scholarly journals Vascular Illness, Cognition, and Subjective Aging: Examining the Vascular Hypothesis of Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 709-709
Author(s):  
Victoria Dunsmore ◽  
Shevaun Neupert

Abstract Cognition relates longitudinally and cross-sectionally to physical and psychological health among older adults. The Vascular Hypothesis of Aging (Drewelies & Gerstorf, 2020) suggests that illnesses of a vascular nature (e.g., stroke, hypertension, severe varicose veins) negatively affect cognitive abilities. Awareness of age-related change (AARC) is also related to cognition. What is not known is whether the presence of a vascular illness and daily cognitive abilities interact to predict daily awareness of age-related changes. The purpose of this study is to examine the daily fluctuations of cognition, (i.e., memory failures) and their interaction with vascular illness to predict daily awareness of age-related changes. Data were analyzed from 104 participants (M age = 64.67, 60-90 years) who completed online self-report questionnaires. On Day 1, participants answered baseline questionnaires regarding presence of vascular illness, and on Days 2-9 completed measures regarding AARC losses and memory failures. Multilevel models revealed main effects of daily memory failures on awareness of age-related losses, such that on days with more memory failures, older adults reported more age-related losses. We also found a main effect for vascular illness, such that those with a vascular illness reported higher levels of daily age-related losses. We did not find a significant interaction between vascular illness and daily memory failures on daily reported age-related losses. Our results provide preliminary evidence that the vascular hypothesis of aging may also extend to perceptions of age-related changes. Future research could consider examining daily symptoms of vascular illness as they unfold over time.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 860-860
Author(s):  
Britney Wardecker ◽  
Cara Exten

Abstract The number of sexual minority (SM) older adults is increasing rapidly, yet this population continues to be underrepresented in research (Fredriksen-Goldsen & Kim, 2017) and experiences significant disparities in health and health care access (Fredriksen-Goldsen, 2016; Wallace et al., 2011). In the current symposium, we analyze data from U.S. national probability samples of middle-aged and older adults (MIDUS, HRS, NESARC-III) to consider how age-related concerns and challenges may be experienced differently by SM individuals compared to their heterosexual counterparts. This symposium includes novel methods and statistical tools, such as daily diary assessments, multilevel modeling, and time-varying effects models. Individual presentations evaluate how: (1) SM women, compared to heterosexual women, may respond differently to menopause through norms and values surrounding womanhood; (2) midlife and older SM individuals use alcohol and cigarettes more frequently across a typical week than their heterosexual counterparts, though their substance use may not be tied to common triggers (e.g., negative mood, stress); (3) despite bisexual older adults reporting more health problems compared to lesbian and gay counterparts, they are less prepared for health concerns and crises (e.g., reporting a lower number of valid wills); and (4) the prevalence of depression and anxiety varies across age, such that older SM adults—especially women—are particularly vulnerable to psychological health problems. These presentations collectively examine complex issues facing older SM adults while emphasizing individual differences (i.e., women’s concerns, bisexual people’s issues). We discuss challenges in researching this growing at-risk population, and we highlight areas of future research and intervention.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S477-S477
Author(s):  
Phoebe E Bailey ◽  
Tarren Leon

Abstract This systematic review and meta-analysis quantifies the magnitude and breadth of age-related differences in trust. Thirty-eight independent data sets met criteria for inclusion. Overall, there was a moderate effect of age group on trust (g = 0.22), whereby older adults were more trusting than young adults. Three additional meta-analyses assessed age-related differences in trust in response to varying degrees of trustworthiness. This revealed that older adults were more trusting than young adults in response to neutral (g = 0.31) and negative (g = 0.33), but not positive (g = 0.15), indicators of trustworthiness. The effect of age group on trust in response to positive and neutral cues was moderated by type of trust (financial vs. non-financial) and type of responding (self-report vs. behavioral). Older adults were more trusting than young adults in response to positive and neutral indicators of trustworthiness when trust was expressed non-financially, but not financially. There was also an age-related increase in self-reported, but not behavioral, trust in response to neutral cues. Older adults were more trusting than young adults in response to negative indicators of trustworthiness regardless of the type of trust or type of responding. The reliability of information about trustworthiness (superficial vs. genuine cues) did not moderate any effects of age on trust. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrien Folville ◽  
Jon Simons ◽  
Arnaud D'Argembeau ◽  
Christine Bastin

It has been frequently described that older adults subjectively report the vividness of their memories as being as high, or even higher, than young adults, despite poorer objective memory performance and/or lower activity in the associated brain regions. Here, we review studies that examined age-related changes in the cognitive and neural basis of the subjective experience of remembering. Together, these studies reveal that older adults assign subjective memory ratings that are as high or higher than young adults but rely on retrieved memory details to a lesser extent. We discuss potential mechanisms underlying this observation. Overestimation of subjective ratings may stem from metamemory changes, psycho-social factors or methodological issues. As for poorer calibration of the ratings, this may be explained by the fact that older adults rely on/weight other types of information (conceptual knowledge, personal memories, and socioemotional or gist aspects of the memory trace) to a greater extent than young adults when judging the subjective vividness of their memories. We further highlight that a desirable avenue for future research would be to investigate how subjective ratings follow the richness of the corresponding mental representations in other cognitive operations than episodic memory and in other populations than healthy older adults. Finally, we recommend that future studies explore the bases of the subjective sense of remembering across the lifespan while considering recent accounts focusing both on individual and collective/shared aspects of recollection.


