@article {13610, title = {Couples{\textquoteright} Cognition, Intimacy, and Activity Engagement: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model Analysis.}, journal = {Clinical gerontologist}, year = {Forthcoming}, pages = {1-13}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the actor and partner effects of cognition on activity engagement and the potential mediating role of intimate relationship in older couple dyadic context.

METHODS: Data for this study were obtained from heterosexual couples who participated in the 2020 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. Constructing a dyadic model of couples{\textquoteright} cognitions, activity engagement, and intimacy using structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship between variables and mediating effects.

RESULTS: At the actor level, cognition was positively correlated with their activity participation. At the partner level, wives{\textquoteright} cognition and husbands{\textquoteright} activity engagement were positively correlated. Husband{\textquoteright}s cognitive score affect wife{\textquoteright}s subjective feelings about intimacy. The mediation effect of Wife{\textquoteright}s intimacy on the relationship between husband{\textquoteright}s cognition and wife{\textquoteright}s activity engagement was significant.

CONCLUSIONS: In older couples, cognition influences activity engagement at a binary level, and this association is influenced by the level of intimacy. Improving intimacy can help increase activity engagement in older couples, which in turn promotes health. Clinical Implications Maintaining cognition helps older people enjoy good marriage and participation in activities. For women, the closer the partnership, the higher the frequency of participating in various activities.

}, keywords = {Activity engagement, Cognition, dyadic analysis, spouse relationship}, issn = {1545-2301}, doi = {10.1080/07317115.2023.2274524}, author = {Su, Fan and Chao, Jianqian and Zhang, Bowen and Zhang, Na and Luo, Zongyu and Han, Jiaying} } @article {13829, title = {Gender Differences in the Protective Role of Grandparenting in Dementia Risk.}, journal = {Journal of Applied Gerontology, Series B, Psychological Sciences and social sciences}, year = {Forthcoming}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study provides one of the first national longitudinal studies of the association between caring for grandchildren (i.e., grandparenting) and the risk of dementia in the U.S., with a focus on gender-specific variations.

METHOD: We estimated discrete-time event history models, drawing upon data from the Health and Retirement Study (2000-2016). The analytic sample included 10,217 community-dwelling White and Black grandparents aged 52 years and older at baseline.

RESULTS: Noncoresident grandparenting was associated with a lower risk of dementia for both women and men compared to grandparents who did not take care of grandchildren. However, the cognitive advantage showed different patterns based on gender and the combination of care intensity and family structure. Grandmothers had a lower risk of dementia than noncaregiving grandmothers when providing a light level of noncoresident grandparenting, while grandfathers who provided intensive noncoresident grandparenting had a reduced risk of dementia compared to their noncaregiving counterparts. Grandparenting experiences within multigenerational households and skipped-generation households were not associated with dementia risk.

DISCUSSION: Intergenerational caregiving plays a pivotal role in shaping cognitive health during later life; however, the impact is nuanced, depending on factors such as gender, care intensity and family structure.

}, keywords = {Caregiving, Cognition, Event history analysis, Intergenerational Relations, Living arrangement}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbae034}, author = {Choi, Seung-Won Emily and Zhang, Zhenmei and Liu, Hui} } @article {13526, title = {Harmonization of Later-Life Cognitive Function Across National Contexts: Results from the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocols (HCAPs).}, journal = {medRxiv}, year = {Forthcoming}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) is an innovative instrument for cross-national comparisons of later-life cognitive function, yet its suitability across diverse populations is unknown. We aimed to harmonize general and domain-specific cognitive scores from HCAPs across six countries, and evaluate precision and criterion validity of the resulting harmonized scores.

METHODS: We statistically harmonized general and domain-specific cognitive function across the six publicly available HCAP partner studies in the United States, England, India, Mexico, China, and South Africa (N=21,141). We used an item banking approach that leveraged common cognitive test items across studies and tests that were unique to studies, as identified by a multidisciplinary expert panel. We generated harmonized factor scores for general and domain- specific cognitive function using serially estimated graded-response item response theory (IRT) models. We evaluated precision of the factor scores using test information plots and criterion validity using age, gender, and educational attainment.

FINDINGS: IRT models of cognitive function in each country fit well. We compared measurement reliability of the harmonized general cognitive function factor across each cohort using test information plots; marginal reliability was high (r> 0{\textperiodcentered}90) for 93\% of respondents across six countries. In each country, general cognitive function scores were lower with older ages and higher with greater levels of educational attainment.

INTERPRETATION: We statistically harmonized cognitive function measures across six large, population-based studies of cognitive aging in the US, England, India, Mexico, China, and South Africa. Precision of the estimated scores was excellent. This work provides a foundation for international networks of researchers to make stronger inferences and direct comparisons of cross-national associations of risk factors for cognitive outcomes.

FUNDING: National Institute on Aging (R01 AG070953, R01 AG030153, R01 AG051125, U01 AG058499; U24 AG065182; R01AG051158).

