scholarly journals Spousal Loss and Cognitive Functioning: Do Pre-Loss Marital Quality and Gender Matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 366-366
Author(s):  
Joohong Min ◽  
Jieun Song
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Life Transitions ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Spousal Loss ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Prior research has found that the risk of cognitive decline increases after the death of a spouse. In general, the impact of life transitions is contingent on contextual factors such as socio-demographic characteristics or relationship quality. However, there is limited research on how marital quality before spousal loss and gender influence the association between spousal loss and cognitive change. The current study examines the effects of spousal loss on change in cognitive functioning as well as the moderating effects of pre-loss marital quality and gender. Data from two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study were analyzed (MIDUS2: 2004-05, MIDUS3: 2013-14). The analytic sample consists of two groups: (1) 179 bereaved adults who were age 54 or older at MIDUS2 (M = 65.2, SD = 9.5) and whose spouses died between MIDUS2 and MIDUS3, and (2) 179 non-bereaved adults, matched with the bereaved group on age and gender, who did not experience spousal loss between the two waves. Cognitive function was assessed via BTACT (Brief Telephone Adult Cognition Test) at both waves. Regression results show that both pre-loss marital quality and gender significantly moderate the association between spousal loss and change in cognitive functioning. Specifically, relative to their counterparts, men and those who reported better marital relationships prior to spousal death had a greater risk of cognitive decline after a spouse’s death. The findings suggest the significance of pre-loss marital quality and gender for cognitive changes in widowhood and have implications for the development of efficient interventions

scholarly journals CHANGES IN COGNITION ARE RELATED TO PERSONALITY CHANGES IN MIDDLE AND LATER ADULTHOOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S163-S163
Author(s):  
Yujun Liu ◽  
Margie E Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Personality Changes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Previous studies have identified an association between personality and cognition in later life. Those with more stable personalities have better cognitive functioning. And those with more cognitive decline have higher neuroticism. We examined the association between changes in both personality and cognition in the same model, which has not been systematically investigated. Data were from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, a national survey that included 4268 participants ages 35 to 85 at the second wave. The Big Five Personality traits and cognitive function variables (episodic memory and executive functioning) were from waves two and three. The analysis included a latent change score model and a cross-lagged panel design using Mplus. The results show that personality changes and cognitive changes over 9 years are correlated. Cross-lagged findings indicate that cognitive functioning is positively related to changes in conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, and extraversion and negatively related to changes in neuroticism. The findings advance our understanding of the association between changes in personality and cognition. The impact of cognitive change on personality stability and the role of personality traits for maintaining cognitive function in later life are discussed. The results have implications for developing interventions to maintain or enhance cognitive functioning and personality in middle and later adulthood.

scholarly journals Spousal Loss and Change in Cognitive Functioning: An Examination of Temporal Patterns and Gender Differences

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Wörn ◽  
Hannie Comijs ◽  
Marja Aartsen
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Spousal Loss ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam ◽  
Health Domains ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Fixed Effects Regression

Abstract Objectives The study investigates whether the disadvantaged position of men in the adverse consequences of widowhood for health and mortality also exists for changes in cognitive health. Methods We used data of up to 1,269 men and women aged 65 years and older who participated in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam in 3-yearly assessments between 1992 and 2012 (5,123 person-observations). All were married and without cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination ≥ 24) at baseline and up to 419 lost their spouse. In fixed effects regression models, the effect of spousal loss on change in four domains of cognitive functioning was estimated independently of age-related cognitive change. Results For women, a robust temporary decrease was found in the second year after spousal loss in the reasoning domain, but not in global cognitive functioning, processing speed, or memory. No robust effects were found for men. Discussion Considering that only one cognitive domain was affected and effects were temporary, cognitive functioning seems rather robust to the experience of spousal loss. Despite men having often been reported to be in a disadvantaged position in other health domains, our analyses indicate no such pattern for cognitive functioning.

scholarly journals Cognition and Its Association with Psychosocial and Occupational Functioning during Treatment with Escitalopram in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A CAN-BIND-1 Report: La Cognition Et Son Association Avec Le Fonctionnement Psychosocial Et Professionnel Durant Le Traitement Par Escitalopram Chez Des Patients Souffrant De Trouble Dépressif Majeur: Une Étude Can-Bind-1

