scholarly journals Consequential Impacts of Tobacco Use on Cognitive Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1006-1006
Author(s):  
Shandell Pahlen ◽  
Michael Stallings ◽  
Robin Corley ◽  
Sally Wadsworth ◽  
Chandra Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Smoking History ◽  
Lifestyle Factor ◽  
Speed Performance

Abstract Tobacco use represents a pernicious lifestyle factor that may influence processes of aging, including cognitive functioning. As individuals tend to start smoking before adulthood, it may serve as an important factor in cognitive development and maintenance. We explored smoking history-cognition associations in a sample approaching midlife. Study data was derived from the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife 1; N = 1195 [53% F]; x̄age = 33.2 years, SD = 5.0). All cognitive measures were t-scored covering working memory, spatial reasoning, processing speed (WAIS-III Digit Span, Block Design, and Digit Symbol, and Colorado Perceptual Speed) and episodic memory domains (Picture Memory, immediate and delayed). Tobacco use measures included ever-smokers, current-smokers, and log-transformed packyears. Mixed-effects regression models were applied, accounting for sex, age, race, ethnicity, and clustering among siblings. Tobacco use was associated with worse episodic memory, spatial and speed performance, but not working memory. When educational attainment was included, patterns remained consistent though attenuated. Results suggested current-smokers scored 0.27 to 0.36 SD lower than non-smokers on speed and spatial reasoning tasks. Episodic memory performance was reduced by approximately 0.07 to 0.1 SD per log packyear. In a sample approaching midlife, the harmful impacts of tobacco use on cognitive performance may be already apparent with cumulative impacts of packyears on episodic memory and current smoking associated with spatial and speed performance. This work helps to elucidate the temporal associations of an important lifestyle factor that may influence cognitive functioning prior to midlife.

scholarly journals Association of AKAP6 and MIR2113 with cognitive performance in a population based sample of older adults

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shea J. Andrews ◽  
Debjani Das ◽  
Kaarin J. Anstey ◽  
Simon Easteal
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
European Ancestry ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Perceptual Speed ◽  
Cognitive Domains

AbstractGenetic factors make a substantial contribution to inter-individual variability in cognitive function. A recent meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identified two loci, AKAP6 and MIR2113 that are associated with general cognitive function. Here, we extend this previous research by investigating the association of MIR2113 and AKAP6 with baseline and longitudinal nonlinear change across a broad spectrum of cognitive domains in community-based cohort of 1,570 older adults without dementia. Two SNPs, MIR211-rs10457441 and AKAP6-rs17522122 were genotyped in 1,570 non-demented older Australians of European ancestry, who were examined up to 4 times over 12 years. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the association between AKAP6 and MIR2113 with cognitive performance in episodic memory, working memory, vocabulary, perceptual speed and reaction time at baseline and with linear and quadratic rates of change. AKAP6-rs17522122*T was associated with worse baseline performance in episodic memory, working memory, vocabulary and perceptual speed, but it was not associated with cognitive change in any domain. MIR2113-rs10457441*T was associated with accelerated decline in episodic memory. No other associations with baseline cognitive performance or with linear or quadratic rate or cognitive changes was observed for this SNP. These results confirm the previous finding that, AKAP6 is associated with performance across multiple cognitive domains at baseline but not with cognitive decline, while MIR2113 primarily affects the rate at which memory declines over time.

scholarly journals Interactive effects of age and inflammation on change in ecologically-assessed cognitive functioning

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 705-706
Author(s):  
Christopher Engeland ◽  
Erik Knight ◽  
Martin Sliwinski ◽  
Jennifer Graham-Engeland
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Test Accuracy ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Inflammation has been implicated as a precursor to steeper declines in age-associated cognitive decline. Here we investigated biomarkers of peripheral inflammation [basal cytokines, stimulated cytokines (ex vivo), C-reactive protein (CRP)] as moderators of age-related changes in cognitive functioning. As part of the Effects of Stress on Cognitive Aging, Physiology, and Emotion (ESCAPE) study, participants (N = 233; 65% female; 63% Black, 25% Hispanic; 25-65 years of age) completed up to four instances of ambulatory cognitive testing per day across two weeks, over three waves of annual assessments. After each 2-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) burst, blood was collected and assayed for inflammatory biomarkers. Performance on spatial working memory (mean Euclidean distance errors), processing speed (mean symbol search reaction time), and working memory (n-back test accuracy) tasks were averaged across all instances within an EMA burst. CRP and age interactively predicted change in spatial working memory (B = 0.003, [0.000, 0.005], t(133.60) = 2.350, p = 0.020) such that higher CRP at older ages (~60 years) was associated with a loss of the expected practice effects across waves; at younger ages, CRP did not relate to change in spatial working memory. In a similar fashion, basal (B = -0.002, [-0.004, -0.000], t(103.26) = -2.399, p = 0.018) and stimulated cytokine levels (B = -0.002, [-0.004, -0.000], t(126.65) = -2.183, p = 0.031) interacted with age to predict change in processing speed across waves. These results indicate that inflammation may be critically associated with changes in cognitive functioning in older mid-life adults.

