scholarly journals Longitudinal Standards for Mid-life Cognitive Performance: Identifying Abnormal Within-Person Changes in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Koscik ◽  
Erin M. Jonaitis ◽  
Lindsay R. Clark ◽  
Kimberly D. Mueller ◽  
Samantha L. Allison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Education ◽  
Reference Values ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Verbal Ability ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Consensus Conference ◽  
Past Performance ◽  
Conditional Models ◽  
Low Performance

AbstractObjectives: A major challenge in cognitive aging is differentiating preclinical disease-related cognitive decline from changes associated with normal aging. Neuropsychological test authors typically publish single time-point norms, referred to here as unconditional reference values. However, detecting significant change requires longitudinal, or conditional reference values, created by modeling cognition as a function of prior performance. Our objectives were to create, depict, and examine preliminary validity of unconditional and conditional reference values for ages 40–75 years on neuropsychological tests. Method: We used quantile regression to create growth-curve–like models of performance on tests of memory and executive function using participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention. Unconditional and conditional models accounted for age, sex, education, and verbal ability/literacy; conditional models also included past performance on and number of prior exposures to the test. Models were then used to estimate individuals’ unconditional and conditional percentile ranks for each test. We examined how low performance on each test (operationalized as <7th percentile) related to consensus-conference–determined cognitive statuses and subjective impairment. Results: Participants with low performance were more likely to receive an abnormal cognitive diagnosis at the current visit (but not later visits). Low performance was also linked to subjective and informant reports of worsening memory function. Conclusions: The percentile-based methods and single-test results described here show potential for detecting troublesome within-person cognitive change. Development of reference values for additional cognitive measures, investigation of alternative thresholds for abnormality (including multi-test criteria), and validation in samples with more clinical endpoints are needed. (JINS, 2019, 25, 1–14)

scholarly journals Longitudinal standards for mid-life cognitive performance: Identifying abnormal within-person changes in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Koscik ◽  
Erin M. Jonaitis ◽  
Lindsay R. Clark ◽  
Kimberly D. Mueller ◽  
Samantha L. Allison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Reference Values ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Verbal Ability ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Past Performance ◽  
Conditional Models ◽  
Low Performance

AbstractObjectiveA major challenge in cognitive aging is differentiating preclinical disease-related cognitive decline from changes associated with normal aging. Neuropsychological test authors typically publish single time-point norms, referred to here as unconditional standards or reference values. However, detecting significant change requires longitudinal, or conditional XSreference values, created by modeling cognition as a function of prior performance. Our objectives were to create, depict, and examine preliminary validity of unconditional and conditional reference values for ages 40-75 on neuropsychological tests of memory and executive function.MethodWe used quantile regression to create growth-curve-like models of performance on tests of memory and executive function using participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention. Unconditional and conditional models accounted for age, sex, education, and verbal ability/literacy; conditional models also included past performance on and number of prior exposures to the test. Models were then used to estimate individuals’ unconditional and conditional percentile ranks for each test. We then examined how low performance on each test (operationalized as <7th percentile) related to consensus-conference-determined cognitive statuses, and subjective impairment.ResultsParticipants with low performance according to the reference values were more likely to receive an abnormal cognitive diagnosis at the current visit (but not later visits). Low performance was also linked to subjective and informant reports of worsening memory function.ConclusionsMethods are needed to identify significant within-person cognitive change. The unconditional and conditional reference-development methods described here have many potential uses in research and clinical settings.

scholarly journals Job Strain and Trajectories of Cognitive Change Before and After Retirement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotta Nilsen ◽  
Monica E Nelson ◽  
Ross Andel ◽  
Michael Crowe ◽  
Deborah Finkel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
General Cognitive Ability ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Ability Estimate

