scholarly journals Associations of Fertility History and Cognitive Decline, Depression, Chronic Disease Comorbidity in West China: Results from WCHAT Study

Author(s):  
Xiaolei Liu ◽  
Xiaoyan Chen ◽  
Lisha Hou ◽  
Fengjuan Hu ◽  
Xin Xia ◽  
...  

Abstract ObjectivesThe purpose of the study was to investigate the association between fertility history and cognition function, depression and chronic comorbidity in west China.MethodsWe included 4,276 women aged 50 or older in our study, and we analyzed associations between parity history and cognitive decline, depression, chronic disease comorbidity in west China using univariate and multivariate models. Multivariate models were adjusted for age, ethnic groups, occupation, marriage status, educational level, life style factors, sleeping time and so on. ResultsOf 4,276 women in west China, 18.4% were either childless or had one child, 33.8% had two children, 23.7% had three children, and 24.1% had four or more children. Compared to low parity (0-1 children), having 4 or more children was significantly associated with depression (OR 1.379, 95%CI 1.046-1.819), chronic disease comorbidity (OR 1.714, 95%CI 1.252-2.346), mild cognitive decline (OR 2.179, 95%CI 1.503-3.159) and moderate/severe cognitive decline (OR 1.806, 95% CI 1.064-3.067). Conclusions This study indicated that high parity was significantly associated with poorer cognitive functioning, depression and chronic disease comorbidity. For a better mid-late life health, reproductive women should plan their number of desired children.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 366-366
Author(s):  
Joohong Min ◽  
Jieun Song

Abstract Prior research has found that the risk of cognitive decline increases after the death of a spouse. In general, the impact of life transitions is contingent on contextual factors such as socio-demographic characteristics or relationship quality. However, there is limited research on how marital quality before spousal loss and gender influence the association between spousal loss and cognitive change. The current study examines the effects of spousal loss on change in cognitive functioning as well as the moderating effects of pre-loss marital quality and gender. Data from two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study were analyzed (MIDUS2: 2004-05, MIDUS3: 2013-14). The analytic sample consists of two groups: (1) 179 bereaved adults who were age 54 or older at MIDUS2 (M = 65.2, SD = 9.5) and whose spouses died between MIDUS2 and MIDUS3, and (2) 179 non-bereaved adults, matched with the bereaved group on age and gender, who did not experience spousal loss between the two waves. Cognitive function was assessed via BTACT (Brief Telephone Adult Cognition Test) at both waves. Regression results show that both pre-loss marital quality and gender significantly moderate the association between spousal loss and change in cognitive functioning. Specifically, relative to their counterparts, men and those who reported better marital relationships prior to spousal death had a greater risk of cognitive decline after a spouse’s death. The findings suggest the significance of pre-loss marital quality and gender for cognitive changes in widowhood and have implications for the development of efficient interventions


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 439-439
Author(s):  
Changmin Peng ◽  
Sae Hwang Han ◽  
Jeffrey Burr

Abstract Neighborhood environments shape the availability of resources for social engagement and social interaction, which are associated with better health outcomes. However, these contextual factors are also considered sources of potential social distress and tension, increasing the risk of subsequent health deficits, including cognitive decline. Our understanding of the linkage between childhood neighborhood environments and cognitive functioning in later life is limited. This study employed three waves of nationally representative data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2015; N = 11,105) to investigate the relationship between self-reported neighborhood social cohesion during childhood (i.e., neighborhood safety, neighbors willing to help, and close-knit neighborhood) and cognitive functioning (Chinese version of TICS). We employed latent growth curve modeling to test hypotheses relating to life course models of childhood conditions and later life cognitive functioning (the long arm of childhood). The results showed that perceptions regarding the willingness of neighbors to help and close-knit neighborhood characteristics during childhood were positively associated with levels of later life cognitive function. Further, growing up in a neighborhood characterized by the willingness of neighbors to help others was negatively associated with the rate of cognitive decline, net of childhood and adulthood covariates. Self-report of neighborhood safety during childhood was unrelated to cognitive function (level and change). These findings underscored the long-term ramifications of childhood conditions as potential risk factors for later-life cognitive health. Social cohesion at the neighborhood level as experienced during childhood may be a protective factor for healthy cognitive aging among older Chinese adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 744-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sae Hwang Han ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Jeffrey A. Burr

