scholarly journals Socioeconomic Status, Biological Aging, and Memory in a Diverse National Sample of Older US Men and Women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justina F Avila ◽  
Indira Turney ◽  
Precious Esie ◽  
Jet M. J. Vonk ◽  
Vanessa Weir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
White People ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Relationship

Importance: Exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with rapid cognitive aging. Biological aging, the progressive loss of system integrity that occurs as we age is proposed as a modifiable process mediating this health inequality. Objective: To test the hypothesis that socioeconomic disparities in cognitive aging in older adults is explained by accelerated biological aging. Design: Observational cohort study. Setting: U.S. Health and Retirement Study DNA-methylation sub-study. Participants: N=3,648 (49% male) adults aged 50-100 (M=70, SD=10) with DNA methylation data. Exposures: Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured from years of education and household wealth. The extent and pace of biological aging were quantified using three DNA-methylation measures: PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPoAm. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cognitive aging was measured from repeated longitudinal assessments of immediate and delayed word recall. Latent growth curve modeling estimated participants level of memory performance and rate of decline over 2-11 follow-up assessments spanning 2-20 years. Models were estimated to assess whether the relationship between SES and memory trajectories was mediated by biological aging. Results: Older adults with lower SES had lower memory performance, faster decline and exhibited accelerated biological aging (SES β=.33, 99% CI[.30-.36], biological-aging measure effect size associations ranged from .08 to .20). Accelerated biological aging was associated with decreased memory performance and faster memory decline (effect-size range .03 to .18). Higher SES was associated with slower biological aging for White and Black men and women, but not Latinx participants. The relationship between biological aging measures and memory was weaker for Black and Latinx participants compared with White people. In mediation analysis, biological aging accounted for 3-9% of the SES-memory gradient in White participants. There was no evidence of mediation in Black or Latinx participants. Conclusions and Relevance: Among a national sample of older adults, DNA-methylation measures of biological aging were associated with memory trajectories in White, but not Black or Latinx older adults. These results challenge the assumption that DNA-methylation biomarkers of aging that were developed in primarily White people can quantify aging processes affecting cognition in Black and Latinx older adults.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATING MODERATORS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE MEMORY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S40-S41
Author(s):  
Francesca Falzarano ◽  
Jillian Minahan ◽  
Karen L Siedlecki ◽  
Timothy Salthouse
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Affective Factors ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Subjective memory complaints (SMC) among older adults have been explored as an indicator of decline in objective memory functioning. While some research has found that SMC may be predictive of future cognitive impairment and dementia (Glodzik-Sobanska et al., 2007; Wang et al., 2004), others have suggested that SMC are common among healthy older adults (Cooper et al., 2011) and are not strongly related to objective memory performance. Researchers suggest that SMC may be more strongly related to affective factors (e.g., depression and anxiety; Rowell, Green, Teachman, & Salthouse, 2015). The current study examined the relationship between SMC, objective episodic memory performance (OEMP), along with depression and anxiety in a sample of 18-99 year olds (N = 5,430) from the Virginia Cognitive Aging Project (VCAP). Structural equation modeling with full information maximum likelihood estimation was used to investigate whether clinically-relevant depression and anxiety levels moderated the relationship between SMC and OEMP, controlling for age, education, gender, and health. OEMP was represented as a latent construct while the remaining variables were observed. Although depression and anxiety are significantly related to SMC (r’s = .29, .17, respectively), they are not correlated with OEMP. Furthermore, depression, but not anxiety, moderated the relationship between SMC and OEMP, such that those at risk for depression had a stronger relationship between SMC and OEMP (-.07, p<.05) compared to those not at risk (-.02, p=.31). This suggests that SMC may not be a valid indicator of OEMP as it may reflect variance from other sources, such as depression.

scholarly journals Neurogranin, a synaptic protein, is associated with memory independent of Alzheimer biomarkers

Neurology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (17) ◽  
pp. 1782-1788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlin B. Casaletto ◽  
Fanny M. Elahi ◽  
Brianne M. Bettcher ◽  
John Neuhaus ◽  
Barbara B. Bendlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Age Related ◽  
T Tau ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
With Memory

Objective:To determine the association between synaptic functioning as measured via neurogranin in CSF and cognition relative to established Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers in neurologically healthy older adults.Methods:We analyzed CSF concentrations of neurogranin, β-amyloid (Aβ42), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and total tau (t-tau) among 132 neurologically normal older adults (mean 64.5, range 55–85), along with bilateral hippocampal volumes and a measure of episodic memory (Auditory Verbal Learning Test, delayed recall). Univariable analyses examined the relationship between neurogranin and the other AD-related biomarkers. Multivariable regression models examined the relationship between neurogranin and delayed recall, adjusting for age and sex, and interaction terms (neurogranin × AD biomarkers).Results:Higher neurogranin concentrations were associated with older age (ρ = 0.20, p = 0.02), lower levels of p-tau and t-tau, and smaller hippocampal volumes (p < 0.03), but not with CSF Aβ42 (p = 0.18). In addition, CSF neurogranin demonstrated a significant relationship with memory performance independent of the AD-related biomarkers; individuals with the lowest CSF neurogranin concentrations performed better on delayed recall than those with medium or high CSF neurogranin concentrations (p < 0.01). Notably, CSF p-tau, t-tau, and Aβ42 and hippocampal volumes were not significantly associated with delayed recall scores (p > 0.40), and did not interact with neurogranin to predict memory (p > 0.10).Conclusions:Synaptic dysfunction (assessed via neurogranin) may be an early pathologic process in age-related neurodegeneration, and a sensitive marker of age-related cognitive abilities, potentially preceding or even acting independently from AD pathogenesis. Synaptic functioning may be a useful early marker of cognitive aging and possibly a target for future brain aging interventions.

