Cognitive Reserve and Social Capital Accrued in Early and Midlife Moderate the Relation of Psychological Stress to Cognitive Performance in Old Age

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 190-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Michel Oris ◽  
Julia Sauter ◽  
Ulrike Rimmele ◽  
Matthias Kliegel
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Cognitive Level ◽  
Verbal Abilities

Aims: The present study set out to investigate the relation of psychological stress to cognitive performance and its interplay with key life course markers of cognitive reserve and social capital in a large sample of older adults. Methods: We assessed cognitive performance (verbal abilities and processing speed) and psychological stress in 2,812 older adults. The Participants reported information on education, occupation, leisure activities, family, and close friends. Results: Greater psychological stress was significantly related to lower performance in verbal abilities and processing speed. Moderation analyses suggested that the relations of psychological stress to cognitive performance were reduced in individuals with higher education, a higher cognitive level of the first profession practiced after education, a larger number of midlife leisure activities, a larger number of significant family members, and a larger number of close friends. Conclusion: Cognitive reserve and social capital accrued in early and midlife may reduce the detrimental influences of psychological stress on cognitive functioning in old age.

The Relation of Obesity to Performance in Verbal Abilities, Processing Speed, and Cognitive Flexibility in Old Age: The Role of Cognitive Reserve

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Ute Mons ◽  
Laura Perna ◽  
Michel Oris ◽  
Delphine Fagot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Verbal Abilities ◽  
Low Education ◽  
The Life Course

Aims: The present study set out to investigate the relation of obesity to performance in verbal abilities, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility and its interplay with key correlates of cognitive reserve in a large sample of older adults. Methods: A total of 2,812 older adults served as a sample for the present study. Psychometric tests on verbal abilities, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility were administered. In addition, individuals were interviewed on their weight and height (to calculate body mass index; BMI), educational attainment, occupation, and engaging in different activities throughout adulthood. Results: Obesity (BMI ≥30) was significantly associated with a lower performance in verbal abilities, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility. Moderation analyses showed that obesity was related to lower processing speed and cognitive flexibility only in individuals with low engagement in activities and low education. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that obesity was not related to any of the three investigated cognitive performance measures when cognitive reserve in early and midlife was taken into account. Conclusion: Present data suggest that cognitive reserve accumulated during the life course may reduce the detrimental influences of obesity on cognitive functioning in old age.

The association of educational attainment, cognitive level of job, and leisure activities during the course of adulthood with cognitive performance in old age: the role of openness to experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 733-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Michel Oris ◽  
Delphine Fagot ◽  
Christian Maggiori ◽  
Matthias Kliegel
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Cognitive Level ◽  
Verbal Abilities ◽  
Higher Educational Attainment

ABSTRACTBackground:The relevance of mental health for everyday life functioning and well-being is crucial. In this context, higher educational attainment, higher cognitive level of one's occupation, and more engaging in stimulating leisure activities have been found to be associated with better cognitive functioning in old age. Yet, the detailed pattern of the potential interplay of such a cognitively engaged lifestyle with personality dimensions, such as openness to experience, in their relations to cognitive functioning remains unclear.Methods:Two thousand eight hundred and twelve older adults served as sample for the present study. Psychometric tests on verbal abilities and processing speed were administered. In addition, individuals were retrospectively interviewed on their educational attainment, occupation, and regarding 18 leisure activities that had been carried out in mid-life. Moreover, openness to experience was assessed.Results:We found that the effect of openness to experience on cognitive functioning was mediated by educational attainment, cognitive level of job, and engaging in different leisure activities. Data were not better described by alternative moderation models testing for interactive (i.e. dependent) effects of openness to experience and cognitively stimulating engagement.Conclusions:To explain interindividual differences in cognitive functioning in old age, present data are in line with a mechanism in which individuals with high openness to experience may have been more engaged in stimulating activities in early and mid-life. Possibly by increasing their cognitive reserve throughout adulthood, this may finally enhance their cognitive performance level later in old age.