Abstract Objectives We examined associations between job strain and trajectories of change in cognitive functioning (general cognitive ability plus verbal, spatial, memory, and speed domains) before and after retirement. Method Data on indicators of job strain, retirement age, and cognitive factors were available from 307 members of the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA). Participants were followed for up to 27 years (mean=15.4, SD=8.5). Results In growth curve analyses controlling for age, sex, education, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular health, and twinness, greater job strain was associated with worse memory (Estimate=-1.22, p=.007), speed (Estimate=-1.11, p=.012), spatial ability (Estimate=-0.96, p=.043), and general cognitive ability (Estimate=-1.33, p=.002) at retirement. Greater job strain was also associated with less improvement in general cognitive ability before retirement and a somewhat slower decline after retirement. The sex-stratified analyses showed that the smaller gains of general cognitive ability before retirement (Estimate=-1.09, p=.005) were only observed in women. Domain-specific analyses revealed that greater job strain was associated with less improvement in spatial (Estimate=-1.35, p=.010) and verbal (Estimate=-0.64, p=.047) ability before retirement in women, and a slower decline in memory after retirement in women (Estimate=0.85, p=.008) and men (Estimate=1.12, p=.013). Neither pre-retirement nor post-retirement speed was affected by job strain. Discussion Greater job strain may have a negative influence on overall cognitive functioning prior to and at retirement, while interrupting exposure to job strain (post-retirement) may slow the rate of cognitive aging. Reducing level of stress at work should be seen as a potential target for intervention to improve cognitive aging outcomes.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in the Association Between Leisure Activity in Adulthood and Cognitive Function in Old Age: A Prospective Longitudinal Population-Based Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda B Hassing
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Spatial Ability ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Verbal Ability ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Cultural Activity ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Abstract Objectives To examine the long-term association between leisure activities in adulthood and cognitive function in old age while recognizing gender differences in activity profiles. Methods The sample included 340 cognitively healthy twins enrolled in the OCTO-Twin Study, a longitudinal study on cognitive aging. Leisure activity was measured in midlife and cognitive function in old age (mean age 83). Leisure activities covered the domains of domestic, intellectual–cultural, and self-improvement activities. The cognitive assessments comprised 5 measurement occasions (2-year intervals) covering verbal ability, spatial ability, memory, and speed. The association between leisure activity and cognitive function was estimated separately for the genders using growth curve models, adjusting for age and education. Results Men and women had the same level of total leisure activity but differed in activity profiles and in the associations between activity and cognitive function. Higher engagement in self-improvement among men was related to higher level of cognitive functioning. Among women, intellectual–cultural activity was related to better verbal ability and memory. Concerning trajectories of cognitive function, domestic activity among men was related to less decline in speed, whereas for women it was related to steeper decline in spatial ability and memory. Further, higher intellectual–cultural activity among women was related to steeper decline in memory. Discussion Cognitively stimulating activities (i.e., self-improvement and intellectual–cultural), might increase cognitive reserve whereas less cognitively stimulating activities (i.e., domestic) do not. Gender differences should be considered when examining lifestyle factors in relation to cognitive aging.

Influence of Test Anxiety on Measurement of Intelligence

2003 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Oostdam ◽  
Joost Meijer
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Verbal Ability ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Junior Secondary ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Low Performance

In this study a measurement model for a test anxiety questionnaire was investigated in a sample of 207 Dutch students in the first grade of junior secondary vocational education. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis showed that a model for test anxiety with three factors for worry, emotionality, and lack of self-confidence is associated with a significantly better fit than a model comprised of only the first two factors. The relations of the three test anxiety factors to scores on intelligence tests for measuring verbal ability, reasoning, and spatial ability were examined. The results indicated that test anxiety appears to be transitory: the negative relation between test anxiety and test performance promptly fades away. Finally, we examined whether a distinction can be made between highly test anxious students with low performance due to worrisome thoughts (interference hypothesis) or low ability (deficit hypothesis). Results do not support the deficit hypothesis because the scores of all highly test anxious students increased in a less stressful situation.

scholarly journals Positive Effects of Openness on Cognitive Aging in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A 13-Year Longitudinal Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 2072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukiko Nishita ◽  
Chikako Tange ◽  
Makiko Tomida ◽  
Rei Otsuka ◽  
Fujiko Ando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Picture Completion

