scholarly journals Contemporary Approaches to the Study of Cognitive Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 575-576
Author(s):  
Gizem Hueluer ◽  
Elizabeth A L Stine-Morrow
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Cognitive aging research is gaining societal and practical importance because of population aging. Current research is focused on describing age differences and age-related changes in cognitive performance, understanding potential causes underlying these differences and changes, and identifying factors that promote maintenance of cognitive functioning in old age. The goal of this research group is to showcase new developments in research studying age differences in cognitive performance and longitudinal cognitive change in the second half of life. Hülür et al. examine associations between midlife occupational factors and trajectories of cognitive change using data from the German Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development and Aging (ILSE). Luo et al. use 12-year longitudinal data from 499 older participants in ILSE to study bidirectional associations between social relationships and cognitive performance. Small et al. examine the correspondence between objective and subjective cognitive performance, and measures of fatigue and depressed mood in experience sampling data from breast cancer survivors. Haas et al. compare laboratory and at-home online assessments of cognitive status and prospective memory over the adult lifespan and evaluate the quality of self-administered tests. The discussion by Elizabeth Stine-Morrow will focus on how these approaches contribute to our understanding of processes of cognitive aging and how they can be utilized to promote maintenance of cognitive functioning in old age.

Influence of Experience on Age Differences in Cognitive Functioning

1990 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 551-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy A. Salthouse
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Additional Research ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Adult Age Differences ◽  
Potential Moderator

To the extent that adult age differences in measures of cognitive performance have implications for functioning outside the psychological laboratory, the question of the role of experience as a potential moderator of these differences becomes extremely important. Three categories of research relevant to this issue are reviewed, and methodological limitations of each type of research are discussed. Although it is frequently asserted that experience minimizes cognitive differences associated with aging, the evidence currently available does not appear consistent with a strong experiential moderation of age-related effects in cognitive performance. However, the paucity of relevant studies and the methodological weaknesses of those that do exist preclude a definitive conclusion at the present time. Additional research with improved methodology is necessary before strong conclusions can be reached concerning effects of experience on age differences in cognition.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional association between objective cognitive performance and perceived age-related gains and losses in cognition

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Serena Sabatini ◽  
Obioha C. Ukoumunne ◽  
Clive Ballard ◽  
Rachel Collins ◽  
Kaarin J. Anstey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Cognition And Aging ◽  
Gains And Losses

ABSTRACT Objectives: Evidence linking subjective concerns about cognition with poorer objective cognitive performance is limited by reliance on unidimensional measures of self-perceptions of aging (SPA). We used the awareness of age-related change (AARC) construct to assess self-perception of both positive and negative age-related changes (AARC gains and losses). We tested whether AARC has greater utility in linking self-perceptions to objective cognition compared to well-established measures of self-perceptions of cognition and aging. We examined the associations of AARC with objective cognition, several psychological variables, and engagement in cognitive training. Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Participants: The sample comprised 6056 cognitively healthy participants (mean [SD] age = 66.0 [7.0] years); divided into subgroups representing middle, early old, and advanced old age. Measurements: We used an online cognitive battery and measures of global AARC, AARC specific to the cognitive domain, subjective cognitive change, attitudes toward own aging (ATOA), subjective age (SA), depression, anxiety, self-rated health (SRH). Results: Scores on the AARC measures showed stronger associations with objective cognition compared to other measures of self-perceptions of cognition and aging. Higher AARC gains were associated with poorer cognition in middle and early old age. Higher AARC losses and poorer cognition were associated across all subgroups. Higher AARC losses were associated with greater depression and anxiety, more negative SPA, poorer SRH, but not with engagement in cognitive training. Conclusions: Assessing both positive and negative self-perceptions of cognition and aging is important when linking self-perceptions to cognitive functioning. Objective cognition is one of the many variables – alongside psychological variables – related to perceived cognitive losses.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF WORK AND RETIREMENT IN COGNITIVE AND BRAIN AGING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S24-S24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gizem Hueluer ◽  
George W Rebok
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Occupational Exposures ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Cohort Differences

