scholarly journals Voice Biomarkers as Possible Indicators of Cognitive Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 709-710
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Mahon ◽  
Margie Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Cognitive Measure ◽  
The Voice

Abstract There is emerging evidence that measures of voice prosody are related to diagnoses of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders. The goal of this study was to examine whether voice prosody measures (pitch, pulse, voice breaks, jitter, shimmer, and amplitude) are also related to individual differences in normal cognitive aging. Data are from the Midlife in the United States Wave 2 (M2) and Wave 3 (M3) for 2693 participants (ages 42-92 at M3) who completed the M2 and M3 Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone (BTACT) and had M3 voice recordings. Voice variables were measured from cognitive interviews using three cognitive tests and averaged to create a composite for each voice variable. Voice prosody was related to age, sex, education, and health, which were included as covariates. Older adults, men, and those with more health conditions had higher jitter and shimmer. Older adults, women, and those with higher education and better health had more voice breaks. Hierarchical regression models, controlling for the covariates, examined the voice composites as predictors of each cognitive measure at M3 and change over 9 years from M2 to M3. As hypothesized, higher jitter predicted lower performance and greater decline on memory, category fluency, and attention. Contrary to predictions, a lower number of voice breaks predicted worse performance and greater declines on all cognitive tests. The results suggest that voice biomarkers are related to cognitive performance and decline, and they may offer a promising approach for identifying early signs of cognitive impairment or dementia.

scholarly journals Dual Decline in Gait and Cognition Is Associated With Future Dementia: Evidence for a Phenotype

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 264-264
Author(s):  
Manuel Montero Odasso ◽  
Mark Speechley ◽  
Richard Camicioli ◽  
Nellie Kamkar ◽  
Qu Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cox Models ◽  
Incident Dementia ◽  
Risk Of Progression ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract BACKGROUND: The concurrent decline in gait speed and cognition are associated with future dementia. However, the clinical profile of those who present with dual-decline has not yet been described. We aimed to describe the phenotype and risk for incident dementia of individuals who present a dual-decline in comparison with non dual-decliners. METHODS: Prospective cohort of community-dwelling older adults free of dementia at baseline. We evaluated participants’ gait speed, cognition, medical status, functionality, incidence of adverse events, and dementia biannually over 7 years. Gait speed was assessed with a 6-meter electronic-walkway, and global cognition was assessed using the MoCA test. We compared characteristics between dual-decliners and non dual-decliners using t-test, Chi-square, and hierarchical regression models. We estimated incident dementia using Cox models. RESULTS: Among 144 participants (mean age 74.23 ± 6.72 years, 54% women), 17% progressed to dementia. Dual-decliners had a three-fold risk (HR: 3.12, 95%CI:1.23-7.93, p=0.017) of progression to dementia compared with non dual-decliners. Dual-decliners were significantly older with a higher prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia (p=0.002). Hierarchical regression models show that age and sex alone explained 3% of the variation in the dual-decliners group, while adding hypertension and dyslipidemia increased the explained variation to 8% and 10 %, respectively. The risk of becoming a dual-decliner was 4-fold if hypertension was present. CONCLUSION: Older adults with concurrent decline in gait speed and cognition represent a group at the highest risk of progression to dementia. These dual-decliners have a distinct phenotype with a higher prevalence of hypertension, a potentially treatable condition.

scholarly journals Towards adopting serious games for cognitive tests with Brazilian older people

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Leandro Agostini do Amaral ◽  
Renata Pontin de Mattos Fortes ◽  
Marcos Hortes Nisihara Chagas ◽  
Paula Costa Castro ◽  
Thiago Jabur Bittar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Cognitive Evaluation ◽  
Validation Experiments

Serious games are a promising tool in different scenarios, such as education and health; however, there has been little research reported on their specialized use for older adults. We created a digital cognitive test – with the characteristics of a serious game – using Unified Design aiming to reproduce digitally the results of clinical cognitive evaluation in older people. The digital cognitive test was submitted to two validation experiments targeting an older public (n=40) with little experience in dealing with tablets or smartphones. The first experiment did not show significant correlation, but from it, we implemented initiatives to simplify the tests, which brought a positive result regarding convergence analysis in the second experiment. We concluded that it is possible to use digital games as cognitive tests adapted to the needs of older adults to achieve similar results as those of paper-based cognitive tests.