Health eBrain: Proof of Concept for Remote Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Cognition in Middle Aged and Older Adults (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Eastman ◽  
Allison Kaup ◽  
Amber L Bahorik ◽  
Xochitl Butcher ◽  
Mouna Attarha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
High Cholesterol ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Increased Risk

BACKGROUND Adults with cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVRFs) are also at increased risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia. However, it is often difficult to study relationships between CVRFs and cognitive function because cognitive assessment typically requires time-consuming in-person neuropsychological evaluations that may not be feasible for real-world situations. OBJECTIVE We conducted a proof-of-concept study to determine if association between CVRFs and cognitive function could be detected using web-based, self-administered cognitive tasks and CVRF assessment. METHODS We recruited 239 participants age ≥50 (mean age 62.7 ± 8.8, 42.7% female, 88.7% white) who were enrolled in the Health eHeart study, a web-based platform focused on cardiac disease. Participants self-reported CVRFs (hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation) using web-based health surveys between August, 2016 and July, 2018. After an average of three years of follow-up, we remotely evaluated episodic memory, working memory, and executive function via the web-based Posit Science platform, BrainHQ. Raw data was normalized and averaged into three domain scores. We used linear regression models to examine the association between CVRFs and cognitive function. RESULTS CVRF prevalence was 62.8% for high cholesterol, 45.2% for hypertension, 10.9% for atrial fibrillation, and 7.5% for diabetes. In multivariable models atrial fibrillation was associated with worse working memory (β = -0.51, 95%CI -0.91,-0.11) and worse episodic memory (β = -0.31, 95%CI -0.59,-0.04); hypertension was associated with worse episodic memory (β = -0.27, 95%CI -0.44, -0.11). Diabetes and high cholesterol were not associated with cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS Self-administered, web-based tools can be used to detect both CVRFs and cognitive health. We observed that atrial fibrillation and hypertension were associated with worse cognitive function even in those in their 6th and 7th decade. The potential of mobile assessments to detect risk factors for cognitive aging merits further investigation.

scholarly journals Disrupted neural synchrony mediates the relationship between white matter integrity and cognitive performance in older adults

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Hinault ◽  
M. Kraut ◽  
A. Bakker ◽  
A. Dagher ◽  
S.M. Courtney
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
White Matter Integrity ◽  
Neural Basis

AbstractOur main goal was to determine the influence of white matter integrity on the dynamic coupling between brain regions and the individual variability of cognitive performance in older adults. EEG was recorded while participants performed a task specifically designed to engage working memory and inhibitory processes, and the associations among functional activity, structural integrity, and cognitive performance were assessed. We found that the association between white matter microstructural integrity and cognitive functioning with aging is mediated by time-varying alpha and gamma phase-locking value (PLV). Specifically, older individuals with better preservation of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus showed greater task-related modulations of alpha and gamma long-range PLV between the inferior frontal gyrus and occipital lobe, lower local phase-amplitude coupling in occipital lobes, and better cognitive control performance. Our results help delineate the role of individual variability of white matter microstructure in dynamic synchrony and cognitive performance during normal aging, and show that even small reductions in white matter integrity can lead to altered communications between brain regions, which in turn can result in reduced efficiency of cognitive functioning.Significance statementCognitive aging is associated with large individual differences, as some individuals maintain cognitive performance similar to that of young adults while others are significantly impaired. We hypothesized that individual differences in white matter integrity would influence the functional synchrony between frontal and posterior brain regions, and cognitive performance in older adults. We found that the association between reduced tract integrity and worse cognitive performance in older adults was mediated by task-related modulations of coupling synchrony in the alpha and gamma bands. Results offer a mechanistic explanation for the neural basis of the variability of cognitive performance in older adults who do not have any clinically diagnosable neuropathology, and for the association between structural network integrity and cognition in older adults.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Associations Between Contact Frequency with Friends and with Family, Activity Engagement, and Cognitive Functioning