}, keywords = {Cognition, Education, harmonization, HCAP}, doi = {10.1101/2023.06.09.23291217}, author = {Gross, Alden L and LI, CHIHUA and Brice{\~n}o, Emily M and Renter{\'\i}a, Miguel Arce and Richard N Jones and Kenneth M. Langa and Jennifer J Manly and Nichols, Emma L and David R Weir and Wong, Rebeca and Berkman, Lisa and Lee, Jinkook and Lindsay C Kobayashi} } @article {13694, title = {Perceived discrimination and nativity status: risk of cognitive impairment among Latin American older adults.}, journal = {International Psychogeriatrics}, year = {Forthcoming}, pages = {1-13}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: We examined the association between perceived discrimination and the risk of cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND) and Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and related dementias (ADRD) while considering the potential effects of nativity status.

DESIGN: A prospective analysis of discrimination and nativity status with dementia and cognitive impairment was conducted among Latinx adults aged 51 years and older who participated in the Health and Retirement Study.

SETTING: A national representative sample.

PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 1,175 Latinx adults aged 51 years and older.

MEASUREMENTS: Demographics, cognitive functioning, perceived discrimination, and nativity status (US-born vs. non-US born) were assessed. Traditional survival analysis methods (Fine and gray models) were used to account for the semi-competing risk of death with up to 10 years of follow-up.

RESULTS: According to our results, neither everyday discrimination nor nativity status on their own had a statistically significant association with CIND/ADRD; however, non-US-born Latinx adults who reported no discrimination had a 42\% lower risk of CIND/ADRD (SHR = 0.58 [0.41, 0.83], = .003) than US-born adults.

CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the need for healthcare providers to assess for discrimination and provide support and resources for those experiencing discrimination. It also highlights the need for better policies that address discrimination and reduce health disparities.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Discrimination, Latinx, nativity status}, issn = {1741-203X}, doi = {10.1017/S1041610223004374}, author = {Tibiri{\c c}{\'a}, Lize and Jester, Dylan J and Kohn, Jordan N and Williams, Allison P and McEvoy, Linda K and Palmer, Barton W} } @article {13793, title = {Physical, cognitive, and social activities as mediators between personality and cognition: evidence from four prospective samples.}, journal = {Aging \& Mental Health}, year = {Forthcoming}, pages = {1-10}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: The present study examined how activity engagement mediates the association between personality and cognition.

METHODS: Participants were middle-aged and older adults (Age range: 24-93 years; > 16,000) from the Midlife in the United States Study, the Health and Retirement Study, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study of Aging. In each sample, personality traits and demographic factors were assessed at baseline, engagement in cognitive, physical, and social activities was assessed in a second wave, and cognition was measured in a third wave, 8 to 20 years later.

RESULTS: Random-effect meta-analyses indicated that lower neuroticism and higher extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness were prospectively associated with better cognition. Most of these associations were partly mediated by greater engagement in physical and cognitive activities but not social activities. Physical activity accounted for 7\% (neuroticism) to 50\% (extraversion) and cognitive activity accounted for 14\% (neuroticism) to 45\% (extraversion) of the association with cognition.

CONCLUSION: The present study provides replicable evidence that physical and cognitive activities partly mediate the prospective association between personality traits and cognitive functioning.

}, keywords = {activities, Aging, Cognition, lifestyle, longitudinal, Personality}, issn = {1364-6915}, doi = {10.1080/13607863.2024.2320135}, author = {Stephan, Yannick and Sutin, Angelina R and Luchetti, Martina and Aschwanden, Damaris and Terracciano, Antonio} } @article {13033, title = {Validation of Self-Reported Cancer Diagnoses by Respondent Cognitive Status in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology. Series A }, year = {Forthcoming}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Cancer and dementia are becoming increasingly common co-occurring conditions among older adults. Yet, the influence of participant cognitive status on the validity of self-reported data among older adults in population-based cohorts is unknown. We thus compared self-reported cancer diagnoses in the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS) against claims from linked Medicare records to ascertain the validity of self-reported diagnoses by participant cognitive and proxy interview status.

METHODS: Using data from HRS participants aged >=67 who had at least 90\% continuous enrollment in fee-for-service Medicare, we examined the validity of self-reported first incident cancer diagnoses from biennial HRS interviews against diagnostic claim records in linked Medicare data (reference standard) for interviews from 2000-2016. Cognitive status was classified as normal, cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND), or dementia using the Langa-Weir method. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and κfor cancer diagnosis.

RESULTS: Of the 8,280 included participants, 23.6\% had cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND) or dementia ,and 10.7\% had a proxy respondent due to an impairment. Self-reports of first incident cancer diagnoses for participants with normal cognition had 70.2\% sensitivity and 99.8\% specificity (κ=0.79). Sensitivity declined substantially with cognitive impairment and proxy response (56.7\% for CIND, 53.0\% for dementia, 60.0\% for proxy respondents), indicating poor validity for study participants with CIND, dementia, or a proxy respondent.