Abstract According to the “use it or lose it” hypothesis of cognitive aging, cognitive enrichment and cognitively engaging activities are associated with the maintenance of high levels of cognitive functioning in old age. Similar ideas have been brought forward with respect to characteristics of individuals’ work environment, with more cognitively enriching work demands providing an optimal environment for cognitive development and maintenance. The goal of this research group is to showcase new developments in research on work, retirement and cognitive aging. Hülür et al. examine the role of perceived work environment for cohort differences in trajectories of cognitive change based on 56-year longitudinal data from the Seattle Longitudinal Study. Andel et al. use data from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging to examine trajectories of cognitive aging before vs. after retirement with two-slope growth curve models. Zulka et al. conduct a systematic literature review on the association between retirement and cognition and examine the role of factors such as occupational experiences and the cognitive domain studied. Burzynska et al. investigate the relationship between stressful and stimulating occupational exposures and structural brain health and cognition in older age. The discussion by George Rebok will focus on how these findings contribute to our understanding of the role of occupational experiences for cognitive and brain aging and how they can be utilized to promote maintenance of cognitive functioning in old age.

scholarly journals COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS WITH ATTITUDES TOWARD AGING IN MIDLIFE AND OLD AGE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S385-S385
Author(s):  
Jelena Siebert ◽  
Jelena S Siebert ◽  
Tina Braun ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Cognitive Complaints ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Age Cohorts

Abstract Converging longitudinal research suggests that more negative views on aging go along with higher cognitive impairment. In some contrast, although conceptually suggested, possible reciprocal relationships remain less clear empirically. Using 20-year data from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development (ILSE), we aim to better understand developmental co-dynamics between cognitive factors and attitude toward own aging (ATOA). Drawing on 1002 baseline participants (445 at T4) from two age cohorts (midlife: 40 years at baseline; old age: 60 years), longitudinal trajectories between ATOA, performance-based cognitive measures and subjective cognitive complaints are examined. Findings based on multi-group latent growth curve models (a) reveal substantial associations between ATOA and subjective complaints as well as objective cognition in both age groups; (b) confirm previous findings that ATOA predicts cognitive change over 20 years; and (c) find cognitive complaints but not cognitive performance able to predict change in ATOA in later life.

scholarly journals Elevated HDL Levels Linked to Poorer Cognitive Ability in Females With Parkinson’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan C. Bakeberg ◽  
Anastazja M. Gorecki ◽  
Jade E. Kenna ◽  
Alexa Jefferson ◽  
Michelle Byrnes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Low Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related

IntroductionCholesterol levels have been associated with age-related cognitive decline, however, such an association has not been comprehensively explored in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). To address this uncertainty, the current cross-sectional study examined the cholesterol profile and cognitive performance in a cohort of PD patients.MethodsCognitive function was evaluated using two validated assessments (ACE-R and SCOPA-COG) in 182 people with PD from the Australian Parkinson’s Disease Registry. Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and Triglyceride (TRG) levels were examined within this cohort. The influence of individual lipid subfractions on domain-specific cognitive performance was investigated using covariate-adjusted generalised linear models.ResultsFemales with PD exhibited significantly higher lipid subfraction levels (TC, HDL, and LDL) when compared to male counterparts. While accounting for covariates, HDL levels were strongly associated with poorer performance across multiple cognitive domains in females but not males. Conversely, TC and LDL levels were not associated with cognitive status in people with PD.ConclusionHigher serum HDL associates with poorer cognitive function in females with PD and presents a sex-specific biomarker for cognitive impairment in PD.

scholarly journals ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND MEMORY: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF RECIPROCAL IMPACTS ACROSS OLD AGE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S651-S651
Author(s):  
Oliver K Schilling
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Longitudinal Change ◽  
Moderate Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Lagged Effects