Objective: This study examined the associations between edentulism, dental care service utilization, and cognitive functioning trajectories among older adults. Method: Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014) were employed to examine individuals aged 51 and older who were identified as having normal cognition at baseline ( N = 12,405). Cognitive functioning was measured with a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognition Status. Edentulism was self-reported as total tooth loss at baseline. Dental care service utilization was measured by self-report of having visited a dentist at least once during the previous 2 years. Results: The results indicated that edentulism and dental care service utilization were independently associated with cognitive decline during the observation period. Findings also showed that dental care service utilization moderated the association between edentulism and cognitive decline. Discussion: The findings suggested that providing access to dental services may promote cognitive health and potentially reduce health care expenditures.


Author(s):  
Maria Antonieta Tinôco ◽  
Élvio Rúbio Gouveia ◽  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Adilson Marques ◽  
Bruna R. Gouveia ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives: To study the reliability/stability of the Cognitive Telephone Screening Instrument (COGTEL) for the assessment of cognitive functions, and to investigate the concurrent validity (that is, the relationship between the COGTEL scores and external variables, such as level of education and MMSE results) in a pilot study of elderly persons residing in the community in the municipal regions of Apuí, Fonte Boa and Manaus (Amazonas, Brazil). Method: This pilot study included 90 elderly persons (29 men and 61 women) aged 60-85 years of age [68.2 (± 6.7)]. The COGTEL, the MMSE and socio-economic survey were applied in the form of two interviews, a week apart and under the same conditions. Results: The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient of the COGTEL total score (and respective six subtests), MMSE and educational level ranged from acceptable to high (0.708 < R <0.946). There was a strong positive correlation between the total score of the COGTEL with the MMSE (r =0.682; p <0.001), as well as with educational level (r =0.604; p <0.001). Conclusion: This study presents preliminary evidence of the reliability/stability and concurrent validity of the COGTEL in the evaluation of cognitive functions in elderly persons residing in the community. The results of this study support the use of COGTEL as a short, reliable and valid instrument for analyzing differences in cognitive functioning in inter-individual studies with elderly persons.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S205-S206
Author(s):  
Yaolin Pei ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Zhen Cong ◽  
Mengyao Hu

Abstract Evidence shows that education is strongly associated with cognitive functioning; however, few studies have examined the effect of education on cognitive decline among older adults with very limited education. Our study analyzed six waves of panel data (2001, 2003 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015) from the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China. We estimated two-level multilevel models of cognitive functioning for older adults age 60+, sampled using probability sampling strategy. We found that having formal schooling was positively associated with better cognitive functioning. Older adults with formal schooling had slower decline in cognition and the gap in cognition between the literate and illiterate widened with age. These findings highlight the role of early life experience in affecting cognitive function in later life and suggest that disadvantages in cognitive functioning accumulate throughout the life course for persons with no formal education.


2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Christofoletti ◽  
Merlyn Mércia Oliani ◽  
Florindo Stella ◽  
Sebastião Gobbi ◽  
Lílian Teresa Bucken Gobbi

Abstract Introduction: Tests for screening cognitive functions are gaining importance with the increasing incidence and prevalence of demential syndromes. For our elderly population, the challenge is to develop neuropsychological tests independent from the influence of educational level. Objective: To compare the influence of education on the elderly with or without cognitive decline, on the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB). Methods: We studied 176 elderly people: 60 with cognitive decline (aged 73.6±9.3 years and with 5.7±0.7 years of education) and 116 without cognitive impairments (aged 73.4±0.6 years and with 5.6±0.5 years of education). The BCSB was applied in all subjects. The data were submitted to descriptive statistics and analyzed by Independent Student test with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The data showed that the BCSB is an appropriate battery for identifying cognitive status in normal elderly individuals, as well as cognitive decline in our elderly sample. The BCSB items were not significantly influenced by schooling years, making this test favorable for different groups characterized by illiterate individuals, as well as by those with low or high levels of formal education. Conclusion: The BCSB proved to be a useful cognitive screening test for old people with or without cognitive decline independent of their educational level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S257-S257
Author(s):  
Jeff Huarcaya