CONCLUSION: Self-reported cancer diagnoses in the US HRS have poor validity for participants with cognitive impairment, dementia, or a proxy respondent. Population-based cancer research among older adults will be strengthened with linkage to Medicare claims.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, self-reported diagnoses, sensitivity, specificity, Validation}, issn = {1758-535X}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/glac248}, author = {Mullins, Megan A and Kabeto, Mohammed and Wallner, Lauren P and Lindsay C Kobayashi} } @article {13711, title = {The Worst of Times: Depressive Symptoms Among Racialized Groups Living With Dementia and Cognitive Impairment During the COVID-19 Pandemic.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, year = {Forthcoming}, pages = {8982643231223555}, abstract = {

To explore differences in depressive symptoms for older adults (Black, Latinx, and White) by cognitive status during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the Health and Retirement Study identified older adults as cognitively normal, cognitively impaired without dementia (CIND), and persons living with dementia (PLWD). Multiple linear regression analyses examined associations between cognitive status and depressive symptoms among these racialized groups. Compared to the cognitively normal older adults racialized as Black, those with CIND reported higher depressive symptoms during the pandemic (overall and somatic) and PLWD had higher somatic symptoms ( < .01). Older adults racialized as White with CIND reported higher somatic ( < .01) symptoms compared to cognitively normal older adults racialized as White. The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging event among older adults racialized as Black with CIND and PLWD. Future studies should examine if these depressive symptoms persist over time.

}, keywords = {Cognition, COVID, Dementia, depression, Older Adults}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643231223555}, author = {Brown, Monique J and Adkins-Jackson, Paris B and Sayed, Linda and Wang, Fei and Leggett, Amanda and Ryan, Lindsay H} } @article {13699, title = {Food Insecurity, Race and Ethnicity, and Cognitive Function Among United States Older Adults.}, journal = {The Journal of Nutrition}, volume = {154}, year = {2024}, pages = {233-242}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment and dementia are severe public health issues in aging populations, which can be exacerbated by insufficient or unhealthy dietary intake. Food (in)security status is linked to cognitive function among older adults, but the relationship is complex and can vary by sociodemographic characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: This article aimed to investigate the association between food insecurity and cognitive function among United States older adults and explore potential variations by race and ethnicity groups.

METHODS: We prospectively examined changes in cognitive function and incidence of cognitive impairment alongside the presence of self-reported food insecurity among older adults of different racial and ethnic groups. Data were from the 2012-2018 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the 2013 Health Care and Nutrition Study (HCNS), including N = 6,638 United States adults aged 50 years and older. Food insecurity was measured by a self-reported United States Household Food Security Survey Module, and cognitive function was assessed by the modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status.

RESULTS: Results showed that 17\% of United States older adults reported food insecurity in the 2013 HCNS. Compared with food secure older adults, those reporting food insecurity experienced worsened cognitive functioning over time (B = -0.63, p < .001), and they were more likely to have onset of cognitive impairment (OR= 1.46, p < .001) in the 6-y observation. Compared with non-Hispanic White older adults, being non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Other, or Hispanic was associated with 2.96, 2.09, or 1.26 odds (p < .001) of cognitive impairment (2012-2018), respectively. Older adults of racial and ethnic minority groups also had higher risks of experiencing the double burden of cognitive impairment alongside food insecurity compared with non-Hispanic White older adults.

CONCLUSION: Findings underscore racial and ethnic structural disparities in food security and cognitive health in the United States aging population.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, ethnicity, Food insecurity, Food Supply, Humans, Middle Aged, Minority Groups, Racial Groups, United States}, issn = {1541-6100}, doi = {10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.11.015}, author = {Wang, Haowei and El-Abbadi, Naglaa} } @article {13626, title = {Personality and Cognition: The Mediating Role of Inflammatory Markers.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {79}, year = {2024}, pages = {gbad152}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Five-Factor Model personality traits are associated consistently with cognition. Inflammation has been hypothesized as a biological pathway in this association, but this assumption has yet to be tested. The present study tested inflammatory markers as mediators between personality traits and cognition.

METHODS: Participants were from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N= 4,364; 60\% women; Mean age= 64.48 years, SD= 8.79). Personality traits and demographic factors were assessed in 2010/2012. Data on inflammatory markers [High Sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble tumor necrosis factor 1 (sTNFR1), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1] were obtained in 2016 from the HRS Venuous Blood Study. Cognition was assessed in 2020 using the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm).

RESULTS: Higher neuroticism was related to lower cognition at follow-up, whereas higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with better cognition. Higher extraversion and higher conscientiousness were related to lower hsCRP, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1Ra, and sTNFR1, and higher openness was associated with lower IL-10, IL-1Ra, and sTNFR1 and to higher sTGF-β1. Lower sTNFR1 partially mediated the associations between conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness and cognition at follow-up, explaining an estimated 4 to 12\% of these associations. The mediating role of sTNFR1 persisted when physical activity and depressive symptoms were included as additional mediators.

