scholarly journals Social networks and cognitive function in older adults: findings from the HAPIEE study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Nie ◽  
Marcus Richards ◽  
Ruzena Kubinova ◽  
Anastasiya Titarenko ◽  
Sofia Malyutina ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Social networks are associated with better cognitive health in older people, but the role of specific aspects of the social network remains unclear. This is especially the case in Central and Eastern Europe. This study examined associations between three aspects of the social network (network size of friends and relatives, contact frequency with friends and relatives, and social activity participation) with cognitive functions (verbal memory, learning ability, verbal fluency, processing speed, and global cognitive function) in older Czech, Polish, and Russian adults. Methods Linear regression estimated associations between baseline social networks and cognitive domains measured at both baseline and follow-up (mean duration of follow-up, 3.5 ± 0.7 years) in 6691 participants (mean age, 62.2 ± 6.0 years; 53.7% women) from the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study. Results Cross-sectional analyses, adjusted for country, age, and sex, showed positive associations of global cognitive function with social activity participation and network size of friends and relatives, but not with contact frequency in either network. Further adjustment for sociodemographic, behavioural, and health characteristics attenuated the associations with network size of relatives (P-trend = 0.074) but not with network size of friends (P-trend = 0.036) or social activities (P-trend< 0.001). In prospective analyses, network size and social activity participation were also linked with better cognition in simple models, but the associations were much stronger for social activities (P-trend< 0.001) than for network size of friends (P-trend = 0.095) and relatives (P-trend = 0.425). Adjustment for baseline cognition largely explained the prospective associations with network size of friends (P-trend = 0.787) and relatives (P-trend = 0.815), but it only slightly attenuated the association with social activities (P-trend< 0.001). The prospective effect of social activities was largely explained by sociodemographic, health behavioural, and health covariates (P-trend = 0.233). Analyses of specific cognitive domains generally replicated the cross-sectional and prospective findings for global cognitive function. Conclusions Older Central and Eastern European adults with larger social networks and greater social activities participation had better cognitive function, but these associations were stronger at baseline than over the short-term follow-up.

Author(s):  
Jongnam Hwang ◽  
Sangmin Park ◽  
Sujin Kim

Cognitive function is a critical health issue in later life, the decline of which disrupts well-being and daily life function. Cognitive decline in older ages can also be understood in the context of the social environment such as social connectedness and engagement in personal life. This study aimed to examine: (1) whether participation in social activities contributes to preventing cognitive decline, and (2) what type of social activities are beneficial to maintaining cognitive function. Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLOSA) 2006–2014, a longitudinal survey of the household-dwelling population aged 45 and older in Korea were used. The results revealed that Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores decreased with increasing age, at a rate of approximately 0.18 units across all age-gender groups, and the decrease was steeper for adults aged 65 and over. Participation in social gatherings was likely to delay the decline in cognitive function after the age of 65. In a gender-stratified model, social activity may not have an impact on the decline of cognitive function for men, whereas participation in social gatherings was negatively related to the decline of MMSE scores in women. This study suggests the need for a gender-stratified policy for preventing the decline of cognitive function while promoting engagement in social activities in Korean older adults.


Author(s):  
John S Ji ◽  
Linxin Liu ◽  
Yi Zeng ◽  
Lijing L Yan

Abstract Forkhead Box O 3 (FOXO3) genotype is strongly associated with human longevity and may be protective against neurodegeneration. Air pollution is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. We aimed to study the individual and combined effects of FOXO3 and air pollution on cognitive function in a large prospective cohort with up to 14 years of follow-up. We measured cognitive function and impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We used tagging SNPs rs2253310, rs2802292, and rs4946936 to identify the FOXO3 gene, of which roughly half of the population had the longevity associated polymorphism. We matched annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations within 1 km^2 grid. We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses using multivariable linear and logistic regression models and generalized estimating equation. At baseline, carriers of the longevity associated homozygous minor alleles of FOXO3 SNPs had a higher MMSE score than the carriers of homozygous major alleles. In the longitudinal follow-up, carriers of FOXO3 homozygous minor alleles had lower odds of cognitive impairment compared to non-carriers. Higher PM2.5 was associated with a lower MMSE score and higher odds of cognitive impairment. The positive effects of FOXO3 were the strongest in females, older people, and residents in areas with lower air pollution.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1011-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Younes ◽  
J. Hill ◽  
J. Quinless ◽  
M. Kilduff ◽  
B. Peng ◽  
...  

Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis is difficult to study because of the heterogeneity and variability of this disease. The gold standard for measurement of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis is a full battery of neurocognitive tests, which is time consuming and expensive. Some cognitive tests like the PASAT, a measure of working verbal memory and processing speed, have been proposed for screening and follow-up of cognitive function in clinical trials. We studied whether we could measure cognitive function in multiple sclerosis over the Internet. For this we used the Cognitive Stability Index (CSI)™, developed for persons with known or suspected primary central nervous system illness. The CSI was compared with formal neurocognitive testing (NPsych) and the PASAT in a cross-sectional study of 40 consecutive multiple sclerosis patients with subjective cognitive complaints. NPsych revealed that only 18 of the 40 patients (46%) were cognitively impaired. Although both the CSI and the PASAT were equalivalent in their specificity (86%), the CSI was significantly more sensitive than the PASAT (83% versus 28%). We conclude that the CSI, because of its availability over the Internet, has great potential as a tool for screening and follow up of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 1011—1019. http://msj.sagepub.com


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1266-1266
Author(s):  
E Morris ◽  
V Guzman ◽  
E Tell ◽  
A C Summers ◽  
U S Clark ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective While perceived racial/ethnic discrimination (PD) and HIV can be independently detrimental to cognitive function, it is unclear whether persons living with HIV (PLWH) who experience PD may be at risk for greater cognitive dysfunction than HIV- persons. In a diverse sample, we hypothesized that PD would be related to worse cognition and that this effect would be moderated by HIV status. Participants and Method This cross-sectional study included 53 participants (57% PLWH; 77% African American and 23% Latinx; 45% male; M Age = 54.5 ± 6.1 years; M Education = 12.4 ± 2.2 years) who completed the Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire (PEDQ) and a neurocognitive (NC) battery. Variables included education (years); HIV status; PEDQ Total Score and global NC T-score (averaged, demographically-corrected T-scores for all tests). A general linear model examined main and interaction effects of HIV status and PD on global cognitive function. Covariates included depression and urine toxicology status for cocaine and marijuana. Results Greater PD was associated with higher education and greater depression. The model showed that greater PD (β = -.48, p &lt; .05) and lower education (β = -19.0, p &lt; .01) were related to worse global cognitive function. This relationship was moderated by education (β = .59, p &lt; .01), such that the relationship between PD and global cognitive function was stronger in those with higher education. There was no main effect of HIV or HIV*PD interaction on global cognitive function. Conclusions This study demonstrated that greater PD is related to worse global cognitive function and this relationship is stronger in those with more education. While no causal factors can be attributed, racial/ethnic minorities with higher education may be granted greater access to areas with greater structural racism and/or microagressions (i.e., predominantly white workplaces). Future studies should evaluate the role of socioeconomic and workplace diversity when considering discrimination.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e040098
Author(s):  
Bingyan Gong ◽  
Shaomei Shang ◽  
Chao Wu

