scholarly journals WINTER WOES? IMPACT OF SNOW, SLEET, AND RAIN ON AGE-RELATED COGNITIVE DECLINE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S414-S414
Author(s):  
Jessica M Finlay ◽  
Philippa Clarke ◽  
Anam Khan ◽  
Carina Gronlund ◽  
Robert Melendez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Stroke Study

Abstract Snowfall, sleet and rain can adversely affect the mobility of older adults, with negative consequences for engagement in daily activities and socializing. This can lead to isolation and loneliness, which can negatively impact cognitive functioning. We tested whether long-term exposure to precipitation – particularly snow and cold rain (precipitation at ambient temperatures between 0°C and 10°C) – negatively impacts age-related cognitive function trajectories among a national sample of over 30,000 Americans (aged 45+) in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study followed since 2003. Linear growth mixture models showed that living in an area with a 25% greater proportion of days with snow/rain in the past year was associated with a 0.6 unit decrease in cognitive function score (p<.001). Effects were stronger among those aged 75+, who experienced faster rates of cognitive decline. The findings motivate further research on the role of cold-season precipitation for cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Weather Woes? Exploring Potential Links between Precipitation and Age-Related Cognitive Decline

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 9011
Author(s):  
Jessica Finlay ◽  
Anam Khan ◽  
Carina Gronlund ◽  
Ketlyne Sol ◽  
Joy Jang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
The Past ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Stroke Study

Rain, snow, or ice may discourage older adults from leaving their homes with potential consequences for social isolation, decreased physical activity, and cognitive decline. This study is the first to examine potential links between annual precipitation exposure and cognitive function in a large population-based cohort of older Americans. We examined the association between precipitation (percent of days with snow or rain in the past year) and cognitive function in 25,320 individuals aged 45+ from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study. Linear mixed models assessed the relationship between precipitation and cognitive function, as well as rates of change in cognitive function with age. We found a non-linear relationship between precipitation and cognitive function. Compared to those exposed to infrequent precipitation (less than 20% of days with rain/snow in the past year), cognitive function was higher among older adults experiencing moderately frequent precipitation (20–40% of annual days with precipitation). However, beyond more than about 45% of days with precipitation in the past year, there was a negative association between precipitation and cognitive function, with faster rates of cognitive decline with age. These exploratory findings motivate further research to better understand the complex role of precipitation for late-life cognitive function.

Racial segregation and cognitive function among older adults in the United States: Findings from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Bohyun Jang ◽  
Margaret T Hicken ◽  
Megan Mullins ◽  
Michael Esposito ◽  
Ketlyne Sol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High School ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
The United States ◽  
High School Education ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Regards Study

Abstract Objectives Residential segregation is one of the fundamental features of health disparities in the United States. Yet little research has examined how living in segregated metropolitan areas is related to cognitive function and cognitive decline with age. We examined the association between segregation at the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level and trajectories of age-related cognitive function. Method Using data from Black and White older adults in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study (n=18,913), we employed linear growth curve models to examine how living in racially segregated MSAs at baseline, measured by the degree of Non-Hispanic Black [NHB] isolation and NHB dissimilarity, was associated with trajectories of age-related cognitive function and how the associations varied by race and education. Results Living in MSAs with greater levels of isolation was associated with lower cognitive function (b=-0.093, p<0.05) but was not associated with rates of change in cognitive decline with age. No effects of living in isolated MSAs were found for those with at least a high school education, but older adults with less than a high school education had lower cognitive function in MSAs with greater isolation (b=-0.274, p<0.05). The degree of dissimilarity was not associated with cognitive function. The association between segregation and cognitive function did not vary by race. Discussion Metropolitan segregation was associated with lower cognitive function among older adults, especially for those with lower education living in racially isolated MSAs. This suggests complex associations between individual socioeconomic status, place, and cognitive health.

scholarly journals CAN NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS MODIFY COGNITIVE DECLINE? FINDINGS FROM THE REGARDS STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S26-S26
Author(s):  
Philippa J Clarke ◽  
Jessica M Finlay
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Regards Study