CONCLUSION: The present study provides new evidence on personality and inflammatory markers. Consistent with the inflammation hypothesis, the sTNFR1 finding supports a potential biological pathway between personality and cognition.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Inflammation, longitudinal, Personality}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbad152}, author = {Stephan, Yannick and Sutin, Angelina R and Luchetti, Martina and Aschwanden, Damaris and Terracciano, Antonio} } @article {pai_lu_xue_2021, title = {Adult children{\textquoteright}s education and trajectories of episodic memory among older parents in the United States of America}, journal = {Ageing and Society}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between adult children{\textquoteright}s education and older parents{\textquoteright} cognitive health, and the extent to which this relationship is moderated by parents{\textquoteright} own socio-economic and marital statuses. Data using Waves 5 (2000) to 13 (2016) are drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative panel survey of individuals age 50 and above in the United States of America (USA). Older parents{\textquoteright} cognitive functioning is measured using episodic memory from Waves 5{\textendash}13. Adult children{\textquoteright}s education is measured using years of schooling, on average, for all adult children of a respondent. Analyses based on multilevel linear growth curve modelling reveal that parents with well-educated adult children report higher memory score over time compared to their counterparts whose children are not as well-educated. We also find that the positive effect of children{\textquoteright}s education on parents{\textquoteright} cognitive health is moderated by parents{\textquoteright} own education, though not by their income, occupation or marital status. Our work contributes to the growing body of research on the {\textquoteleft}upward{\textquoteright} flow of resources model that assesses the ways in which personal and social assets of the younger generation shape the health and wellbeing of the older generation. Our findings are particularly relevant to the USA given the enduring linkage between socio-economic status and health, and the limited social and economic protection for those of lower social status.}, keywords = {Adult children, Cognition, Education, Marital Status, socioeconomic status}, doi = {10.1017/S0144686X21000775}, author = {Pai, Manacy and Lu, Wentian and Xue, Baowen} } @article {13114, title = {Another reason to stamp out ageism}, year = {2023}, publisher = {McKnights }, keywords = {Ageism, Cognition, mild cognitive impairment, Recovery}, url = {https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/home/columns/editors-columns/another-reason-to-stamp-out-ageism/}, author = {Bowers, Lois A.} } @article {13683, title = {Association between BMI trajectories in late-middle age and subsequent dementia risk in older age: a 26-year population-based cohort study.}, journal = {BMC Geriatrics}, volume = {23}, year = {2023}, pages = {773}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The association between body mass index (BMI) and dementia risk differs depending on follow-up time and age at BMI measurement. The relationship between BMI trajectories in late-middle age (50-65~years old) and the risk of dementia in older age (> 65~years old) has not been revealed.

METHODS: In the present study, participants from the Health and Retirement Study were included. BMI trajectories were constructed by combining BMI trend and variation information. The association between BMI trajectories at the age of 50-65~years and dementia risk after the age of 65~years was investigated. Participants with European ancestry and information on polygenic scores for cognitive performance were pooled to examine whether genetic predisposition could modify the association.

RESULTS: A total of 10,847 participants were included in the main analyses. A declining BMI trend and high variation in late-middle age were associated with the highest subsequent dementia risk in older age compared with an ascending BMI trend and low variation (RR = 1.76, 95\% CI = 1.45-2.13). Specifically, in stratified analyses on BMI trajectories and dementia risk based on each individual{\textquoteright}s mean BMI, the strongest association between a declining BMI trend with high variation and elevated dementia risk was observed in normal BMI group (RR = 2.66, 95\% CI = 1.72-4.1). Similar associations were found when participants were stratified by their genetic performance for cognition function without interaction.

CONCLUSIONS: A declining BMI trend and high variation in late-middle age were associated with a higher risk of dementia. Early monitoring of these individuals is needed to prevent dementia in older individuals.

}, keywords = {Aged, Body Mass Index, Cognition, Cohort Studies, Dementia, Humans, Risk Factors}, issn = {1471-2318}, doi = {10.1186/s12877-023-04483-z}, author = {Qin, Zijian and Liu, Zheran and Li, Ruidan and Luo, Yaxin and Wei, Zhigong and He, Ling and Pei, Yiyan and Su, Yonglin and Hu, Xiaolin and Peng, Xingchen} } @article {13211, title = {The association between subjective cognitive decline and trajectories of objective cognitive decline: Do social relationships matter?}, journal = {Arch Gerontol Geriatr}, volume = {111}, year = {2023}, pages = {104992}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: We examine the association between subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and the trajectories of objective cognitive decline (OCD); and the extent to which this association is moderated by social relationships.

METHODS: Data come from waves 10 (2010) through 14 (2018) of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel survey of individuals aged 50 and above in the United States. OCD is measured using episodic memory, and overall cognition. SCD is assessed using a baseline measure of self-rated memory. Social relationships are measured by social network size and perceived positive and negative social support. Growth curve models estimate the longitudinal link between SCD and subsequent OCD trajectories and the interactions between SCD and social relationship variables on OCD.

RESULTS: SCD is associated with subsequent OCD. A wider social network and lower perceived negative support are linked to slower decline in memory, and overall cognition. None of the social relationship variables, however, moderate the link between SCD and future OCD.

CONCLUSION: Knowing that SCD is linked to subsequent OCD is useful because at SCD stage, deficits are more manageable relative to those at subsequent stages of OCD. Future work on SCD and OCD should consider additional dimensions of social relationships.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Memory, Episodic, Neuropsychological tests}, issn = {1872-6976}, doi = {10.1016/j.archger.2023.104992}, author = {Pai, Manacy and Lu, Wentian and Chen, Miaoqi and Xue, Baowen} } @article {13036, title = {Association of Religious Service Attendance and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, Cognitive Function, and Sleep Disturbances in All-Cause Dementia.}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {20}, year = {2023}, pages = {4300}, abstract = {