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 815-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neika Sharifian ◽  
A. Zarina Kraal ◽  
Afsara B. Zaheed ◽  
Ketlyne Sol ◽  
Laura B. Zahodne
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
Family Activity ◽  
Longitudinal Associations

AbstractObjectives:Social engagement may be an important protective resource for cognitive aging. Some evidence suggests that time spent with friends may be more beneficial for cognition than time spent with family. Because maintaining friendships has been demonstrated to require more active maintenance and engagement in shared activities, activity engagement may be one underlying pathway that explains the distinct associations between contact frequency with friends versus family and cognition.Methods:Using two waves of data from the national survey of Midlife in the United States (n = 3707, Mage = 55.80, 51% female at baseline), we examined longitudinal associations between contact frequency with friends and family, activity engagement (cognitive and physical activities), and cognition (episodic memory and executive functioning) to determine whether activity engagement mediates the relationship between contact frequency and cognition.Results:The longitudinal mediation model revealed that more frequent contact with friends, but not family, was associated with greater concurrent engagement in physical and cognitive activities, which were both associated with better episodic memory and executive functioning.Conclusion:These findings suggest that time spent with friends may promote both cognitively and physically stimulating activities that could help to preserve not only these social relationships but also cognitive functioning.

scholarly journals Physical Performance Is Associated with Working Memory in Older People with Mild to Severe Cognitive Impairment

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Volkers ◽  
E. J. A. Scherder
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Physical Performance ◽  
Aerobic Fitness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Severe Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Physical Performances

Background. Physical performances and cognition are positively related in cognitively healthy people. The aim of this study was to examine whether physical performances are related to specific cognitive functioning in older people with mild to severe cognitive impairment.Methods. This cross-sectional study included 134 people with a mild to severe cognitive impairment (mean age 82 years). Multiple linear regression was performed, after controlling for covariates and the level of global cognition, with the performances on mobility, strength, aerobic fitness, and balance as predictors and working memory and episodic memory as dependent variables.Results. The full models explain 49–57% of the variance in working memory and 40–43% of episodic memory. Strength, aerobic fitness, and balance are significantly associated with working memory, explaining 3–7% of its variance, irrespective of the severity of the cognitive impairment. Physical performance is not related to episodic memory in older people with mild to severe cognitive impairment.Conclusions. Physical performance is associated with working memory in older people with cognitive impairment. Future studies should investigate whether physical exercise for increased physical performance can improve cognitive functioning. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.govNTR1482.

scholarly journals Impaired Cognitive Performance in Patients With Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A84-A85
Author(s):  
Catherine D Zhang ◽  
Sumitabh Singh ◽  
Malavika Suresh ◽  
Andreas Ladefoged Ebbehøj ◽  
Nikki H Stricker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Cortisol Secretion ◽  
Autonomous Cortisol Secretion ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Age And Sex

Abstract Background: Cognitive deficits in memory, language, and executive function have been described in Cushing’s syndrome, but the impact of mild cortisol secretion on cognition is unclear. Rather than overt hypercortisolism, mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) is typically associated with abnormal circadian cortisol production. Aim: To characterize the effect of MACS on cognitive performance. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis as part of an ongoing cohort study in patients with MACS compared to age and sex-matched referent subjects without cortisol excess. MACS was defined as serum cortisol concentration >1.8 mcg/dL after the 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST), in the absence of signs and symptoms of overt Cushing syndrome. We used the National Institute of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery to assess cognitive performance. A series of seven IPad-based tests were administered to evaluate five key domains: 1) executive function, 2) episodic memory, 3) working memory, 4) language, and 5) processing speed. Performance was reported using fully corrected T-scores for age, sex, education, and race with a normative mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. T-scores were generated for the individual components as well as three summary measures: 1) fluid cognition (includes executive function, episodic memory, working memory, and processing speed), 2) crystallized cognition (includes language), and 3) total cognition (composite of fluid and crystalized cognition). Results: A total of 23 patients with MACS and 23 age and sex-matched referent subjects without cortisol excess were enrolled. The median age of diagnosis was 63 years (range, 51–81), and 26 (56%) were women. In the MACS cohort, median cortisol following 1 mg DST was 2.6 ug/dL (range, 1.9–13.0) with median ACTH of 8.5 pg/mL (range, 5.0–38.0) and median DHEA-S of 37 mcg/dL (range, 5.0- 141.0). On cognitive assessment, patients with MACS had lower total cognition (T-scores 50 vs. 54, p=0.05) and fluid cognition (T-scores 48 vs. 53, p=0.01) composite scores compared to referent subjects without cortisol excess. In particular, patients with MACS performed worse on tests of executive function (Dimensional Change Card Sort: T-scores 55 vs. 63, p= 0.02 and Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention: T-scores 45 vs. 52, p=0.01). There were no significant differences observed in the remaining individual domains of language, processing speed, working memory, and episodic memory, or crystallized cognition. Conclusions: MACS is associated with impaired total cognition, and in particular, executive function and fluid cognition. These findings suggest that patients with MACS are susceptible to cortisol-mediated changes in the brain. Additional studies should examine the contribution of neuropsychiatric symptoms on cognition in MACS, and possible improvement following treatment for cortisol excess.