The association of timing of retirement with cognitive performance in old age: the role of leisure activities after retirement

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1659-1669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Catherine Grotz ◽  
Stéphane Adam ◽  
Michel Oris ◽  
Delphine Fagot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Trail Making Test ◽  
Test Part ◽  
Trail Making

ABSTRACTBackground:The role of timing of retirement on cognitive functioning in old age is inconclusive so far. Therefore, the present study set out to investigate the association of timing of retirement with cognitive performance and its interplay with key correlates of cognitive reserve in a large sample of older adults.Methods:Two thousand two hundred and sixty three older adults served as sample for the present study. Different psychometric tests (Trail Making Test part A (TMT A), Trail Making Test part B (TMT B), Mill Hill) were administered. In addition, individuals were interviewed on their retirement, occupation, educational attainment, and regarding 18 leisure activities that have been carried out after retirement.Results:Earlier retirement (compared to retirement at legal age) was significantly associated with better performance in the TMT A, the TMT B, and the Mill Hill vocabulary test. Moderation analyses showed that in individuals with a moderate number of leisure activities in old age, earlier retirement was related to better cognitive performance, but not in those with a relatively large number of leisure activities. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that entering leisure activities as additional predictor significantly increased explained variance in the cognitive measures over and above all other investigated markers of cognitive reserve (i.e. occupation and education).Conclusions:Present data further corroborate the view that leisure activities even in old age may lead to further enrichment effects and thereby may be related to better cognitive functioning. The role of engaging in activities in the context of major life events such as retirement is discussed.

scholarly journals The relation of close friends to cognitive performance in old age: the mediating role of leisure activities

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1753-1758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Michel Oris ◽  
Marie Baeriswyl ◽  
Matthias Kliegel
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
The One

ABSTRACTBackground:From a conceptual point of view, close friends are an important resource for promoting activity engagement in old age. Leisure activity engagement in turn is a key predictor of cognitive performance. Empirically, it remains unclear so far whether leisure activity engagement mediates between having close friends on the one hand and cognitive performance on the other, which we investigated in a large sample of older adults.Methods:We assessed cognitive performance (Mill Hill vocabulary scale and Trail Making Test (TMT) parts A and B) in 2,812 older adults. Participants reported information on leisure activity engagement and close friends.Results:A larger number of leisure activities and a larger number of close friends were significantly related to better cognitive performance in the Mill Hill vocabulary scale and TMT parts A and B. A larger number of close friends were significantly related to a larger number of leisure activities. The number of leisure activities mediated more than half of the relation of the number of close friends to performance in all three cognitive measures.Conclusions:Having close friends may be helpful to stimulate and promote activity participation in old age. By enhancing individuals’ cognitive reserve, this may finally preserve their cognitive performance level in old age.

The relation of education, occupation, and cognitive activity to cognitive status in old age: the role of physical frailty

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1469-1474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Élvio R. Gouveia ◽  
Bruna R. Gouveia ◽  
Duarte L. Freitas ◽  
Jefferson Jurema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Cognitive Level ◽  
Physical Frailty

ABSTRACTBackground:It remains unclear so far whether the role of cognitive reserve may differ between physically frail compared to less frail individuals. Therefore, the present study set out to investigate the relation of key markers of cognitive reserve to cognitive status in old age and its interplay with physical frailty in a large sample of older adults.Methods:We assessed Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in 701 older adults. We measured grip strength as indicator of physical frailty and interviewed individuals on their education, past occupation, and cognitive leisure activity.Results:Greater grip strength, longer education, higher cognitive level of job, and greater engaging in cognitive leisure activity were significantly related to higher MMSE scores. Moderation analyses showed that the relations of education, cognitive level of job, and cognitive leisure activity to MMSE scores were significantly larger in individuals with lower, compared to those with greater grip strength.Conclusions:Cognitive status in old age may more strongly depend on cognitive reserve accumulated during the life course in physically frail (compared to less frail) older adults. These findings may be explained by cross-domain compensation effects in vulnerable individuals.