Commonly reported in dementia, neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), cognitive decline, and sleep disturbances indicate dementia progression. With the growing dementia burden, identifying protective factors that may slow dementia progression is increasingly essential. Religion and spirituality are associated with better mental and physical health, yet few studies have been reported in older adults with dementia. This study examines associations between religious service attendance and symptoms of dementia progression. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study in 2000, 2006, and 2008 and the sub-study, Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study in 2001-2003, 2006-2007, and 2008-2009, we examined the association of religious attendance with neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive function, and sleep disturbances among U.S. older adults aged 70 years and older with all-cause dementia ( = 72) using Spearman{\textquoteright}s partial Rho correlation controlling for social interaction. Significant associations were identified for religious attendance and NPS (r (97) = -0.124, 95\% CI [-0.129, -0.119], < 0.0005); cognitive function, r (97) = -0.018, 95\% CI [-0.023, -0.013], < 0.001); and sleep disturbances, r (97) = -0.275, 95\% CI [-0.280, -0.271], < 0.0005). Beyond adjusting for social interaction, increased religious attendance was associated with lower NPS, better cognitive function, and fewer sleep disturbances. Clinical trials and longitudinal studies with a larger sample size examining religion and spirituality factors with dementia progression are warranted.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, Religion, Sleep, Sleep Wake Disorders, Spirituality}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph20054300}, author = {Britt, Katherine Carroll and Richards, Kathy C and Acton, Gayle and Hamilton, Jill and Radhakrishnan, Kavita} } @article {11787, title = {Associations Between Cognitive Function, Balance, and Gait Speed in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with COPD.}, journal = {Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy}, volume = {46}, year = {2023}, pages = {46-52}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at risk for physical and cognitive impairment. Cognitive function is associated with falls in older adults. However, it is unknown whether a relationship exists between cognitive function and falls in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between cognitive function, balance, and gait speed in older adults with COPD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A secondary analysis was performed using data from the 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Cognitive (immediate and delayed recall, executive function) and physical (gait speed, tandem balance time) measure data were extracted for older adults with COPD (n = 382) and an age-matched control group without COPD (n = 382) who met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Multivariate linear regression modeling was performed to examine associations between cognitive function and mobility or balance while controlling for age, gender, body mass index, grip strength, and education.

RESULTS: In COPD, delayed recall was significantly associated with tandem balance performance (β = 1.42, P < .05). Other cognitive measures were not associated with gait speed or balance.

CONCLUSION: In older adults with COPD, cognitive function was associated with balance and mobility. Screening of cognitive function, specifically delayed recall, should be a part of the management of falls in this population.

}, keywords = {balance, Cognition, Community-dwelling, COPD, Gait speed}, issn = {2152-0895}, doi = {10.1519/JPT.0000000000000323}, author = {Gore, Shweta and Blackwood, Jennifer and Ziccardi, Tyler} } @article {13689, title = {Associations Between Longitudinal Loneliness, DNA Methylation Age Acceleration, and Cognitive Functioning.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences}, volume = {78}, year = {2023}, pages = {2045-2059}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Loneliness may influence aging biomarkers related to cognitive functioning, for example, through accelerated DNA methylation (DNAm) aging.

METHODS: In the present study, we tested whether six common DNAm age acceleration measures mediated the effects of baseline loneliness and five different longitudinal loneliness trajectories on general cognitive ability, immediate memory recall, delayed memory recall, and processing speed in 1,814 older adults in the Health and Retirement Study.

RESULTS: We found that baseline loneliness and individuals who belong to the highest loneliness trajectories had poorer general cognitive ability and memory scores. Only DNAm age acceleration measures that index physiological comorbidities, unhealthy lifestyle factors (e.g., smoking), and mortality risk-mediated effects of baseline loneliness on general cognitive ability and memory functioning but not processing speed. These same DNAm measures mediated effects of the moderate-but-declining loneliness trajectory on cognitive functioning. Additionally, immediate and delayed memory scores were mediated by GrimAge Accel in the lowest and two highest loneliness trajectory groups. Total and mediated effects of loneliness on cognitive functioning outcomes were mainly accounted for by demographic, social, psychological, and physiological covariates, most notably self-rated health, depressive symptomatology, objective social isolation, and body mass index.

DISCUSSION: Current findings suggest that DNAm biomarkers of aging, particularly GrimAge Accel, have promise for explaining the prospective association between loneliness and cognitive functioning outcomes.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aging, Biomarkers, Cognition, DNA Methylation, Humans, Loneliness, Longitudinal Studies}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbad128}, author = {Lynch, Morgan and Em Arpawong, Thalida and Beam, Christopher R} } @article {12946, title = {Associations of local area level new deal employment in childhood with late life cognition: evidence from the census-linked health and retirement study.}, journal = {Journal of Epidemiology \& Community Health}, volume = {77}, year = {2023}, month = {2023 Fe}, pages = {81-88}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Emergency employment programmes during the 1930s and 1940s invested income, infrastructure and social services into communities affected by the Great Depression. We estimate the long-term associations of growing up in an area exposed to New Deal emergency employment in 1940 with cognitive functioning in later life.

METHODS: Members of the Health and Retirement Study cohort (N=5095; mean age 66.3 at baseline) who were age 0-17 in 1940 were linked to their census record from that year, providing prospective information about childhood contextual and family circumstances. We estimated the association between subcounty-level emergency employment participation in 1940 and baseline cognition and rate of cognitive decline between 1998 and 2016.

RESULTS: Compared with those living in the lowest emergency employment quintile in 1940, those who were exposed to moderate levels of emergency employment (third quintile) had better cognitive functioning in 1998 (b=0.092 SD, 95\% CI 0.011 to 0.173), conditional on sociodemographic factors. This effect was modestly attenuated after adjusting for respondents{\textquoteright} adult education, finances and health factors. There were no significant effects of area-level emergency employment on rate of cognitive decline.

CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to New Deal employment policies during childhood is associated with long-term cognitive health benefits. This is partially explained by increases in educational attainment among those with greater levels of emergency employment activity in the place where they were raised. Future research should investigate which types of New Deal investments may most be related to long-term cognitive health, or if the associations we observe are due to co-occurring programmes.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Censuses, Child, Cognition, Employment, Infant, Newborn, Preschool, Prospective Studies, Retirement}, issn = {1470-2738}, doi = {10.1136/jech-2022-219259}, author = {Lee, Mark and Harrati, Amal and Rehkopf, David H and Modrek, Sepideh} } @article {Hickman, title = {Associations of self-rated mental and physical work demands with cognition are dependent in a cross-sectional sample of the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s \& dementia}, volume = {19}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Background The number of older adults remaining in the workforce is growing, but little is known about how physical and mental work demands jointly affect cognitive health. This study assessed whether self-rated physical and mental work demands were associated with cognition among older working adults and whether their associations were dependent. Methods Our cross-sectional sample consisted of 6,376 working older adults in the 2004 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. Self-rated work demands were summarized from four questions about frequency of mental or physical demands in the respondent{\textquoteright}s current job. Cognition was assessed using a subset of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. We used multivariable linear regression to test for associations and additive interaction between physical and mental work demands and cognition, adjusted for age, sex, race, education, and practice effect. Result Independently, higher physical work demands were associated (P<0.001) with poorer cognition and higher mental work demands were associated (P<0.001) with better cognition. In an interaction analysis, the effect of one work demand measure became more negative as level of the other increased (B for interaction = -0.22, 95\% CI: -0.42, -0.02). A one-point increase in mental work demands was associated with 0.69 (95\% CI: 0.40, 0.99) points higher cognition score when physical work demands were lowest. At the highest level of physical work demands, mental work demands were not associated with cognition (0.11, 95\% CI: -0.28, 0.49). A one-point increase in physical work demands was not associated with cognition (0.09, 95\% CI: -0.30, 0.48) when mental work demands were lowest. At the highest level of mental work demands, physical work demands were associated with -0.53 (95\% CI: -0.78, -0.29) points lower cognition score. The highest predicted cognition score was for the highest mental and lowest physical work demands. Results were robust to additional adjustment for health and behavior covariates. Conclusion The associations of self-rated mental and physical work demand with cognition were dependent. Beneficial cognitive effects of mental work demands may not apply to workers with physically demanding jobs. Future studies should strongly consider examining interactions to capture the range of work demand effects.}, keywords = {Cognition, mental work demands, physical work demands}, issn = {1552-5260}, doi = {10.1002/alz.066265}, author = {Hickman, Ruby and Bakulski, Kelly M and Brandt, Daniel and Jessica Faul and Ware, Erin B} } @article {13089, title = {Body mass index and cognition: Associations across mid- to late-life and gender differences.}, journal = {J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci}, year = {2023}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Higher mid-life body mass index (BMI) is associated with lower late-life cognition. Associations between later-life BMI and cognition are less consistent; evidence suggests reverse causation may play a role. We aimed to characterize associations between BMI and cognition across a wide age range during mid- to late-life (55-85 years) and examine whether associations vary by gender.

METHODS: We used data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) (N=39,153) to examine the association between BMI and three cognitive outcomes: cognitive level, cognitive decline, and cognitive impairment. We used a series of linear regression, mixed effects regression, and logistic regression models, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS: Higher BMI before age 65 (mid-life) was associated with lower cognitive performance, faster rates of cognitive decline, and higher odds of cognitive impairment in late-life. Averaging across analyses assessing associations between BMI measured before age 60 and late-life cognition, a 5-unit higher level of BMI was associated with a 0.26 point lower cognitive score. Beyond age 65, associations flipped, and higher BMI was associated with better late-life cognitive outcomes. Associations in both directions were stronger in women. Excluding those with BMI loss attenuated findings among women in older ages, supporting the reverse causation hypothesis.

CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, age 65 represented a critical turning point between mid- and late-life for the association between BMI and cognition, which has important implications for recruitment strategies for studies focused on risk factors for late-life cognitive outcomes. Evidence of gender differences raises the need to further investigate plausible mechanisms.

}, keywords = {Body Mass Index, Cognition, Gender Differences}, issn = {1758-535X}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/glad015}, author = {Crane, Breanna M and Nichols, Emma and Carlson, Michelle C and Deal, Jennifer A and Gross, Alden L} } @article {13057, title = {Breast and prostate cancer screening rates by cognitive status in US older adults.}, journal = {J Am Geriatr Soc}, volume = {71}, year = {2023}, pages = {1558-1565}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: For most older adults with dementia, the short-term harms and burdens of routine cancer screening likely outweigh the delayed benefits. We aimed to provide a more updated assessment of the extent that US older adults with dementia receive breast and prostate cancer screenings.

METHODS: Using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Wave 12 (2014-2015) linked to Medicare, we examine rates of breast and prostate cancer screenings in adults 65+ years by cognitive status. We used claims data to identify eligibility for screening and receipt of screening. We used a validated method using HRS data to define cognitive status.

