scholarly journals Positive Effects of Openness on Cognitive Aging in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A 13-Year Longitudinal Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 2072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukiko Nishita ◽  
Chikako Tange ◽  
Makiko Tomida ◽  
Rei Otsuka ◽  
Fujiko Ando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Picture Completion

The relationship between openness (a psychological trait of curiosity) and a cognitive change was examined in middle-aged and older adults. Participants were 2214 men and women (baseline age range: 40 to 81 years). They were tested up to seven times over approximately 13 years. Openness at the baseline was assessed by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Cognitive abilities were assessed at each examination using the Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised short form, which includes information, similarities, picture completion, and digit symbol subscales. General linear mixed models comprised fixed effects of openness, age at the baseline, follow-up time, their interactions, and the covariates. The results indicated that the main effects of openness were significant for all scores. Moreover, the interaction term openness × age × time was significant for the information and similarities test scores, indicating that changes in the information and similarities scores differed depending on the level of openness and baseline age. The estimated trajectory indicated that the differences in slopes between participants with high and low openness were significant after 60 years of age for the information, and after 65 years of age for the similarities scores. It is concluded that openness has a protective effect on the decline in general knowledge and logical abstract thinking in old age.

scholarly journals Associations between social and intellectual activities with cognitive trajectories in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: a nationally representative cohort study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haibin Li ◽  
Changwei Li ◽  
Anxin Wang ◽  
Yanling Qi ◽  
Wei Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cognitive Assessments ◽  
Visuospatial Skills ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Intellectual Activities ◽  
Representative Cohort

Abstract Background: Associations between the frequency of social and intellectual activities and cognitive trajectories are understudied in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. We aimed to examine this association in a nationally representative longitudinal study.Methods: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) is a nationally representative sample of Chinese middle-aged and older participants. The frequency of social and intellectual activities was measured at baseline. Interview-based cognitive assessments of orientation and attention, episodic memory, and visuospatial skills and the calculation of combined global scores were assessed every 2 year from 2011 to 2016. Cognitive trajectories over the study period were analyzed using group-based trajectory model, and the associations of the trajectory memberships with social and intellectual activities were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported.Results: Among 8204 participants aged 50-75 years, trajectory analysis identified three longitudinal patterns of cognitive function based on the global cognitive scores: “persistently low trajectory” (n = 1550, 18.9%); “persistently moderate trajectory” (n = 3194, 38.9%); and “persistently high trajectory” (n = 3460, 42.2%). After adjustment for sociodemographic variables, lifestyles, geriatric symptoms and health conditions, more frequent intellectual activities (OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.38-0.77) and social activities (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65-0.95) were both associated with a lower likelihood of being in the “persistently low trajectory” for global cognitive function.Conclusions: These findings suggested that more frequent social and intellectual activities were associated with more favorable cognitive aging trajectories.

scholarly journals MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENCE OF THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE BETWEEN YOUNG-MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S705-S705
Author(s):  
Jeongwoo Lee ◽  
En-Jung Shon
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Measurement Equivalence ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Middle Aged

Abstract A Short form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-SF) has been widely used to measure of affect in diverse cultural groups. Limited studies have been evaluated the measurement equivalence test of PANAS-SF in diverse age groups. This study examined whether parameters in the measurement model (two-factor model: positive and negative affect) is equivalent across the two age generations (young-middle aged: <65 years [n=1,122]; older adults : ≥65 years [n=1,817]). The sample was obtained from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study and Multiple Group Analysis was performed. The five items of determined, enthusiastic, inspired, alert, and excited reflected positive affect; and the five items of afraid, upset, scared, nervous, and distressed reflected negative affect. The configural model reported acceptable fit (X2= 904.98 [df = 64, p < .001], X 2/df =14.14, CFI =.93, GFI=.94, RMSEA=.06 [90% CI=.06 - .07]). When all factor loadings were constrained, it indicated measurement non-invariance status between young-middle aged and older adults (ΔX 2 = 56.03, Δdf = 8, p< .001, CFI=.93, ΔCFI=.004). Given findings of non-invariance on the full constrained model, the invariance test of each factor loading was performed additionally. Majority of negative items (Afraid, upset, scared, and nervous) and several positive items (determined and excited) were nonequivalent between the two groups. Variances in the measure between two age groups raise a number of issues for future research on affect assessment, suggesting cautious using of PANAS-SF in older adults.