The relationship between openness (a psychological trait of curiosity) and a cognitive change was examined in middle-aged and older adults. Participants were 2214 men and women (baseline age range: 40 to 81 years). They were tested up to seven times over approximately 13 years. Openness at the baseline was assessed by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Cognitive abilities were assessed at each examination using the Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised short form, which includes information, similarities, picture completion, and digit symbol subscales. General linear mixed models comprised fixed effects of openness, age at the baseline, follow-up time, their interactions, and the covariates. The results indicated that the main effects of openness were significant for all scores. Moreover, the interaction term openness × age × time was significant for the information and similarities test scores, indicating that changes in the information and similarities scores differed depending on the level of openness and baseline age. The estimated trajectory indicated that the differences in slopes between participants with high and low openness were significant after 60 years of age for the information, and after 65 years of age for the similarities scores. It is concluded that openness has a protective effect on the decline in general knowledge and logical abstract thinking in old age.

scholarly journals PARASYMPATHETIC INFLUENCE ON COGNITIVE AGING IS MODERATED BY SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY IN EARLY MIDLIFE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S94-S94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik L Knight ◽  
Ryan Giuliano ◽  
Sean Shank ◽  
Megan Clarke ◽  
David M Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Parasympathetic Nervous System ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Age Related

Abstract The two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) have been individually linked to age-related changes in cognitive functioning: The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is thought to support healthy cognitive aging, whereas the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) has been linked to heightened cognitive decline. Despite these separate findings and despite the integrative nature of the ANS, little work has examined the two branches simultaneously to better understand their interactive effects on age-related cognitive changes. We examined cognitive change in two waves of the MIDUS cognitive project and indexed PNS and SNS activity from heart rate variability and epinephrine levels (respectively) from the MIDUS biomarker project (n = 764, 56% female, mean age = 54.1 years). Our findings indicate that higher PNS levels attenuate cognitive decline, but only among individuals with low SNS levels; at higher SNS levels, the beneficial effects of the PNS are blocked. Further, lower PNS levels can be somewhat compensated for by increased SNS levels. This pattern was most robust among individuals transitioning to mid-life (i.e., 35-40 years old at the initial cognitive test). These results suggest that interventions targeting the ANS as a modifiable factor in cognitive aging should consider both ANS branch’s effects simultaneously, particularly in the early stages of midlife.

scholarly journals Association Between the Activity Space Exposure to Parks in Childhood and Adolescence and Cognitive Aging in Later Life

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Cherrie ◽  
Niamh Shortt ◽  
Catharine Ward Thompson ◽  
Ian Deary ◽  
Jamie Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Activity Space ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence

The exposure to green space in early life may support better cognitive aging in later life. However, this exposure is usually measured using the residential location alone. This disregards the exposure to green spaces in places frequented during daily activities (i.e., the ‘activity space’). Overlooking the multiple locations visited by an individual over the course of a day is likely to result in poor estimation of the environmental exposure and therefore exacerbates the contextual uncertainty. A child’s activity space is influenced by factors including age, sex, and the parental perception of the neighborhood. This paper develops indices of park availability based on individuals’ activity spaces (home, school, and the optimal route to school). These measures are used to examine whether park availability in childhood is related to cognitive change much later in life. Multi-level linear models, including random effects for schools, were used to test the association between park availability during childhood and adolescence and cognitive aging (age 70 to 76) in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 participants (N = 281). To test for the effect modification, these models were stratified by sex and road traffic accident (RTA) density. Park availability during adolescence was associated with better cognitive aging at a concurrently low RTA density (β = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.36 to 1.60), but not when the RTA density was higher (β = 0.22, 95% CI: −0.07 to 0.51). Green space exposure during early life may be important for optimal cognitive aging; this should be evidenced using activity space-based measures within a life-course perspective.

