing in later life

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Wolfova ◽  
Zsofia Csajbok ◽  
Anna Kagstrom ◽  
Ingemar Kåreholt ◽  
Pavla Cermakova
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Multilevel Linear Regression

AbstractWe aimed to explore sex differences in the association of childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) with the level of cognitive performance and the rate of cognitive decline. We studied 84,059 individuals (55% women; mean age 64 years) from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Sex differences in the association of childhood SEP (household characteristics at age 10) with the level of cognitive performance (verbal fluency, immediate recall, delayed recall) were analysed using multilevel linear regression. Structural equation modelling tested education, depressive symptoms and physical state as mediators. The relationship between childhood socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage and the rate of cognitive decline was assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Higher childhood SEP was associated with a higher level of cognitive performance to a greater extent in women (B = 0.122; 95% CI 0.092–0.151) than in men (B = 0.109; 95% CI 0.084–0.135). The strongest mediator was education. Childhood socioeconomic disadvantage was related to a higher rate of decline in delayed recall in both sexes, with a greater association in women. Strategies to prevent impaired late-life cognitive functioning, such as reducing childhood socioeconomic disadvantages and improving education, might have a greater benefit for women.

scholarly journals Cardiovascular Profiles for Phenotyping Cognitive Trajectories in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 663-663
Author(s):  
Celine De Looze ◽  
Wilby Williamson ◽  
Naiara Demnitz ◽  
Rose Anne Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Muscular Strength ◽  
Walking Speed ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Heart Rate Recovery ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Orthostatic Blood Pressure

Abstract Cardiovascular risk factors are increasingly recognized as modifiable risks for cognitive decline and dementia in later life. The Life’s Simple 7, an ideal CV health scoring system, has been recently put forward as a tool for the promotion of brain health. This study aims to evaluate the LS7 as risk prediction tool for cognitive decline trajectories (MMSE, immediate/delayed recall and verbal fluency) in 2,739 adults aged ≥50 years from TILDA. We investigate if indices of muscular strength (grip strength), mobility (Time Up and Go, walking speed) and physiological stress (e.g. orthostatic blood pressure and heart rate recovery) as add-ons to the LS7 improves prediction of cognitive trajectories; and, in a subcohort, we assess CV health score in association with multimodal brain measures. Identifying the factors that influence the onset and trajectory of cognitive decline in a multifactorial perspective is critical toward lowering dementia risks and developing adequate intervention and treatment.

scholarly journals Association between physical-activity trajectories and cognitive decline in adults 50 years of age or older

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Cheval ◽  
Zsófia Csajbók ◽  
Tomáš Formánek ◽  
Stefan Sieber ◽  
Matthieu P. Boisgontier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
High Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Group ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
Growth Mixture Modelling ◽  
Physical Activity Group

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate the associations of physical-activity trajectories with the level of cognitive performance and its decline in adults 50 years of age or older.MethodsWe studied 38729 individuals (63 ± 9 years; 57% women) enrolled in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Physical activity was self-reported and cognitive performance was assessed based on immediate recall, verbal fluency, and delayed recall. Physical-activity trajectories were estimated using growth mixture modelling and linear mixed effects models were used to investigate the associations between the trajectories and cognitive performance.ResultsThe models identified two physical-activity trajectories of physical activity: constantly-high physical activity (N=27634: 71%) and decreasing physical activity (N=11095; 29%). Results showed that participants in the decreasing physical-activity group exhibited a lower level of cognitive performance compared to the high physical-activity group (immediate recall: ß=0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.92 to 0.95; verbal fluency: ß=0.98; 95% CI=0.97 to 0.98; delayed recall: ß=0.95; 95% CI=0.94 to 0.97). Moreover, compared with participants in the constantly-high physical-activity group, participants in the decreasing physical-activity group showed a steeper decline in all cognitive measures (immediate recall: ß=-0.04; 95% CI=-0.05 to −0.04; verbal fluency: ß=-0.22; 95% CI=-0.24 to −0.21; delayed recall: ß=-0.04; 95% CI=-0.05 to −0.04).ConclusionsPhysical-activity trajectories are associated with the level and evolution of cognitive performance in adults over 50 years. Specifically, our findings suggest that a decline in physical activity over multiple years is associated with a lower level and a steeper decline in cognitive performance.