scholarly journals Quantifying Cognitive Impairment After Sleep Deprivation at Different Times of Day: A Proof of Concept Using Ultra-Short Smartphone-Based Tests

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin C. Holding ◽  
Michael Ingre ◽  
Predrag Petrovic ◽  
Tina Sundelin ◽  
John Axelsson
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Sleep Deprivation ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Stroop Test ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Normal Sleep

Cognitive functioning is known to be impaired following sleep deprivation and to fluctuate depending on the time of day. However, most methods of assessing cognitive performance remain impractical for environments outside of the lab. This study investigated whether 2-min smartphone-based versions of commonly used cognitive tests could be used to assess the effects of sleep deprivation and time of day on diverse cognitive functions. After three nights of normal sleep, participants (N = 182) were randomised to either one night of sleep deprivation or a fourth night of normal sleep. Using the Karolinska WakeApp (KWA), participants completed a battery of 2-min cognitive tests, including measures of attention, arithmetic ability, episodic memory, working memory, and a Stroop test for cognitive conflict and behavioural adjustment. A baseline measurement was completed at 22:30 h, followed by three measurements the following day at approximately 08:00 h, 12:30 h, and 16:30 h. Sleep deprivation led to performance impairments in attention, arithmetic ability, episodic memory, and working memory. No effect of sleep deprivation was observed in the Stroop test. There were variations in attention and arithmetic test performance across different times of day. The effect of sleep deprivation on all cognitive tests was also found to vary at different times of day. In conclusion, this study shows that the KWA’s 2-min cognitive tests can be used to detect cognitive impairments following sleep deprivation, and fluctuations in cognitive performance relating to time of day. The results demonstrate the potential of using brief smartphone-based tasks to measure a variety of cognitive abilities within sleep and fatigue research.

scholarly journals Positive Effects of Education on Cognitive Functioning Depend on Clinical Status and Neuropathological Severity

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle G. Jansen ◽  
Linda Geerligs ◽  
Jurgen A. H. R. Claassen ◽  
Eduard J. Overdorp ◽  
Inti A. Brazil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Effects

Background: Variability in cognitive functions in healthy and pathological aging is often explained by educational attainment. However, it remains unclear to which extent different disease states alter protective effects of education. We aimed to investigate whether protective effects of education on cognition depend on (1) clinical diagnosis severity, and (2) the neuropathological burden within a diagnosis in a memory clinic setting.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 108 patients with subjective cognitive decline [SCD, median age 71, IQR (66–78), 43% men], 190 with mild cognitive impairment [MCI, median age 78, IQR (73–82), 44% men], and 245 with Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD) [median age 80, IQR (76–84), 35% men]. We combined visual ratings of hippocampal atrophy, global atrophy, and white matter hyperintensities on MRI into a single neuropathology score. To investigate whether the contribution of education to cognitive performance differed across SCD, MCI, and AD, we employed several multiple linear regression models, stratified by diagnosis and adjusted for age, sex, and neurodegeneration. We re-ran each model with an additional interaction term to investigate whether these effects were influenced by neuropathological burden for each diagnostic group separately. False discovery rate (FDR) corrections for multiple comparisons were applied.Results: We observed significant positive associations between education and performance for global cognition and executive functions (all adjusted p-values < 0.05). As diagnosis became more severe, however, the strength of these associations decreased (all adjusted p-values < 0.05). Education related to episodic memory only at relatively lower levels of neuropathology in SCD (β = −0.23, uncorrected p = 0.02), whereas education related to episodic memory in those with higher levels of neuropathology in MCI (β = 0.15, uncorrected p = 0.04). However, these interaction effects did not survive FDR-corrections.Conclusions: Altogether, our results demonstrated that positive effects of education on cognitive functioning reduce with diagnosis severity, but the role of neuropathological burden within a particular diagnosis was small and warrants further investigation. Future studies may further unravel the extent to which different dimensions of an individual’s disease severity contribute to the waxing and waning of protective effects in cognitive aging.

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