scholarly journals Education and Cognitive Functioning Across the Life Span

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lövdén ◽  
Laura Fratiglioni ◽  
M. Maria Glymour ◽  
Ulman Lindenberger ◽  
Elliot M. Tucker-Drob
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Positive Effects

Cognitive abilities are important predictors of educational and occupational performance, socioeconomic attainment, health, and longevity. Declines in cognitive abilities are linked to impairments in older adults’ everyday functions, but people differ from one another in their rates of cognitive decline over the course of adulthood and old age. Hence, identifying factors that protect against compromised late-life cognition is of great societal interest. The number of years of formal education completed by individuals is positively correlated with their cognitive function throughout adulthood and predicts lower risk of dementia late in life. These observations have led to the propositions that prolonging education might (a) affect cognitive ability and (b) attenuate aging-associated declines in cognition. We evaluate these propositions by reviewing the literature on educational attainment and cognitive aging, including recent analyses of data harmonized across multiple longitudinal cohort studies and related meta-analyses. In line with the first proposition, the evidence indicates that educational attainment has positive effects on cognitive function. We also find evidence that cognitive abilities are associated with selection into longer durations of education and that there are common factors (e.g., parental socioeconomic resources) that affect both educational attainment and cognitive development. There is likely reciprocal interplay among these factors, and among cognitive abilities, during development. Education–cognitive ability associations are apparent across the entire adult life span and across the full range of education levels, including (to some degree) tertiary education. However, contrary to the second proposition, we find that associations between education and aging-associated cognitive declines are negligible and that a threshold model of dementia can account for the association between educational attainment and late-life dementia risk. We conclude that educational attainment exerts its influences on late-life cognitive function primarily by contributing to individual differences in cognitive skills that emerge in early adulthood but persist into older age. We also note that the widespread absence of educational influences on rates of cognitive decline puts constraints on theoretical notions of cognitive aging, such as the concepts of cognitive reserve and brain maintenance. Improving the conditions that shape development during the first decades of life carries great potential for improving cognitive ability in early adulthood and for reducing public-health burdens related to cognitive aging and dementia.

scholarly journals APOE Genotype and Cognitive Change in Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults Living in the Community

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bunce ◽  
A. A. M. Bielak ◽  
K. J. Anstey ◽  
N. Cherbuin ◽  
P. J. Batterham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Apoe Genotype ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Middle Aged

scholarly journals The Impact of Environmental Pollution on the Health of Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongli Fan ◽  
Yingcheng Wang ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Peter C Coyte
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Environmental Pollution ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Abstract While several studies have demonstrated the negative impacts of environmental pollution on population health, in general, few studies have examined the potential differential effects on the health of middle-aged and older populations, i.e. 45 years and older. Given the twin concerns of environmental pollution and population aging in China, this article employed a fixed effects model to infer the impact of environmental pollution on public health with a particular focus on middle-aged and older adults. The analyses were based on data from the 2011–2018 waves of the CHARLS and pollutant data from prefecture-level cities. The results showed that environmental pollution significantly increased the risk of chronic diseases and negatively impacted the health of middle-aged and older adults. Environmental pollution had its greatest negative effect on the health of the elderly, women, urban residents and those with lower incomes than for their counterparts. We further found that the main channels of effect were through reduced physical exercise and an increase in depressive symptoms, and the pollution prevention actions alleviated the health deterioration of environmental pollution for the middle-aged and elderly. It is imperative for the government to urgently reinforce policy's enforcement to decrease air and water pollution, and enhance the ability to circumvent pollution for the lower socioeconomic groups.

Importance of Activity Engagement and Neighborhood to Cognitive Function Among Older Chinese Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 226-235
Author(s):  
Fengyan Tang ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Iris Chi ◽  
Mengting Li ◽  
Xin Qi Dong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Chinese Americans ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Neighborhood Cohesion ◽  
Positive Effects

This study investigates the differential associations of activity engagement and perceived neighborhood characteristics (i.e., cohesion, disorder, sense of community) with cognitive measures. Using data of 2,713 Chinese older adults in Chicago, who completed two interviews between 2011 and 2015, we identified three activity domains: reading, social, and games. In general, engagement in more reading and social activities was associated with better baseline cognitive function, but the positive effects tapered off over time in some cases. Neighborhood cohesion had both direct and indirect effects on cognitive function. Engagement in social activities mediated the neighborhood cohesion effects, that is, living in a cohesive neighborhood promoted social activities and consequently benefited cognitive function. Findings speak to the importance of activity engagement and neighborhood cohesion for cognition among the U.S. Chinese older adults. Future research is needed to investigate the longitudinal relationships of activity engagement and environmental factors with cognitive change.