#3122 Is subjective cognitive decline (SCD) a better marker of susceptibility to functional cognitive disorder (FCD) than to neurodegeneration?: The caerphilly prospective study

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. A4.1-A4
Author(s):  
Harriet A Ball ◽  
Antony Bayer ◽  
Elizabeth Coulthard ◽  
Mark Fish ◽  
John Gallacher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Study ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Disorder ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽  
Risk Markers ◽  
Vascular Risk ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Internal Inconsistency

Objective/AimsDoes Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) indicate susceptibility to Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD) more often than it indicates neurodegeneration? Prior research has focused on clinical populations where FCD is increasingly identified, but associations could differ at the community level. A clinical diagnosis of FCD requires cognitive symptoms, internal inconsistency, the absence of another explanatory disorder, and significant impairment; but we know little about its aetiology and prevalence. Cognitive internal inconsistency has not been systematically studied.Methods1,143 men were followed in the Caerphilly Prospective Study. Their subjective experience of cognitive change at average age 73 years was compared to their previous rate of objective cognitive change (using the Cambridge Cognition Examination). Logistic regression models examined potential predictors of SCD (measured in the preceding decade) including sociodemographic factors, vascular risk markers (ischaemic heart disease, vascular medications, smoking history), alcohol exposure, sleep problems, depression, anxiety trait, and objective cognition. We also looked for markers of cognitive internal inconsistency (delayed recall proportionately better than immediate recall, using the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test). Finally, subjective and objective cognition at average age 73 were used to predict change in objective cognition nine years later.ResultsSCD was common (30%), and only weakly related to prior objective cognitive decline (sensitivity 36% [95% CI 30-42], specificity 72% [95% CI 68-75]). Longitudinal independent predictors of SCD were older age, poor sleep quality and higher trait anxiety: rate of decline in objective cognition did not independently predict subsequent SCD (adjusted OR 1.18 [95% CI 0.72 1.95]). Those with SCD (compared to those without) had mildly worse scores on immediate recall, but their delayed recall was in proportion to their immediate recall, i.e., there was no evidence of cognitive internal inconsistency. SCD did not predict future objective cognitive change (p=0.84). Important limitations include the male-only sample and the possibility of survivor bias.ConclusionsSCD is common, but is only weakly associated with prior objective cognitive decline, is not predicted by vascular risk markers (aside from age), and does not predict future objective cognitive decline. The high community prevalence of SCD is instead driven partly via sleep difficulties and anxiety. Our results suggest those with SCD may have a mild deficit in attentional processes but relatively intact memory for the items they do encode. Subjectively experiencing cognitive decline in the absence of an objective decline appears to be a highly prevalent example of poor meta-cognition, which could be a driver to later FCD.

scholarly journals Multimorbidity and Cognitive Decline Over 14 Years in Older Americans

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1206-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Y Wei ◽  
Deborah A Levine ◽  
Laura B Zahodne ◽  
Mohammed U Kabeto ◽  
Kenneth M Langa
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Geriatric Syndrome ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
Global Cognition

Abstract Background Multimorbidity is associated with greater disability and accelerated declines in physical functioning over time in older adults. However, less is known about its effect on cognitive decline. Methods Participants without dementia from the Health and Retirement Study were interviewed about physician-diagnosed conditions, from which their multimorbidity-weighted index (MWI) that weights diseases to physical functioning was computed. We used linear mixed-effects models to examine the predictor MWI with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm, global cognition), 10-word immediate recall and delayed recall, and serial 7s outcomes biennially after adjusting for baseline cognition and covariates. Results Fourteen thousand two hundred sixty-five participants, 60% female, contributed 73,700 observations. Participants had a mean ± SD age 67 ± 9.3 years and MWI 4.4 ± 3.9 at baseline. Each point increase in MWI was associated with declines in global cognition (0.04, 95% CI: 0.03–0.04 TICSm), immediate recall (0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.02 words), delayed recall (0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.02 words), and working memory (0.01, 95% CI: 0.01–0.02 serial 7s; all p &lt; .001). Multimorbidity was associated with faster declines in global cognition (0.003 points/year faster, 95% CI: 0.002–0.004), immediate recall (0.001 words/year faster, 95% CI: 0.001–0.002), and working memory (0.006 incorrect serial 7s/year faster, 95% CI: 0.004–0.009; all p &lt; .001), but not delayed recall compared with premorbid slopes. Conclusions Multimorbidity using a validated index weighted to physical functioning was associated with acute decline in cognition and accelerated and persistent cognitive decline over 14 years. This study supports an ongoing geriatric syndrome of coexisting physical and cognitive impairment in adults with multimorbidity. Clinicians should monitor and address both domains in older multimorbid adults.

scholarly journals Change in Loneliness Experienced by Older Men and Women Living Alone and With Others at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110266
Author(s):  
Maureen Wilson-Genderson ◽  
Allison R. Heid ◽  
Francine Cartwright ◽  
Amy L. Collins ◽  
Rachel Pruchno
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Mixed Effects Models ◽  
Perceived Support ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Older Men And Women

Building on theory suggesting that loneliness is distinct from living arrangements, social isolation, and perceived social support, we examined change in loneliness for older people at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing 14-years of data with multilevel mixed-effects models, we found higher levels of loneliness among people living alone, people more socially isolated, and people with less perceived support. Gender affected changes in loneliness, controlling for social isolation, perceived support, living arrangements, age, education, income, health, and marital status. Women, whether living alone or with others, experienced increases in loneliness; women living alone reported the greatest increase in loneliness. Men living alone reported high levels of loneliness prior to the pandemic, but only a slight increase over time. These analyses, which demonstrate that loneliness changed at the onset of the pandemic as a function of gender and living arrangement identify older people most likely to benefit from intervention.

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