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between disability and domain-specific cognitive function in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).DesignCross-sectional analyses combined with retrospective longitudinal analyses.SettingWe included 450 communities in China.ParticipantsIn this study, 1022 (mean age: 68.6±6.3; 612 males) and 152 (mean age: 67.0±5.2; 83 males) older adults with COPD from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were included in a cross-sectional multivariate linear regression analysis and a longitudinal logistic regression analysis, respectively.Outcome measuresDisability was determined by the difficulty or inability to complete 1 of the 12 activity items in basic activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL. The cognitive dimensions of episodic memory, attention/numerical ability, orientation to time, and visuospatial ability were assessed via the immediate/delayed recall task, serial sevens task, naming the current date and pentagon-figure-drawing tasks, respectively.ResultsOf 1022 older respondents with COPD at wave-4, 48.5% had ADL disability. Declines in the global cognitive function (β (95% CI)=−0.627 (−1.214 to –0.040)), orientation to time (β (95% CI)=−0.207 (−0.364 to –0.050)) and visuospatial ability (β (95% CI)=−0.068 (−0.127 to –0.009)) were significantly associated with the presence of ADL disability, when demographic and health-related variables were adjusted. Of 152 older participants with COPD and without ADL disability in wave-2, 61 (40.1 %) developed disability over a 2-year follow-up. Relative to the participants without a decline in orientation to tine, those with the condition had greater odds of incidence of ADL disability increased by a factor of about 1.46 over a 2-year follow-up.ConclusionsIn older adults with COPD, orientation to time and visuospatial inability are vulnerable to the presence of a disability. Prevention of a decline in orientation to time might help prevent disability in older people with COPD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
WEN HAO ◽  
Wenjing Zhao ◽  
Takashi Kimura ◽  
Shigekazu Ukawa ◽  
Ken Kadoya ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Gait is associated with cognitive function and is a trait marker of dementia; however, research on gait and cognitive function usually concentrates on several individual gait parameters. This study used wearable sensors to measure gait parameters in different aspects and comprehensively explored the association of gait with global cognitive function and domain-specific cognitive function.Methods: The data of this cross-sectional study were obtained from 236 community-dwelling Japanese older adults (125 men and 111 women) aged 70–81 years. Gait was measured by asking participants to walk a 6-meter course and back using the Physilog® sensors (GaiUp®, Switzerland). Global cognitive function and cognitive domains were evaluated by face-to-face interviews using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Twenty gait parameters were summarized as independent gait factors using factor analysis. A generalized linear model and linear regression model were used to explore the relationship of gait with global cognitive function and domain-specific cognitive function adjusted for several confounding factors.Results: Factor analysis yielded four gait factors: general cycle, initial contact, propulsion, and mid-swing. Among them, general cycle factor was significantly associated with global cognitive function (β=-0.565, [-0.967, -0.163]), executive function (P=0.012), and memory (P=0.045); initial contact was associated with executive function (P=0.019).Conclusion: Better gait was related to better cognitive function, especially the general cycle, which was correlated with both global and domain-specific cognitive function. The predictive value should be examined in future cohort studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15
Author(s):  
Putri Febrianti ◽  
Ari Udijono ◽  
Lintang Dian Saraswati

Introduction: Premarital sexual behavior is one of the complex problems faced by adolescents. This behavior is increasingly prevalent throughout the world, especially in Indonesia. This study aims to determine the sociodemographic factors (gender, and monthly allowance) and social activities related to premarital sexual behavior in late adolescence in Semarang City.Methods : This research is a quantitative study with a cross sectional approach. The number of samples was 400 respondents aged 18-22 years using consecutive sampling technique. This study used univariate and bivariate analysis using the chi-square test.Results: The results showed that gender (p = 0,000), monthly allowance (p = 0,000) and social activity (p = 0,000) had a relationship with premarital sexual behavior in late adolescence.Conclusion: It is necessary to establish youth programs at SMA / SMK / equivalent and university levels to develop self-confidence and life skills with an increasing the ability of adolescents to avoid and / or reduce risky sexual behavior.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-175
Author(s):  
Serap Gokce ◽  
Canan Demir Barutcu

This study was conducted in order to examine the level of cognitive function of individuals ≥65 years of age with diabetes. The cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The research was carried out in the diabetes polyclinic of a university hospital between June 2016 and January 2018. The study sample consisted of 91 patients. Data were collected with the scale of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The average score of the patients in the MoCA Scale was found to be 19.61 ± 1.70 (min: 15, max: 26). Diabetes is a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction for individuals above 65 years of age. Health professionals regularly monitor the cognitive functions of diabetic patients and use the MoCA scale in these follow-up and plan training and counseling initiatives according to their needs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzi Na ◽  
Nan Dou ◽  
Naiwen Ji ◽  
Dixin Xie ◽  
Jie Huang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Food insecurity (FI) may limit cognitive functioning during aging. The goal of this systematic review was to summarize existing evidence linking FI and general or specific cognitive functions in middle and older adulthood. A systematic search of human studies published between 1 January 2000 and 30 April 2018 was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, and CAB Direct. Four independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of identified articles and conducted data extraction and data quality assessment. Ten studies were included in the review, including 1 cluster-randomized controlled trial, 2 longitudinal studies, and 7 cross-sectional studies. Three studies reported the association between early-life FI experience and a global cognitive function measure. Nine studies reported later-life FI experience in relation to global or specific cognitive functions. The results suggest an adverse association between FI experienced in early or later life and global cognitive function; and between later-life FI and executive function and memory. Findings from the review are preliminary because of sparse data, heterogeneity across study populations, exposure and outcome assessments, and potential risk of bias across studies. Future studies are recommended to better understand the role of FI in cognitive function, with the goal of identifying possible critical windows for correction of FI in vulnerable subpopulations to prevent neurocognitive deficit in adulthood.


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