The Relation of Hypertension to Performance in Immediate and Delayed Cued Recall and Working Memory in Old Age: The Role of Cognitive Reserve

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1171-1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Élvio R. Gouveia ◽  
Bruna R. Gouveia ◽  
Duarte L. Freitas ◽  
Jefferson Jurema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Cued Recall ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Cognitive Measures ◽  
The Life Course

Objective: We investigated the relation of hypertension to cognitive performance and its interplay with key markers of cognitive reserve in a large sample of older adults. Method: We assessed tests of immediate and delayed cued recall and working memory in 701 older adults. We measured systolic blood pressure and interviewed individuals on their education, past occupation, and cognitive leisure activity. Results: Hypertension (≥140 mmHg) was related to lower performance in all three cognitive measures. Moderation analyses suggested that these relations were reduced in individuals with greater engaging in cognitive leisure activity. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that hypertension was not related to any of the three investigated cognitive performance measures when education, cognitive level of job, and cognitive leisure activity were simultaneously taken into account. Discussion: The detrimental influences of hypertension on cognitive functioning in old age may be reduced in individuals with greater cognitive reserve accumulated during the life course.

scholarly journals Motivation as a Mediator of the Relation Between Cognitive Reserve and Cognitive Performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1199-1205
Author(s):  
Fanny Vallet ◽  
Nathalie Mella ◽  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Marine Beaudoin ◽  
Delphine Fagot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intrinsic Motivation ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Global Measure ◽  
Interindividual Differences

Abstract Objectives Interindividual differences in cognitive aging may be explained by differences in cognitive reserve (CR) that are built up across the life span. A plausible but underresearched mechanism for these differences is that CR helps compensating cognitive decline by enhancing motivation to cope with challenging cognitive situations. Theories of motivation on cognition suggest that perceived capacity and intrinsic motivation may be key mediators in this respect. Method In 506 older adults, we assessed CR proxies (education, occupation, leisure activities), motivation (perceived capacity, intrinsic motivation), and a global measure of cognitive functioning. Results Perceived capacity, but not intrinsic motivation, significantly mediated the relation between CR and cognitive performance. Discussion Complementary with neurobiological and cognitive processes, our results suggest a more comprehensive view of the role of motivational aspects built up across the life span in determining differences in cognitive performance in old age.

scholarly journals Harmonisation and Between-Country Differences of the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Ourry ◽  
Natalie L. Marchant ◽  
Ann-Katrin Schild ◽  
Nina Coll-Padros ◽  
Olga M. Klimecki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Behavioural Determinants ◽  
Country Differences ◽  
The Life Course

Background: The Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ) assesses complex mental activity across the life-course and has been associated with brain and cognitive health. The different education systems and occupation classifications across countries represent a challenge for international comparisons. The objectives of this study were four-fold: to adapt and harmonise the LEQ across four European countries, assess its validity across countries, explore its association with brain and cognition and begin to investigate between-country differences in life-course mental activities.Method: The LEQ was administered to 359 cognitively unimpaired older adults (mean age and education: 71.2, 13.2 years) from IMAP and EU-funded Medit-Ageing projects. Education systems, classification of occupations and scoring guidelines were adapted to allow comparisons between France, Germany, Spain and United Kingdom. We assessed the LEQ's (i) concurrent validity with a similar instrument (cognitive activities questionnaire - CAQ) and its structural validity by testing the factors' structure across countries, (ii) we investigated its association with cognition and neuroimaging, and (iii) compared its scores between countries.Results: The LEQ showed moderate to strong positive associations with the CAQ and revealed a stable multidimensional structure across countries that was similar to the original LEQ. The LEQ was positively associated with global cognition. Between-country differences were observed in leisure activities across the life-course.Conclusions: The LEQ is a promising tool for assessing the multidimensional construct of cognitive reserve and can be used to measure socio-behavioural determinants of cognitive reserve in older adults across countries. Longitudinal studies are warranted to test further its clinical utility.

scholarly journals Cognitive reserve, brain reserve, and cognitive performance in old age: A population‐based study

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (S10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanjing Li ◽  
Xiang Wang ◽  
Tingting Hou ◽  
Lin Song ◽  
Mingqi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Brain Reserve
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document