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder, which produces high costs and has a substantial impact on health care budgets globally. This is mainly due to poor global and cognitive functioning in these patients. The objective of this study was to relate global functioning and cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia who attend the outpatient clinic of a general hospital in Peru during the years 2018–2019. Methods Non-experimental quantitative study of descriptive cross-sectional correlational type. The sample was for convenience, and consisted of 53 patients with schizophrenia from the “Hospital Nacional de la PNP”. Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) was used to assess global functioning, the Screen for Cognitive Impairment (SCIP), cognitive functioning, and a data collection sheets with the history of the disease. The relationship between FAST and SCIP with the qualitative variables was evaluated by the Mann-Whitney U test or Student’s t test depending on whether they met the normality assumptions. The linear correlation between the FAST, the SCIP and the other quantitative variables was evaluated using Spearman’s Rho. A multiple linear regression model was constructed in which all variables other than the total FAST result are considered using the forward method. Results It was found that 34 (62.2%) were male; 52 (98.1%), single; 39, (73.6%) without a current job. We found worse overall functioning in patients with lower educational level (p = 0.005) and without a current job (p = 0.004). The total FAST was correlated with the time of the disease (ρ = 0.334, p &lt;0.05) and with the number of previous psychotic episodes (ρ = 0.354, p &lt;0.01). We found worse cognitive functioning in patients with lower educational level (p = 0.000) and without a current job (p = 0.017). The SCIP total was correlated to the FAST (ρ = 0.542, p &lt;0.01). The multiple linear regression analysis with the total FAST score as the explained variable evidenced the existence of a relationship between variables that is explained by the equation: Y = 57.032 + (-0.521) X1 + (1.896) X2 Where Y is the total FAST score, X1 the total SCIP and X2 the number of previous psychotic episodes. The coefficient of determination was 0.392 and the mean square error of 161.46. The Durbin-Watson statistic was 1,529. Discussion This is the first exploratory pilot analysis of the factors associated with global functioning, with special emphasis on cognitive functioning and the history of the disease, in Peruvian patients with schizophrenia. Patients with higher educational level and those who have a current job showed a better global and cognitive functioning. It was found an indirect and significant relationship of moderate intensity between cognitive functioning and its subtest with global functioning, that is, a lower level of cognitive functioning is related to greater difficulties in the daily functioning of patients with schizophrenia. Both the bivariate analysis and the linear regression model found a relationship between global and cognitive functioning. In the multiple linear regression model, it was found that the total SCIP was the one that had the most influence on global functioning (Beta = -0.528), that is, lower levels of cognitive functioning are related to high levels of poor global functioning. Taking these results into account, we recommend implementing functional and cognitive evaluation programs in patients with schizophrenia at the “Hospital Nacional de la PNP”. Future longitudinal studies should be performed on samples from larger patients, especially with a first psychotic episode, with the purpose of seeking a cause-effect relationship between global and cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhila Veluri

Cognitive functioning is imperative in our daily lives. It allows us to understand, process, and react appropriately to different situations. Aging has been linked to cognitive decline. The degree and rate of cognitive decline are crucial as they differentiate normal aging from dementia or memory loss secondary to medical conditions. A 63-year-old Caucasian woman with a 50-year history of temporal lobe epilepsy experienced memory difficulties in recent years. She was admitted voluntarily to the neuropsychiatry ward for a 3-day ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG), which reported mild bitemporal structural or functional abnormality. The patient reported subjective seizure experiences that were not reflective of seizure activity on the EEG. Possible causes included panic attacks or other anxiety experiences. Routine laboratory test and magnetic resonance imaging results were unremarkable. During her hospital stay she showed improvement in cognitive functioning. However, anxiety continued to negatively impact her memory. We hypothesized that the memory impairments could have resulted from age, psychological factors, the patient’s own expectations, pressure from the environment and history of TLE. We diagnosed the patient with mild cognitive impairment and adjustment disorder with anxiety. She was discharged with seizure and anxiety medication. This report highlights the importance of both age-related and disease-related variables when diagnosing patients with cognitive decline.


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