Abstract MP88: Fetuin-A, a Vascular Biomarker of Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 129 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail A Laughlin ◽  
Linda K McEvoy ◽  
Elizabeth Barrett-Connor ◽  
Lori B Daniels ◽  
Joachim H Ix
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Vascular Disease ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Fetuin A ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Age Related

Objectives: The contribution of vascular disease to neurocognitive decline is now widely recognized. Fetuin-A is an abundant plasma protein known to predict vascular disease. Prior studies have shown that fetuin-A levels are lower in patients with Alzheimer’s disease in direct proportion to the severity of cognitive impairment; however, their association with normal cognitive aging is unknown. We evaluated the association of serum fetuin-A levels with cognitive function in relatively high-functioning, community-dwelling older adults from the Rancho Bernardo Study. Methods: This is a population-based study of 1382 older adults (median age 75) who had plasma fetuin-A levels and cognitive function evaluated in 1992-96; 855 had repeat cognitive function assessment a median of 4 years later. Results: Adjusting for age, sex, education, and depression, higher levels of fetuin-A were associated with better baseline performance on the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) (P=0.012) and a tendency for better Trails Making B scores (P=0.066). In longitudinal analyses, the likelihood of a major decline (highest decile of change) in Trails B was 29% lower (P=0.010) for each SD higher baseline fetuin-A level; odds of major decline in MMSE was 42% lower (P=0.005) per SD higher fetuin-A for individuals with no known CVD, but were not related to fetuin-A in those with CVD (P=0.33). Fetuin-A was not related to Category Fluency performance. Results did not vary by sex and were not explained by numerous vascular risk factors and comorbidities. Conclusions: Higher plasma fetuin-A concentrations are associated with better performance on tests of global cognitive function and executive function and with reduced likelihood of major decline in these cognitive abilities over a 4-year period. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that higher fetuin-A protects against cognitive decline in relatively high functioning older adults, although this may be less apparent in those with established vascular disease. Fetuin-A may serve as a biological link between vascular disease and normal age-related cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Work and Self-Rated Memory Among Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 334-334
Author(s):  
Yeonjung (Jane) Lee ◽  
Tyran Terada
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Native Hawaiian ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Pacific Islander ◽  
The United States ◽  
Productive Aging ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Productive Activities

Abstract According to the productive aging framework, productive activities can function as protective factors of cognitive health. Productive activities, such as work, have been linked to positive cognitive health outcomes in older adults. Yet, less is known about if the beneficial effects of work on cognition extend to the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) older adult population. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate how work is associated with self-reported memory/concentration among NHOPI older adults. Moreover, the moderating role of education was explored. Using data from the 2014 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey (NHPI NHIS), the study explores the associations between work and self-rated levels of difficulty remembering or concentrating. A total of 1,045 older adults ages 50 years and older were included for analyses. Weighted multivariate analyses with multiple imputation techniques were used. The NHPI NHIS is the first federal survey focusing on the NHOPI population in the United States. Those who were engaged in work had lower odds of having severe difficulty memorizing or concentrating while controlling for other sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Interestingly, there was a significant interactive effect of work and education on self-rated memory. Those with lower education levels have lower self-rated memory, but the odds of having memory difficulty decreased when they worked. Findings highlight the importance of productive aging in promoting healthy cognitive aging. Research and practice addressing productive aging and cognition should provide culturally relevant resources to NHOPI older adults.