Author(s):  
Gabriel K. Rousseau ◽  
Nina Lamson ◽  
Wendy A. Rogers

A variety of individual difference variables affect whether someone notices, encodes, comprehends, and complies with a product warning label. Failures at any of these stages reduce the effectiveness of warnings. Development of effective warnings must be based on understanding the characteristics of the product user. As the population grows older, consideration of age-related changes in perceptual and cognitive abilities becomes more relevant to the warning designer. Aging researchers have identified a variety of declines and changes in vision (e.g., acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color discrimination) and memory (e.g., working memory and prospective memory). By considering the abilities of the product user, the impact of age-related changes may be minimized. Based on cognitive aging research and theory, we will make recommendations about how designers can increase the effectiveness of warnings for older adults.


2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Green ◽  
Joshua C. Magee ◽  
Amanda R.W. Steiner ◽  
Bethany A. Teachman

Current treatments for disorders of emotion, such as pathological anxiety, are often less effective in older adults than in younger adults and have poorly understood mechanisms, pointing to the need for psychopathology models that better account for age-related changes in normative emotional functioning and the expression of disordered emotion. This article describes ways in which the healthy aging and emotion literature can enhance understanding and treatment of symptoms of anxiety and depression in later life. We offer recommendations on how to integrate the theories and findings of healthy aging literature with psychopathology research and clinical practice and highlight opportunities for future research.


Author(s):  
Steven L Pautz ◽  
Margaux M. Price ◽  
Richard Pak

Previous research has shown that spatial ability is associated with performance on information retrieval tasks. Age-related changes in spatial ability may thus explain older adults' tendency to have lower performance on such tasks. However, previous studies have emphasized hierarchical information organization. The current study will examine the extent to which a different information retrieval interface can accommodate age-related changes in cognitive abilities. Younger and older adult performance in two information retrieval interfaces will be compared. One interface is meant to simulate hierarchically organized information systems while the second interface is specifically designed to reduce demands on age-related abilities while increasing demands on age-invariant abilities. It is expected that the results of this study will identify potential methods for improving information retrieval task performance for older adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 324-325
Author(s):  
Marguerite DeLiema ◽  
Lynn Langton

Abstract Mass marketing scams are some of the most common frauds in America, and include scams perpetrated through the mail. A growing body of research indicates that older adults face a greater risk of victimization due to age-related changes in cognitive functioning and social isolation, and may be more likely to fall victim repeatedly. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of repeat mass marketing fraud (revictimization) among older adults and patterns of victimization associated with age, scam type, seasonality, and geography. We use two decades of non-public administrative data from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). These databases were seized during law enforcement investigations of mass mailing scam organizations and contain more than 2 million unique U.S. victims and their transactions with four different fraud organizations. Victims were matched across datasets using name, address, and a change of address file. We find that revictimization rates increase with age in psychic scams. The 10,000 victims who responded the most times (between 82 and 562 times) were 78 years old on average and suffered $4,700 in total losses per person. Other significant trends emerged for lottery and sweepstakes scams. Unlike prior fraud victimization studies, inferences on victim characteristics are based on actual victim experiences with fraud rather than hypothetical scenarios or surveys where victims must self-report fraud. Findings provide valuable policy-relevant information regarding older victims and the patterns of chronic victimization.


1989 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara J. Czaja ◽  
J. Bonnie Joyce

Research indicates that older adults have difficulty acquiring text-editing skills. The data suggest that the cognitive demands associated with text-editing programs create problems for older learners given the age-related changes in cognitive abilities. This study compared the learning efficiency of older adults for three text-editing programs which varied in format and command structure. A total of 45, computer naive, women ranging in age from 40 to 70 years participated. The results indicated significant differences in learning efficiency as a function of text-editing program. Participants using a full screen editor with pull down menus demonstrated significantly better performance than did those using other programs. Data was also collected regarding types of difficulties encountered by subjects during learning. This type of information can be used as input into the design of future software and training programs.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phoebe E Bailey ◽  
Tarren Leon

This systematic review and meta-analysis quantifies the magnitude and breadth of age-related differences in trust. Thirty-eight independent data sets met criteria for inclusion. Overall, there was a moderate effect of age group on trust (g = 0.22), whereby older adults were more trusting than young adults. Three additional meta-analyses assessed age-related differences in trust in response to varying degrees of trustworthiness. This revealed that older adults were more trusting than young adults in response to neutral (g = 0.31) and negative (g = 0.33), but not positive (g = 0.15), indicators of trustworthiness. The effect of age group on trust in response to positive and neutral cues was moderated by type of trust (financial vs. non-financial) and type of responding (self-report vs. behavioral). Older adults were more trusting than young adults in response to positive and neutral indicators of trustworthiness when trust was expressed non-financially, but not financially. There was also an age-related increase in self-reported, but not behavioral, trust in response to neutral cues. Older adults were more trusting than young adults in response to negative indicators of trustworthiness regardless of the type of trust or type of responding. The reliability of information about trustworthiness did not moderate any of the effects of age group on trust. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Briana Lee Kennedy ◽  
Mara Mather

Distraction - or a lack of attentional inhibition - is perhaps the most recognized age-related difference in attention. Older adults are particularly impaired in attentional tasks that require self-directed inhibition of irrelevant information, despite relatively preserved ability in other attentional processes. What are the neural mechanisms underlying the age-related, decreased inhibition of distracting information? In this chapter, we make the case that age-related changes in the frontoparietal network play a critical role in older adults’ decreased attentional selection. A number of age-related changes in frontoparietal network mechanisms are likely to contribute to impaired attentional inhibition in older adulthood, including slowing in alpha band activity, decreased GABAergic and dopaminergic densities, and impaired frontoparietal connectivity with noradrenergic release under arousal. Finally, we discuss other possible mechanisms underlying age-related impairments in attentional selectivity – including changes within the default mode network - and avenues for future research.


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