Accelerated Epigenetic Age in Normal Cognitive Aging of Korean Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 109980042098389
Author(s):  
Jongmin Park ◽  
Chang Won Won ◽  
Leorey N. Saligan ◽  
Youn-Jung Kim ◽  
Yoonju Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Cohen’S D ◽  
Epigenetic Age ◽  
Epigenetic Age Acceleration ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background: Epigenetic age acceleration has been studied as a promising biomarker of age-related conditions, including cognitive aging. This pilot study aims to explore potential cognitive aging-related biomarkers by investigating the relationship of epigenetic age acceleration and cognitive function and by examining the epigenetic age acceleration differences between successful cognitive aging (SCA) and normal cognitive aging (NCA) among Korean community-dwelling older adults (CDOAs). Methods: We used data and blood samples of Korean CDOAs from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. The participants were classified into two groups, SCA (above the 50th percentile in all domains of cognitive function) and NCA. The genome-wide DNA methylation profiling array using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip was used to calculate the following: the DNA methylation age, universal epigenetic age acceleration, intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (IEAA), and extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (EEAA). We also used Pearson correlation analysis and independent t-tests to analyze the data. Results: Universal age acceleration correlated with the Frontal Assessment Battery test results ( r = −0.42, p = 0.025); the EEAA correlated with the Word List Recognition test results ( r = −0.41, p = 0.027). There was a significant difference between SCA and NCA groups in IEAA ( p = 0.041, Cohen’s d = 0.82) and EEAA ( p = 0.042, Cohen’s d = 0.78). Conclusions: Epigenetic age acceleration can be used as a biomarker for early detection of cognitive decline in Korean community-dwelling older adults. Large longitudinal studies are warranted.

scholarly journals Resting‐State EEG Microstates Parallel Age‐Related Differences in Allocentric Spatial Working Memory Performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeline Jabès ◽  
Giuliana Klencklen ◽  
Paolo Ruggeri ◽  
Christoph M. Michel ◽  
Pamela Banta Lavenex ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Age Related

AbstractAlterations of resting-state EEG microstates have been associated with various neurological disorders and behavioral states. Interestingly, age-related differences in EEG microstate organization have also been reported, and it has been suggested that resting-state EEG activity may predict cognitive capacities in healthy individuals across the lifespan. In this exploratory study, we performed a microstate analysis of resting-state brain activity and tested allocentric spatial working memory performance in healthy adult individuals: twenty 25–30-year-olds and twenty-five 64–75-year-olds. We found a lower spatial working memory performance in older adults, as well as age-related differences in the five EEG microstate maps A, B, C, C′ and D, but especially in microstate maps C and C′. These two maps have been linked to neuronal activity in the frontal and parietal brain regions which are associated with working memory and attention, cognitive functions that have been shown to be sensitive to aging. Older adults exhibited lower global explained variance and occurrence of maps C and C′. Moreover, although there was a higher probability to transition from any map towards maps C, C′ and D in young and older adults, this probability was lower in older adults. Finally, although age-related differences in resting-state EEG microstates paralleled differences in allocentric spatial working memory performance, we found no evidence that any individual or combination of resting-state EEG microstate parameter(s) could reliably predict individual spatial working memory performance. Whether the temporal dynamics of EEG microstates may be used to assess healthy cognitive aging from resting-state brain activity requires further investigation.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in Phytoestrogens and the Relationship with Speed of Processing in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of NHANES, 1999–2002

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alwerdt ◽  
Patterson ◽  
Sliwinski
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Speed Of Processing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Performance Results ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Relationship

Sex hormone changes in adults are known to play a part in aging, including cognitive aging. Dietary intake of phytoestrogens can mimic estrogenic effects on brain function. Since sex hormones differ between genders, it is important to examine gender differences in the phytoestrogen–cognition association. Therefore, the goal of this study is to examine the relationship between urinary phytoestrogens and speed of processing (SOP) and the variation of the association between genders in older adults. Participants were drawn from the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and included 354 individuals aged 65–85 years old. General linear models (GLMs) were used to test for significant gender differences in the relationship between phytoestrogens and SOP. Results from the GLMs showed significant gender differences in the relationship between genistein and SOP. Higher levels of genistein were associated with better SOP in women. This relationship was reversed in men: higher genistein levels were associated with worse performance. Results indicate that there are distinct gender differences in the relationship between genistein and SOP. These results emphasize the importance of considering gender differences when devising dietary and pharmacologic interventions that target phytoestrogens to improve brain health.

Considering the Relationship Between Biological Aging and Cognitive Aging

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 736-737
Author(s):  
Judith Saxton
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Neuropsychological Changes ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Dementing Disorders

The psychological and neuropsychological changes of aging and dementia have been a topic of study for decades, if not centuries. It is only more recently, however, that technological changes have allowed the biological processes triggering the changes of aging to be uncovered. The overlap between these two sciences, namely, the relationship between cognitive aging and the study of biological aging, is an emerging area of research. The study of aging, however, is confounded by the close association between aging and the development of particular diseases. Older people are far more likely than young people to suffer from multiple illnesses. Furthermore, older people are far more vulnerable to specific types of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia. The relationship between the onset of the aging process and the development of dementing disorders such as Alzheimer's disease is of particular interest.

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