Perceived neighbourhood safety and volunteerism among older adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Erin G. Grinshteyn ◽  
Judith A. Sugar
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Perceptions Of Safety ◽  
Fair Poor ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Previous research shows the benefits of volunteerism to individuals and communities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether lower perceived neighbourhood safety is associated with reduced volunteerism and whether this association differs by sex. Data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study in the United States of America were used (N = 13,009 adults 60 years and older). Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated to assess the association between perceived neighbourhood safety and volunteerism while controlling for potential confounders. Perceived neighbourhood safety was associated with volunteering. The odds of volunteering were higher for those rating their perceived neighbourhood safety as excellent compared with those rating their perceived neighbourhood safety as fair/poor. Those rating their perceived neighbourhood safety as very good also had greater odds of volunteering than those rating their perceived neighbourhood safety as fair/poor. Results differed somewhat by gender. Men who perceived their neighbourhood safety as excellent had increased odds of volunteering. The association of neighbourhood safety with volunteerism was significant for women rating their perceived neighbourhood safety as excellent or very good. Among men, being married was associated with increased odds of volunteering; being completely or partly retired was associated with increased odds of volunteering among women. Initiatives aimed at improving older adults’ perceptions of safety would help improve volunteerism, which is beneficial to both older adults and communities.

scholarly journals Dual decline in gait speed and cognition is associated with future dementia: evidence for a phenotype

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 995-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Montero-Odasso ◽  
Mark Speechley ◽  
Susan W Muir-Hunter ◽  
Frederico Pieruccini-Faria ◽  
Yanina Sarquis-Adamson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cox Models ◽  
Incident Dementia ◽  
Risk Of Progression ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Background concurrent declines in gait speed and cognition have been associated with future dementia. However, the clinical profile of ‘dual decliners’, those with concomitant decline in both gait speed and cognition, has not been yet described. We aimed to describe the phenotype and the risk for incident dementia of those who present with dual decline in comparison with non-dual decliners. Methods prospective cohort of community-dwelling older adults free of dementia at baseline. We evaluated participants’ gait speed, cognition, medical status, functionality, incidence of adverse events and dementia, biannually over 7 years. Gait speed was assessed with a 6-m electronic walkway and global cognition using the MoCA test. We compared characteristics between dual decliners and non-dual decliners using t-test, chi-square and hierarchical regression models. We estimated incident dementia using Cox models. Results among 144 participants (mean age 74.23 ± 6.72 years, 54% women), 17% progressed to dementia. Dual decliners had a 3-fold risk (HR: 3.12, 95%CI: 1.23–7.93, P = 0.017) of progression to dementia compared with non-dual decliners. Dual decliners were significantly older with a higher prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia (P = 0.002). Hierarchical regression models show that age and sex alone explained 3% of the variation in the dual decliners group. Adding hypertension and dyslipidemia increased the explained variation by 8 and 10%, respectively. The risk of becoming a dual decliner was 4-fold higher if hypertension was present. Conclusion older adults with a concurrent decline in gait speed and cognition represent a group at the highest risk of progression to dementia. Older adults with dual decline have a distinct phenotype with a higher prevalence of hypertension, a treatable condition.

scholarly journals ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FAMILY TYPOLOGY AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE US? FINDINGS FROM THE PINE STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S377-S377
Author(s):  
Mengting Li ◽  
Man Guo ◽  
Meredith Stensland ◽  
XinQi Dong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
The United States ◽  
Older Immigrants ◽  
The Impact

Abstract A broad literature has explored racial and ethnic disadvantages in cognitive aging. Migration and acculturation created additional challenges on cognitive aging of minority older immigrants. Asian Americans are the fastest growing minority group in the United States. Chinese Americans constitute the largest segment of Asian Americans. Family is a core social value in Chinese culture. Less is known regarding the impact of family relationship on cognitive function for US Chinese older immigrants. Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly (PINE), a community-engaged, population-based epidemiological study of 3,157 US Chinese older adults aged 60 and above in the greater Chicago area from 2011-2013. A typology approach is a useful tool to operationalize multifaceted family relationships. Our prior study used Latent Class Analysis to cluster family typologies, evaluating structural, associational, affectual, functional and normative aspects of family relationship. Cognitive function was evaluated by global cognition, episodic memory, executive function, working memory, and Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination (C-MMSE). Linear regression and quantile regression were used. The findings showed detached and commanding conflicted typologies were associated with lower global cognitive function compared with unobligated ambivalent typology. Wish respect to cognitive domains, detached, commanding conflicted, and tight-knit typologies were associated with lower episodic memory, working memory, and C-MMSE than unobligated ambivalent typology, respectively. Commanding conflicted typology, featured by high intergenerational conflicts, was associated with lowest cognitive function among all typologies. Health care professionals and social service providers should focus on older adults with commanding conflicted typology and prevent them from cognitive impairment.