The Relevance of Cognitive Aging Research to Warning Label Design

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 1368-1368
Author(s):  
Gabriel K. Rousseau ◽  
Nina Lamson ◽  
Wendy A. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Color Discrimination ◽  
Warning Label ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Individual Difference Variables ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Age Related Changes

A variety of individual difference variables affect whether someone notices, encodes, comprehends, and complies with a product warning label. Failures at any of these stages reduce the effectiveness of warnings. Development of effective warnings must be based on understanding the characteristics of the product user. As the population grows older, consideration of age-related changes in perceptual and cognitive abilities becomes more relevant to the warning designer. Aging researchers have identified a variety of declines and changes in vision (e.g., acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color discrimination) and memory (e.g., working memory and prospective memory). By considering the abilities of the product user, the impact of age-related changes may be minimized. Based on cognitive aging research and theory, we will make recommendations about how designers can increase the effectiveness of warnings for older adults.

scholarly journals Swimming as a Positive Moderator of Cognitive Aging: A Cross-Sectional Study with a Multitask Approach

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Abou-Dest ◽  
Cédric T. Albinet ◽  
Geoffroy Boucard ◽  
Michel Audiffren
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Information Processing Speed ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Potential Benefits

This study examined whether regular swimming in older adults was related to better cognitive functioning and whether there were any global or selective positive effects of this physical activity (PA) on cognition. The cognitive performances of three groups of sixteen volunteer participants (young adults, sedentary older adults, and older adults who regularly practice swimming) were evaluated using a multitask approach. All participants performed a battery of ten tasks: two reaction time tasks assessing information processing speed and eight experimental tasks assessing three executive functions (EFs), (behavioral inhibition, working memory updating, and cognitive flexibility). The results showed that young adults performed significantly better than older adults on all examined cognitive functions. However, in older adults, regular swimming was related to better performance on the three EFs, but not on information processing speed. More precisely, five experimental tasks out of the eight tapping EFs were shown to be sensitive to positive effects from swimming practice. Finally, the demonstrated benefits of swimming on EFs were not necessarily linked to better cardiorespiratory fitness. The present findings illustrate the validity of using a multitask approach in examining the potential benefits of regular PA on cognitive aging.

scholarly journals Alcohol effects on cognitive change in middle-aged and older adults

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faika Zanjani ◽  
Brian G. Downer ◽  
Tina M. Kruger ◽  
Sherry L. Willis ◽  
K. Warner Schaie
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Alcohol Effects

Major depression in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults: prevalence and 2- and 4-year follow-up symptoms

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 623-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAMIN MOJTABAI ◽  
MARK OLFSON
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Middle Aged

Background. Although major depression is a common condition across the age range, there is some evidence from clinical studies that it may be more persistent and disabling in older adults. This study examined the demographic, socio-economic and clinical factors associated with major depression and with persistence of depressive symptoms at 2- and 4-year follow-ups in a large population sample of middle-aged and older adults.Method. In a sample of 9747 participants aged over 50 in the 1996 wave of the US Health and Retirement Study, the authors assessed the 12-month prevalence of major depression using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview – Short Form (CIDI-SF). Significant depressive symptoms at the time of 1996, 1998 and 2000 interviews were assessed using a short form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).Results. The 12-month prevalence of CIDI-SF major depression was 6·6%. With age, prevalence declined, but the likelihood of significant depressive symptoms at follow-ups increased. Both prevalence and persistence of significant depressive symptoms at follow-ups were associated with socio-economic disadvantage and physical illness. Persistence of depressive symptoms at follow-ups was also associated with symptoms of anhedonia, feelings of worthlessness, and thoughts of death at baseline.Conclusions. Sociodemographic, physical health and a specific profile of depressive symptoms are associated with a poorer course of major depression in the middle-aged and older adults. These indicators may identify a subgroup of patients in need of more careful follow-up and intensive treatment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document