Reduced Suppression or Labile Memory? Mechanisms of Inefficient Filtering of Irrelevant Information in Older Adults

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 637-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Fabiani ◽  
Kathy A. Low ◽  
Emily Wee ◽  
Jeffrey J. Sable ◽  
Gabriele Gratton
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Sensory Memory ◽  
Attention Control ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Memory Decay ◽  
Age Related Changes

Cognitive aging theories emphasize the decrease in efficiency of inhibitory processes and attention control in normal aging, which, in turn, may result in reduction of working memory function. Accordingly, some of these age-related changes may be due to faster sensory memory decay or to inefficient filtering of irrelevant sensory information (sensory gating). Here, event-related brain potentials and the event-related optical signal were recorded in younger and older adults passively listening to tone trains. To determine whether age differentially affects decay of sensory memory templates over short intervals, trains were separated by delays of either 1 or 5 sec. To determine whether age affects the suppression of responses to unattended repeated stimuli, we evaluated the brain activity elicited by successive train stimuli. Some trains started with a shorter-duration stimulus (deviant trains). Results showed that both electrical and optical responses to tones were more persistent with repeated stimulation in older adults than in younger adults, whereas the effects of delay were similar in the two groups. A mismatch negativity (MMN) was elicited by the first stimulus in deviant trains. This MMN was larger for 1- than 5-sec delay, but did not differ across groups. These data suggest that age-related changes in sensory processing are likely due to inefficient filtering of repeated information, rather than to faster sensory memory decay. This inefficient filtering may be due to, or interact with, reduced attention control. Furthermore, it may increase the noise levels in the information processing system and thus contribute to problems with working memory and speed of processing.

scholarly journals Episodic memory function is associated with multiple measures of white matter integrity in cognitive aging

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel N. Lockhart ◽  
Adriane B. V. Mayda ◽  
Alexandra E. Roach ◽  
Evan Fletcher ◽  
Owen Carmichael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
White Matter Integrity ◽  
Multiple Measures

scholarly journals The Neurocognitive Study for the Aging: Longitudinal Analysis on the Contribution of Sex, Age, Education and APOE ɛ4 on Cognitive Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Chadjikyprianou ◽  
Marilena Hadjivassiliou ◽  
Savvas Papacostas ◽  
Fofi Constantinidou
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Significant Interaction Effect ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽  
Mini Mental Status Examination ◽  
Subject Factor ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Objective: The effects of normal cognitive aging on executive functions (EF), Verbal Episodic Memory (VEM) and the contribution of age, sex, education, and APOΕ ε4 in a group of old Greek Cypriots across a five-year period were investigated.Design: NEUROAGE, the first project on cognitive aging in Cyprus, is a prospective longitudinal study with a rolling admission process. Participants are assessed at baseline and retested every 24–30 months.Subjects: 170 participants completed all three testing cycles; 86 men and 84 women with ages ranging between 60 and 88 years (mean = 73.21, SD = 5.84); education, 2–20 years (mean = 9.07, SD = 4.27).Results: Α Repeated Measures Multivariate Analysis of Covariance was conducted with one between-subject factor: sex; two covariates: age and education, while Time (time 1, time 2, time 3) served as a within – subject factor. Time did not have an effect on mini mental status examination in Greek (MMSE), EF or VEM. Also, sex had no effect on MMSE, EF and VEM. There was no time by sex interaction. Age and Education significantly predicted the EF performance, F(1, 168) = 11.23, p &lt; 0.05; F(1, 158) = 90.03, p &lt; 0.001 and VEM performance, F(1, 171) = 17.22, p &lt; 0.001; F(1, 171) = 61.25, p &lt; 0.001. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction effect between time and education, for EF, F(2, 167) = 7.02, p &lt; 0.001. Performance of the APOE ε4 carriers did not differ on any of the above measures as compared to performance of non-carriers in this older adult group.Conclusion: Cognitively healthy adults maintained overall cognitive performance across the five-year period. Male and female participants performed similarly and the pattern of change over time was similar across the two sexes. Education was predictive of VEM and EF performance across time. Furthermore, those with higher education maintained higher levels of EF performance. APOE results did not differentiate performance at baseline. Implications of findings are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document