Abstract Environmental factors may significantly increase the risk of, or buffer against, age-related cognitive decline, yet policies and practices to improve cognitive health outcomes to date largely overlook the role of neighborhoods and socio-physical environmental contexts. Residence in socioeconomically advantaged neighborhoods may promote cognitive function through greater density of physical and social resources (e.g., libraries, parks, coffee shops, air conditioning, community centers) that promote physical activity, facilitate mental stimulation, and encourage social engagement. This symposium will identify natural, built, and social environmental factors linked to changes in cognitive function over time (assessed by animal naming and world list learning tests) based on secondary data analyses of a national, racially diverse (42% Black), population-based sample of over 30,000 Americans aged 45+ in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study followed annually since 2003. The first two papers investigate the roles of racial residential segregation and education on cognitive function disparities at the neighborhood and city scale. The third paper explores fast-food restaurants as socially interactive community spaces for older adults that may help buffer against cognitive decline. The fourth paper investigates effects of local air temperature on cognitive testing performance, and discusses how regional differences and seasonality may buffer or exacerbate temperature-cognition associations. Altogether, the symposium elucidates how cognitive health is impacted by a complex interplay of individual and geographic factors. The papers inform policy-making efforts to improve physical neighborhood environments and social community contexts, which are critical to the well-being of older adults aging in place.

scholarly journals Behavioral interventions to benefit cognition (Intervenciones cognitivas para beneficiar la cognición)

Retos ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 197-202
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Etnier ◽  
Chia-Hao Shih ◽  
Aaron Piepmeier
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Exercise Intervention ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related

With the growing population of older adults, the identification of treatment strategies to prevent or ameliorate age-related cognitive decline has been an important topic in recent years. After reviewing cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimentally designed studies, as well as evidence from narrative and meta-analytic reviews, the authors concluded that behavioral approaches such as physical activity, cognitive training, and dietary interventions show promising results. In addition, given the likelihood that multiple underlying mechanisms support cognitive function, research is currently focusing on how to combine lifestyle factors into multi-component interventions to generate greater and more meaningful effects. Though evidence for these enhanced benefits exists from animal studies, few multi-component studies have been performed with humans. However, the findings from these studies are promising and a continued pursuit of multi-component behavioral interventions to benefit cognitive performance is warranted. Given the world’s aging population and accompanying age-related health issues such as cognitive decline and dementia, future research should focus on understanding the biological mechanisms responsible for these effects in order to allow for the development of behavioral lifestyle prescriptions to benefit cognitive performance.Keywords. aging, cognitive function, exercise intervention, oxidative stress, cognitive engagement.Resumen. Con la creciente población de adultos mayores, la identificación de las estrategias de tratamiento para prevenir o mejorar el deterioro cognitivo relacionado con la edad ha sido un tema importante en los últimos años. Después de revisar estudios con diseños transversales, longitudinales y experimentales, así como la evidencia de revisiones de literatura narrativa y meta-analítica, los autores concluyen que los enfoques conductuales como la actividad física, el entrenamiento cognitivo y las intervenciones dietéticas muestran resultados prometedores. Además, dada la probabilidad de que múltiples mecanismos subyacentes apoyan la función cognitiva, las investigaciones se enfocan actualmente en la manera de cómo combinar factores del estilo de vida en las intervenciones con múltiples componentes para generar efectos mayores y más significativos. Aunque existe evidencia de estos beneficios a partir de estudios en animales, se han realizado pocos estudios de componentes múltiples en humanos. Sin embargo, los resultados de estos estudios son prometedores y se garantiza un seguimiento continuo de las intervenciones conductuales de componentes múltiples para beneficiar el rendimiento cognitivo. Teniendo en cuenta el envejecimiento de la población mundial y los problemas de salud relacionados con la edad que la acompañan, tales como el deterioro cognitivo y la demencia, la investigación futura debería centrarse en la comprensión de los mecanismos biológicos responsables de estos efectos con el fin de permitir el desarrollo de las prescripciones de comportamiento de estilo de vida para beneficiar el rendimiento cognitivo.Palabras claves. envejecimiento, funcionamiento cognitivo, intervención con ejercicio, estrés oxidativo, participación cognitiva.

Abstract P351: Longitudinal Association Between Low-to-moderate Alcohol Drinking and Cognition Trajectory in US Adults

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruiyuan Zhang ◽  
Luqi Shen ◽  
Toni Miles ◽  
Ye Shen ◽  
Jose Cordero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
Alcohol Drinking ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Function Word ◽  
Moderate Drinking ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Nationally Representative