Older Adults’ Behavior Intentions Once a COVID-19 Vaccine Becomes Available

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110192
Author(s):  
Michael A. Callow ◽  
Daniel D. Callow
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Behavior Intention ◽  
The Impact

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of antecedent variables on older adults’ intention to get a CORONAVIRUS DISEASE-2019 vaccine. Older adults are at higher risk of severe illness from the disease and face an increasingly ageist general population who misrepresent the pandemic as an older adult problem. We use the Theory of Planned Behavior framework to examine vaccine behavior intention. Method: A convenience sample ( n = 583) of adults aged 60 and older in the United States participated in an online survey using vignettes. Hierarchical regression and analysis of covariance were used to test our model. Results: Results suggest that perceived risk of the pandemic, general vaccine beliefs, and political affiliation influence respondents’ attitude toward the vaccine. Respondents’ attitudes toward the vaccine and their physician’s recommendation help shape vaccine intention. Conclusion: The results provide partial support to the proposed model in shaping vaccine intention among older adults.

scholarly journals Subjective Social Status Predicts Late-Life Memory Trajectories through Both Mental and Physical Health Pathways

Gerontology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 466-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura B. Zahodne ◽  
A. Zarina Kraal ◽  
Afsara Zaheed ◽  
Ketlyne Sol
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Late Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Subjective Social Status ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Background: Subjective social status (SSS) is associated with mental and physical health, independent of objective socioeconomic status (SES), but its association with late-life cognitive decline is unknown. Objective: This study characterizes the association between SSS and late-life memory trajectories in a large, nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States. Methods: Using data from 8,530 participants aged 65 years and older in the Health and Retirement Study, structural equation models tested associations between SSS, objective SES (i.e., educational attainment, occupation, income, and wealth), physical and mental health, and 6-year memory trajectories, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Independent of objective SES, lower SSS was associated with worse initial memory but not subsequent memory decline. The association between SSS and initial memory was separately mediated by chronic diseases, stroke, and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Results provide preliminary behavioral evidence for the deleterious effects of social stress on cognitive aging. These results may help inform the development of policies and interventions to reduce cognitive morbidity among older adults who perceive a low position on the social hierarchy.

scholarly journals THE INFLUENCE OF HUMOR AND SPIRITUALITY ON THE RESILIENCY OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S940-S941
Author(s):  
Bonnie L Kenaley ◽  
Zvi D Gellis ◽  
Eun hae Kim ◽  
Kimberly Mclive-Reed
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Spiritual Support ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute ◽  
Lifelong Learning Institute ◽  
Psychological Balance ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Older adults are confronted with many distinct challenges, which require the use of various coping mechanisms to maintain psychological balance, including humor and spirituality (Bonanno et al., 2012; Koenig, 2012). This study examined the influence of humor and spirituality on resiliency of 156 (age 60 years and older) community-dwelling members of an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute located in the western region of the United States who completed a pen and paper and electronic newsletter surveys. The majority of the sample used humor to cheer themselves when feeling depressed, were amused by the absurdities of life, used humor to feel better and to cope with problems, and believed their humorous outlook prevented them from being upset or depressed. Almost three-quarters of the sample looked to a spiritual force for strength, support, and guidance, 58% worked together with a spiritual force and less than 39% thought about how their lives were part of a larger spiritual force. In the final hierarchical regression model (F (5, 143, = 8.895, p .000), only spirituality (beta = -.238, p < .001) and humor (beta = .444, p < .000) were statistically significant; whereas age, gender and living with another were not statistically significant. The findings suggests that humor along with spirituality are two internal resources that promote resiliency in older adults. Humor infused in informal interactions and planned activities as well as spiritual support may contribute to the promotion and enhancement of resiliency in community-dwelling older adults.

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