Abstract Research on the association of alcohol consumption with cognitive aging revealed mixed evidence: Whereas a u-shaped relationship has been found in many studies, suggesting that low to moderate alcohol consumption predicts more favorable cognitive outcomes than abstinence, other findings suggest that alcohol is a more linearly related risk factor for cognitive decline. These inconsistencies may partly be due to methodological variation in the statistical modeling of intraindividual changes in both, alcohol consumption and cognition across old age. The present study analyzed longitudinal change in and the mutual effects between alcohol consumption habits and verbal episodic memory (word list recall), using vector autoregressive (VAR) mixed models with nonlinear cross-lagged effects. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing was examined, including N=13388 aged 50+ (M=67.6, SD=9.25; 54.7% female), assessed at up to eight occasions with two-year follow-up intervals (2002/3–2016/17). The self-reported one-year frequency of alcohol drinking days (ADD) served as indicator of alcohol consumption. Basically, ADD predicted follow-up memory performance in a reverse u-shaped fashion, indicating best memory performance after moderate ADD, compared with both ends of the ADD continuum (i.e., drinking never vs. every day). Considering moderators, most notably age did not interact with cross-lagged effects, suggesting that those observed across an older age-range were not more (or less) vulnerable to effects of alcohol consumption on memory performance. Thus, this study adds further support for non-detrimental, if not beneficial, effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive aging – regarding in particular age-related loss of episodic memory.

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.

Estimation of Cognitive Plasticity in Old Adults Using Dynamic Assessment Techniques

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Navarro ◽  
María Dolores Calero
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Diagnostic Utility ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Cognitive Plasticity

In recent years, research has provided extensive data concerning the use, utility, and appropriateness of dynamic assessment techniques as a way of determining cognitive plasticity in old adults. Current research in this area is focused on three principle lines of investigation: (a) determining neurological correlates of cognitive plasticity evaluated through dynamic assessment techniques; (b) establishing the diagnostic utility of such procedures; and (c) analyzing age-related limits with regard to quantity and domains of plasticity. In this context, the present study was undertaken using a sample of 274 older adults, who were evaluated through two dynamic assessment techniques and one cognitive functioning screening test over a period of 3 consecutive years. Results show differences in plasticity related to both age and cognitive status. The study also demonstrates the capacity of plasticity to predict maintenance and decline in a follow-up period of 3 years.

scholarly journals Disentangling the Effects of Processing Speed on the Association between Age Differences and Fluid Intelligence

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Lena Schubert ◽  
Dirk Hagemann ◽  
Christoph Löffler ◽  
Gidon T. Frischkorn
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Age Related

Several studies have demonstrated that individual differences in processing speed fully mediate the association between age and intelligence, whereas the association between processing speed and intelligence cannot be explained by age differences. Because measures of processing speed reflect a plethora of cognitive and motivational processes, it cannot be determined which specific processes give rise to this mediation effect. This makes it hard to decide whether these processes should be conceived of as a cause or an indicator of cognitive aging. In the present study, we addressed this question by using a neurocognitive psychometrics approach to decompose the association between age differences and fluid intelligence. Reanalyzing data from two previously published datasets containing 223 participants between 18 and 61 years, we investigated whether individual differences in diffusion model parameters and in ERP latencies associated with higher-order attentional processing explained the association between age differences and fluid intelligence. We demonstrate that individual differences in the speed of non-decisional processes such as encoding, response preparation, and response execution, and individual differences in latencies of ERP components associated with higher-order cognitive processes explained the negative association between age differences and fluid intelligence. Because both parameters jointly accounted for the association between age differences and fluid intelligence, age-related differences in both parameters may reflect age-related differences in anterior brain regions associated with response planning that are prone to be affected by age-related changes. Conversely, age differences did not account for the association between processing speed and fluid intelligence. Our results suggest that the relationship between age differences and fluid intelligence is multifactorially determined.

scholarly journals Investment Trait, Activity Engagement, and Age: Independent Effects on Cognitive Ability

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie von Stumm
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Need For Cognition ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Investment Theory

In cognitive aging research, the “engagement hypothesis” suggests that the participation in cognitively demanding activities helps maintain better cognitive performance in later life. In differential psychology, the “investment” theory proclaims that age differences in cognition are influenced by personality traits that determine when, where, and how people invest their ability. Although both models follow similar theoretical rationales, they differ in their emphasis of behavior (i.e., activity engagement) versus predisposition (i.e., investment trait). The current study compared a cognitive activity engagement scale (i.e., frequency of participation) with an investment trait scale (i.e., need for cognition) and tested their relationship with age differences in cognition in 200 British adults. Age was negatively associated with fluid and positively with crystallized ability but had no relationship with need for cognition and activity engagement. Need for cognition was positively related to activity engagement and cognitive performance; activity engagement, however, was not associated with cognitive ability. Thus, age differences in cognitive ability were largely independent of engagement and investment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document