Background: Findings on the effect of alcohol drinking on cognitive function are mixed. The present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations of low-to-moderate alcohol drinking with cognition trajectories and changing rates among a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older Americans. Method: A total of 19,887 participants in the Health and Retirement Study were included in the analyses. Performance of cognitive function was assessed every two years in 3 domains: mental status (MS), word recall (WR), and vocabulary (VOC). Trajectories of the total cognitive function (TCF) and individual domains were constructed using the SAS proc traj procedure. Age at cognition measurement was used as a time scale. Age related annual changing rates of cognition measures were estimated by regressing cognition scores over age for all individuals. Due to very few people, heavy drinkers were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression and linear regression were used to estimate the effect of low to moderate drinking on the cognition trajectories and annual changing rates after adjusting for baseline age, gender, race, years of education, marital status, smoking and body mass index. Result: Participants were clustered into a consistently low trajectory and a consistently high trajectory for each cognition measure. Low-to-moderate drinking was associated with a better trajectory and lower declining rate. Compared to never drinkers, current low-to-moderate drinkers were 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-0.75, P <0.0001), 0.69 (95% CI: 0.61-0.79, P <0.0001), 0.75 (95% CI: 0.69-0.81, P <0.0001), and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.54-0.72, P <0.0001) less likely to have a consistently low trajectory for TCF, MS, WR, and VOC, respectively. Meanwhile, current low-to-moderate drinking was associated with 0.05 (95% CI: 0.03-0.08, P <0.0001), 0.02 (95% CI: 0.01-0.03, P =0.0001), 0.005 (95% CI: -0.003-0.01, P =0.23), 0.01 (95% CI: 0-0.02, P =0.04) units lower annual changing rates for those cognition measures. Racial differences were observed for trajectories of MS ( P =0.01), in which, low-to-moderate drinking was associated with the consistently low trajectory among whites (odds ratio=0.67, 95% CI: 0.58-0.76) but not among blacks (odds ratio =1.07, 95% CI: 0.79-1.45). There was no gender difference was observed. Conclusion: Current low-to-moderate alcohol drinkers associated with total cognitive function, word recall, mental status, and vocabulary in both men and women.

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 Omega 3 fatty acids and cognitive health in older people

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (S2) ◽  
pp. S152-S158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan D. Dangour ◽  
Valentina A. Andreeva ◽  
Emma Sydenham ◽  
Ricardo Uauy
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Cochrane Review ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Age Related

Oily fish and other sources of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPs) have been proposed as protective against dementia and age related cognitive impairment. The basic mechanisms underlying these proposed benefits have been postulated and experimental studies supporting the plausibility of the putative effects have been published. Observational epidemiological and case control studies also largely support a protective role of fish consumption on cognitive function with advancing age, albeit with important unexplained heterogeneity in findings. In this review we report the findings of the latest Cochrane review on the benefits of n-3 LCP supplementation on cognitive function among cognitively healthy older people and expand the review by including trials conducted with individuals with prevalent poor cognitive function or dementia. We identified seven relevant trials, four among cognitively healthy older people, and three among individuals with pre-existing cognitive decline or dementia, and overall conclude that there is no evidence to support the routine use of n-3 LCPs supplements for the prevention, or amelioration, of cognitive decline in later life. We identified several challenges in the design of intervention studies for the prevention of dementia and cognitive decline in older people that require careful consideration especially in recruitment and retention in long-term trials. Whether the lack of agreement in findings from mechanistic and observational data and from intervention studies reflects a real absence of benefit on cognitive function from n-3 LCP supplementation, or whether it reflects intrinsic limitations in the design of published studies remains open to question.

scholarly journals 322 - Heterogeneity in dynamic change of cognitive function among Chinese elderly: A growth mixture model

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (S1) ◽  
pp. 80-80
Author(s):  
Peiyuan Qiu ◽  
Weihong Kuang ◽  
Yan Cai ◽  
Yang Wan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Mixture Model ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Stable Group ◽  
Growth Mixture Model ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
Fresh Vegetables

Objectives:Our aim is to use the growth mixture model (GMM) to distinguish different trajectories of cognitive change in Chinese geriatric population and identify risk factors for cognitive decline in each subpopulation.Methods:We obtained data from the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey, using the Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination (C-MMSE) as a proxy for cognitive function. We applied the GMM to identify heterogeneous subpopulations and potential risk factors.Results:Our sample included 2850 older adults, 1387 (48.7%) male and 1463 (51.3%) female with age range of 62 to 108 (average of 72.3). Using GMM and best fit statistics, we identified two distinct subgroups in respect to their longitudinal cognitive function: cognitively stable (91.4%) group with 0.42 C-MMSE points decline per 3 years, and cognitively declining (8.6%) group with 4.76 C-MMSE points decline per 3 years. Of note, vision impairment and hearing impairment had the highest associations with cognitive decline, with stronger association found in the cognitively declining group than the cognitively stable group. Cognitive activities were protective in both groups. Diabetes was associated with cognitive decline in cognitive declining group. Physical activities, social activities and intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish products were protective in cognitive stable group.Conclusions:Using GMM, we identified heterogeneity in trajectories of cognitive change in Chinese elders. Moreover, we found risk factors specific to each subgroup, which should be considered in future studies.

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