RESULTS: The analytic sample included 2439 women in the breast cancer screening cohort and 1846 men in the prostate cancer screening cohort. Average ages were 76.8 years for women and 75.6 years for men, with 9.0\% and 7.6\% with dementia in each cohort, respectively. Among women with dementia, 12.3\% were screened for breast cancer. When stratified by age, 10.6\% of those 75+ and have dementia were screened for breast cancer. When stratified by predicted life expectancy, 10.4\% of those with predicted life expectancy of <10 years and have dementia were screened for breast cancer. Among men with dementia, 33.9\% were screened for prostate cancer. When stratified by age, 30.9\% of those 75+ and have dementia were screened for prostate cancer. When stratified by predicted life expectancy, 34.4\% of those with predicted life expectancy of <10 years and have dementia were screened for prostate cancer. Using multivariable logistic regression, dementia was associated with lower odds of receiving breast cancer screening (OR 0.36, 95\% CI 0.23-0.57) and prostate cancer screening (OR 0.58, 95\% CI 0.36-0.96).

DISCUSSION: Our results suggest potential over-screening in older adults with dementia. Better supporting dementia patients and caregivers to make informed cancer screening decisions is critical.

}, keywords = {Aged, Breast Neoplasms, Cognition, Dementia, Early Detection of Cancer, Humans, Male, Mass Screening, Medicare, Prostate-Specific Antigen, Prostatic Neoplasms, United States}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.18222}, author = {Schoenborn, Nancy L and Cidav, Tom and Boyd, Cynthia M and Pollack, Craig E and Sekhon, Vishaldeep Kaur and Yasar, Sevil} } @article {13075, title = {Cardiometabolic multimorbidity, lifestyle behaviours, and cognitive function: a multicohort study.}, journal = {The Lancet. Healthy Longevity}, volume = {4}, year = {2023}, pages = {e265-e273}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effect of lifestyle factors on cognitive decline related to cardiometabolic multimorbidity. We aimed to examine the association between cardiometabolic multimorbidity and cognitive decline, and the role of lifestyle factors in this association.

METHODS: We did a pooled multi-cohort study using pooled data from four cohort studies (the Health and Retirement Study; the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing; the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe; and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study) across 14 countries. Eligible participants were age 50 years and older, and those who were missing information on exposure and outcomes, or who had been diagnosed with dementia or Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease, were excluded. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity was defined as the co-occurrence of two or three cardiometabolic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The primary outcome of cognitive function was measured in three domains, on the basis of the mean and SD of the corresponding tests: memory, numeracy, and orientation, in all participants with available data. A global cognitive score was created by summing the individual scores.

FINDINGS: The final sample consisted of 160 147 individuals across all four studies (73 846 [46{\textperiodcentered}1\%] men and 86 301 [53{\textperiodcentered}9\%] women) and participants had a mean age of 67{\textperiodcentered}49 years (SD 10{\textperiodcentered}43). An increasing number of cardiometabolic diseases was dose-dependently associated with the decline in cognitive function score (one disease, β=-0{\textperiodcentered}15 [95\% CI -0{\textperiodcentered}17 to -0{\textperiodcentered}13]; two diseases, β=-0{\textperiodcentered}37 [-0{\textperiodcentered}40 to -0{\textperiodcentered}34]; three diseases, β=-0{\textperiodcentered}57 [-0{\textperiodcentered}64 to -0{\textperiodcentered}50]), with comorbid diabetes and stroke (β=-0{\textperiodcentered}23 [-0{\textperiodcentered}29 to -0{\textperiodcentered}17]) contributing most strongly to cardiometabolic disease-associated cognitive decline. Cognitive decline associated with cardiometabolic disease was accelerated with physical inactivity (one cardiometablic disease, p=0{\textperiodcentered}020; two cardiometablic diseases, p=0{\textperiodcentered}42; and three cardiometablic diseases, p=0{\textperiodcentered}24), excessive alcohol use (one cardiometablic disease, p=0{\textperiodcentered}016; two cardiometablic diseases, p=0{\textperiodcentered}65; and three cardiometablic diseases, p=0{\textperiodcentered}50), and the higher number of unhealthy lifestyle factors (one cardiometablic disease, p=0{\textperiodcentered}79; two cardiometablic diseases, p=0{\textperiodcentered}0050; and three cardiometablic diseases, p=0{\textperiodcentered}888).

INTERPRETATION: These findings indicated a targeted approach for simultaneously developing preventative interventions on lifestyles and integrated treatment for cardiometabolic comorbidities to delay cognitive decline in older people.

FUNDING: Major Project of the National Social Science Fund of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Medical Board, and Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST.