2020 ◽  
pp. 070674372097482
Author(s):  
Shane J. McInerney ◽  
Trisha Chakrabarty ◽  
Malgorzata Maciukiewicz ◽  
Benicio N. Frey ◽  
Glenda M. MacQueen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Depression Symptom ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Occupational Functioning ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with impairments in both cognition and functioning. However, whether cognitive deficits significantly contribute to impaired psychosocial and occupational functioning, independent of other depressive symptoms, is not well established. We examined the relationship between cognitive performance and functioning in depressed patients before and after antidepressant treatment using secondary data from the first Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression-1 study. Methods: Cognition was assessed at baseline in unmedicated, depressed participants with MDD ( n = 207) using the Central Nervous System Vital Signs computerized battery, psychosocial functioning with the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), and occupational functioning with the Lam Employment Absence and Productivity Scale (LEAPS). Cognition ( n = 181), SDS ( n = 175), and LEAPS ( n = 118) were reassessed after participants received 8 weeks of open-label escitalopram monotherapy. A series of linear regressions were conducted to determine (1) whether cognitive functioning was associated with psychosocial and occupational functioning prior to treatment, after adjusting for overall depressive symptom severity and (2) whether changes in cognitive functioning after an 8-week treatment phase were associated with changes in psychosocial and occupational functioning, after adjusting for changes in overall symptom severity. Results: Baseline global cognitive functioning, after adjusting for depression symptom severity and demographic variables, was associated with the SDS work/study subscale (β = −0.17; P = 0.03) and LEAPS productivity subscale (β = −0.17; P = 0.05), but not SDS total (β = 0.19; P = 0.12) or LEAPS total (β = 0.41; P = 0.17) scores. Although LEAPS and SDS scores showed significant improvements after 8 weeks of treatment ( P < 0.001), there were no significant associations between changes in cognitive domain scores and functional improvements. Conclusion: Cognition was associated with occupational functioning at baseline, but changes in cognition were not associated with psychosocial or occupational functional improvements following escitalopram treatment. We recommend the use of more comprehensive functional assessments to determine the impact of cognitive change on functional outcomes in future research.

scholarly journals The health and relationship dynamics of late-life couples: a systematic review of the literature

2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
RUTH B. WALKER ◽  
MARY A. LUSZCZ
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Late Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health It ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Marital Relations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Adequate Communication

ABSTRACTLate-life husband and wife relationships are increasingly recognised as an important factor in promoting wellbeing, particularly in terms of the health, social, emotional, financial and practical needs of older people. Knowledge of marital dynamics and how they affect both members of a couple remains scarce. This systematic review aimed to identify and appraise research that has focused explicitly on the dynamics of the relationship, as evinced by data frombothspouses. Implementing rigorous identification strategies, 45 articles were identified and reviewed. These studies were grouped into three broad thematic areas: marital relations and satisfaction; concordance in emotional state or physical health; and the interplay between marital quality and wellbeing. The issues found to affect marital relations and satisfaction in late life included equality of roles, having adequate communication, and transitions to living apart. There is strong evidence for couple concordance in depression, that marital relationships affect ill-health, longevity and recovery from illness, and reciprocally that ill-health impacts on the marriage itself. The research also suggests important gender differences in the impact of marital dynamics on health. It has led to the conclusion that there is a need for more diverse studies of late-life marriages, particularly ones that examine the dynamics of non-traditional elderly couples and that extend beyond a predominant focus on the Caucasian population of the United States.

scholarly journals How stress mediators can cumulatively contribute to Alzheimer’s disease An allostatic load approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiane Martins Matos ◽  
Juliana Nery De Souza-Talarico
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Modifiable Risk Factors ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Stress Mediators ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT. Allostatic load is defined as the frequent activation of the neuroendocrine, immunological, metabolic and cardiovascular systems, which makes individuals more susceptible to stress-related health problems. According to this model, physiological dysregulations start to emerge decades before diseases manifest. Consequently, stress research has shifted its attention to anticipating the degree of this dysregulation to better understand the impact of stress hormones and other biomarkers on disease progression. In view of the growing number of studies that demonstrate the influence of modifiable risk factors on cognitive decline, in addition to the effects of chronic stress mediators, the objective of the present review was to present an overview of the development of cognitive changes based on studies on stress and its mediators.

