Sleep Duration and Age-Related Changes in Brain Structure and Cognitive Performance

Abstract Existing evidence suggests that individuals’ subjective experience of cognitive decline may be a risk state for dementia. However, whether self-awareness of positive changes confer cognitive protection is unknown. We examined the extent to which awareness of positive (AARC gains) and negative (AARC losses) age-related changes explains variability in objective cognitive performance in a sample of 6,231 UK residents (Mean age= 66.1 years, 75.9% women) without cognitive impairment. We tested a structural equation model with AARC gains and losses as predictors of cognitive performance and depressive symptoms as a mediator of the association of AARC losses with cognitive performance. The model fit the data well. The correlation between AARC gains and losses was negligible, yet higher levels of both AARC gains and losses predicted poorer cognitive scores. Hence, higher AARC gains did not confer cognitive protection. This unexpected pattern of results underscores the complexity of mapping individuals’ awareness onto objective outcomes.

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Age-related changes in negative affect and cognitive performance in Sprague-Dawley rats: possible role of the cell fate regulator FADD

10.26226/morressier.5971be81d462b80290b52ae6 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Elena Hernández-Hernández

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Cell Fate ◽

Sprague Dawley ◽

Age Related ◽

Sprague Dawley Rats ◽

Age Related Changes

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Age-Related Changes in the Effects of Coffee on Memory and Cognitive Performance

Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, and the Brain ◽

10.1201/9780203618851-13 ◽

2004 ◽

pp. 96-107

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Performance ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Changes

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Long-Term High-Effort Endurance Exercise in Older Adults: Diminishing Returns for Cognitive and Brain Aging

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2015-0039 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 659-675 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jeremy C. Young ◽

Nicholas G. Dowell ◽

Peter W. Watt ◽

Naji Tabet ◽

Jennifer M. Rusted

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Endurance Exercise ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Brain Aging ◽

Control Group ◽

Age Related ◽

The Impact ◽

High Effort

While there is evidence that age-related changes in cognitive performance and brain structure can be offset by increased exercise, little is known about the impact long-term high-effort endurance exercise has on these functions. In a cross-sectional design with 12-month follow-up, we recruited older adults engaging in high-effort endurance exercise over at least 20 years, and compared their cognitive performance and brain structure with a nonsedentary control group similar in age, sex, education, IQ, and lifestyle factors. Our findings showed no differences on measures of speed of processing, executive function, incidental memory, episodic memory, working memory, or visual search for older adults participating in long-term high-effort endurance exercise, when compared without confounds to nonsedentary peers. On tasks that engaged significant attentional control, subtle differences emerged. On indices of brain structure, long-term exercisers displayed higher white matter axial diffusivity than their age-matched peers, but this did not correlate with indices of cognitive performance.

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Corticosteroids and Regional Variations in Thickness of the Human Cerebral Cortex across the Lifespan

Cerebral Cortex ◽

10.1093/cercor/bhz108 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 575-586 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nadine Parker ◽

Didac Vidal-Pineiro ◽

Leon French ◽

Jean Shin ◽

Hieab H H Adams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Cortex ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Pyramidal Cells ◽

Brain Atlas ◽

Variable Degree ◽

Human Cerebral Cortex ◽

Age Related ◽

The Relationship ◽

Age Related Changes

Abstract Exposures to life stressors accumulate across the lifespan, with possible impact on brain health. Little is known, however, about the mechanisms mediating age-related changes in brain structure. We use a lifespan sample of participants (n = 21 251; 4–97 years) to investigate the relationship between the thickness of cerebral cortex and the expression of the glucocorticoid- and the mineralocorticoid-receptor genes (NR3C1 and NR3C2, respectively), obtained from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. In all participants, cortical thickness correlated negatively with the expression of both NR3C1 and NR3C2 across 34 cortical regions. The magnitude of this correlation varied across the lifespan. From childhood through early adulthood, the profile similarity (between NR3C1/NR3C2 expression and thickness) increased with age. Conversely, both profile similarities decreased with age in late life. These variations do not reflect age-related changes in NR3C1 and NR3C2 expression, as observed in 5 databases of gene expression in the human cerebral cortex (502 donors). Based on the co-expression of NR3C1 (and NR3C2) with genes specific to neural cell types, we determine the potential involvement of microglia, astrocytes, and CA1 pyramidal cells in mediating the relationship between corticosteroid exposure and cortical thickness. Therefore, corticosteroids may influence brain structure to a variable degree throughout life.

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The impact of brain size on pilot performance varies with aviation training and years of education

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617710000111 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 412-423 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

MAHEEN M. ADAMSON ◽

VIKTORIYA SAMARINA ◽

XU XIANGYAN ◽

VIRGINIA HUYNH ◽

QUINN KENNEDY ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Structure ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Brain Size ◽

Flight Simulator ◽

Specialized Training ◽

Or Education ◽

Cognitive Changes ◽

Age Related ◽

The Impact ◽

Age Related Changes

AbstractPrevious studies have consistently reported age-related changes in cognitive abilities and brain structure. Previous studies also suggest compensatory roles for specialized training, skill, and years of education in the age-related decline of cognitive function. The Stanford/VA Aviation Study examines the influence of specialized training and skill level (expertise) on age-related changes in cognition and brain structure. This preliminary report examines the effect of aviation expertise, years of education, age, and brain size on flight simulator performance in pilots aged 45–68 years. Fifty-one pilots were studied with structural magnetic resonance imaging, flight simulator, and processing speed tasks. There were significant main effects of age (p < .01) and expertise (p < .01), but not of whole brain size (p > .1) or education (p > .1), on flight simulator performance. However, even though age and brain size were correlated (r = −0.41), age differences in flight simulator performance were not explained by brain size. Both aviation expertise and education were involved in an interaction with brain size in predicting flight simulator performance (p < .05). These results point to the importance of examining measures of expertise and their interactions to assess age-related cognitive changes. (JINS, 2010, 16, 412–423.)

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