scholarly journals Social Vulnerability, Gender and Disasters. The Case of Haiti in 2010

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar Llorente-Marrón ◽  
Montserrat Díaz-Fernández ◽  
Paz Méndez-Rodríguez ◽  
Rosario González Arias
Keyword(s):  
Natural Disasters ◽  
International Development ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Work ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

The study of vulnerability constitutes a central axis in research work on sustainability. Social vulnerability (SV) analyzes differences in human capacity to prepare, respond and recover from the impact of a natural hazard. Although disasters threaten all the people who suffer from them, they do not affect all members of society in the same way. Social and economic inequalities make certain groups more vulnerable. Factors such as age, sex, social class and ethnic identity increase vulnerability to a natural disaster. Ten years after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, this work deepens the relationship between natural disasters, SV and gender, exploring the unequal distribution of the SV in the face of a seismic risk. The source of statistical information has been obtained from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Multicriteria decision techniques (TOPSIS) and the differences in differences (DID) technique are used to analyze variations in gender inequality in SV as a result of the catastrophic event. The results obtained reinforce the idea of the negative impact of the disaster on the SV. Additionally, an intensification of the negative effects is observed when the household is headed by a woman, increasing the gap in SV between households headed by women and the rest of the households. The conclusions obtained show additional evidence of the negative effects caused by natural disasters on women, and important implications for disaster risk management are derived that should not be ignored.

scholarly journals Semi-Autonomous Vehicles as a Cognitive Assistive Device for Older Adults

Geriatrics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Frank Knoefel ◽  
Bruce Wallace ◽  
Rafik Goubran ◽  
Iman Sabra ◽  
Shawn Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Vehicle Automation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Aging Drivers

Losing the capacity to drive due to age-related cognitive decline can have a detrimental impact on the daily life functioning of older adults living alone and in remote areas. Semi-autonomous vehicles (SAVs) could have the potential to preserve driving independence of this population with high health needs. This paper explores if SAVs could be used as a cognitive assistive device for older aging drivers with cognitive challenges. We illustrate the impact of age-related changes of cognitive functions on driving capacity. Furthermore, following an overview on the current state of SAVs, we propose a model for connecting cognitive health needs of older drivers to SAVs. The model demonstrates the connections between cognitive changes experienced by aging drivers, their impact on actual driving, car sensors’ features, and vehicle automation. Finally, we present challenges that should be considered when using the constantly changing smart vehicle technology, adapting it to aging drivers and vice versa. This paper sheds light on age-related cognitive characteristics that should be considered when developing future SAVs manufacturing policies which may potentially help decrease the impact of cognitive change on older adult drivers.

Sexism and Rape Myth Acceptance: The Impact of Culture, Education, and Religiosity

2019 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 929-951
Author(s):  
Francesca Prina ◽  
Julie N. Schatz-Stevens
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Sexist Attitudes ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Myth Acceptance

This study explores the influence of education and religiosity on sexist attitudes towards women and rape myth acceptance in two samples totaling 399 participants from the United States and Italy. Both samples completed a demographic questionnaire that assessed age, area of residence, and racial and gender identification. Three questions about religiosity and three about education were included, as well as the Attitudes Towards Women Survey and the Acceptance of Modern Myths about Sexual Aggression. In the Italian pool, 44 held at least a bachelor’s degree, 108 had completed some college, and 29 completed high school at most, while the United States pool consisted of 83, 123, and 12, respectively. Average self-reported levels of religiousness were M = 3.87 (SD = 3.05) in Italy and M = 5.10 (SD = 2.76) in the United States. In both samples, religiosity was a strong predictor of both sexism and rape myth acceptance, while education was only related to rape myth acceptance and with less strength than religiosity. Moreover, country of residence was an important influence for sexist beliefs along with both religiosity and education; however, for rape myth acceptance, country did not have a significant impact.

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.

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