}, keywords = {cardiometabolic multimorbidity, CHARLS, Cognition, ELSA, SHARE}, issn = {2666-7568}, doi = {10.1016/S2666-7568(23)00054-5}, author = {Jin, Yinzi and Liang, Jersey and Hong, Chenlu and Liang, Richard and Luo, Yanan} } @article {13444, title = {Cognitive activity at work and the risk of dementia.}, journal = {Health Econ}, volume = {32}, year = {2023}, pages = {1561-1580}, abstract = {

Dementia prevalence is projected to rise steeply in coming decades, producing tremendous burdens on families, and health and social services. Motivated by the need for further robust evidence on modifiable risk factors, we investigate the relationship between cognitive activity at work and later-life dementia. Using data from the US Health and Retirement Study matched to the O*NET occupational database, we find that a one standard deviation increase in the cognitive activity associated with one{\textquoteright}s longest held occupation is associated with a 0.9 percentage point reduction in (predicted) dementia, or a 24\% reduction relative to the mean. This relationship is consistently found across model specifications and robustness tests. When controlling for individual fixed-effects we find that the association between dementia and work cognitive activity increases with age. Overall, our results provide some evidence in support of the inclusion of cognitive activity at work as a recognized modifiable risk factor for dementia.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, Humans, Occupations, Retirement, Risk Factors}, issn = {1099-1050}, doi = {10.1002/hec.4679}, author = {Martin-Bassols, Nicolau and de New, Sonja C and Johnston, David W and Shields, Michael A} } @article {12962, title = {Cognitive Aging in Same- and Different-Sex Relationships: Comparing Age of Diagnosis and Rate of Cognitive Decline in the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Gerontology}, volume = {69}, year = {2023}, pages = {356-369}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: The ongoing marginalization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people has been hypothesized to produce poorer late-in-life cognitive outcomes, according to mechanisms posited by minority stress and allostatic load theories. Yet the existence of those outcomes remains understudied, and results of existing studies have been contradictory. Using a population-based longitudinal aging study, this paper will compare age at diagnosis of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) or a related dementia and rates of cognitive decline between participants in same-sex relationships (SSRs) and different-sex relationships (DSRs).

METHODS: The study used longitudinal cognitive-health data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 1998-2018; N = 26,344) to analyze the onset of cognitive impairment and AD/dementia and the rates of cognitive change between participants in SSRs and those in DSRs. We hypothesized that SSR participants would have worse overall cognitive functioning in old age and would experience earlier onset of cognitive impairment. Using multiple regression, we compared the ages at which participants in SSRs and DSRs first reported AD or dementia diagnoses and the ages at which they first scored below cutoffs for cognitive impairment, not dementia (CIND) and possible dementia as determined using the cognitive assessment. The study then compared rates of cognitive decline over time across the SSR and DSR groups, including stratified analyses by education, race/ethnicity, wealth, and sex/gender.

RESULTS: Participants in SSRs reported dementia diagnoses (β = -12.346; p = 0.001), crossed the threshold into CIND (β = -8.815; p < 0.001) and possible dementia (β = -13.388; p < 0.001) at a younger age than participants in DSRs. When adjusted for covariates, participants in SSRs also had lower cognition at baseline (β = 0.745; p = 0.003), though having slower rates of cognitive decline when SSR was interacted with time (β = 0.066; p = 0.003). In separate analyses, cognitive differences for SSR participants were only found in participants without undergraduate degrees, with below-median household incomes, and women.

CONCLUSION: Our findings support theories suggesting that marginalization and stigma cause premature cognitive impairment. Findings also suggest that higher education might mitigate the adverse effects of sexuality-minority status on cognitive aging. Results do not support these theories{\textquoteright} claims of more rapid cognitive decline; the lower slopes of cognitive decline with time are compatible with the possibility of slower rates of decline for aging individuals in SSRs.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer disease, bisexual, Cognition, cognitive aging, Cognitive Dysfunction, Gay, Lesbian, Retirement, same-sex relationship, sexual orientation}, issn = {1423-0003}, doi = {10.1159/000526922}, author = {Hanes, Douglas William and Clouston, Sean A P} } @article {13019, title = {Cognitive Decline Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic Among Older People With Multimorbidity: A Longitudinal Study.}, journal = {Journal of the American Medical Directors Association }, volume = {24}, year = {2023}, pages = {419-425.e10}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether older people living with multimorbidity would suffer an accelerated decline in cognition during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with prepandemic data.

DESIGN: A 5-year cohort conducting surveys from year 2016 to 2021, with 2016 to 2019 as the control period and 2019 to 2021 the pandemic period.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: In total, 9304 cognitively healthy older participants age >=50~years were included from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

METHODS: Multimorbidity was defined as the concurrent presence of 2 or more chronic diseases. A global cognition z score was calculated using memory (immediate and delayed word recall tests) and executive function (counting backwards and the serial sevens tests). Incident dementia was defined using either the reported physician diagnosis or an alternative approach based on cognition summary score. Linear mixed models were used to assess longitudinal changes, while modified Poisson regression models were used to analyze the risk of incident dementia.

RESULTS: Of the 9304 participants included, 3649 (39.2\%) were men, with a mean age of 65.8 {\textpm} 10.8~years. Participants with multimorbidity (n~= 4375) suffered accelerated declines of 0.08 standard deviation (95\% confidence interval 0.03, 0.13, P~= .003) in global cognition and an elevated dementia risk (risk ratio 1.66, 95\% confidence 1.05 to 2.61, P~= .029), compared with individuals without morbidity (n~= 1818) during the pandemic period. After further adjusting sociodemographic characteristics and prepandemic cognitive measurements, these differences remained evident. In contrast, no significant differences in cognitive declines were observed during the control period.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, older people with multimorbidity suffered an accelerated decline in cognition and elevated incident dementia risk, while no evident differences in cognitive decline rates were observed before the pandemic. Measures targeting vulnerable older people with multimorbidity could be significant for assisting these individuals to tackle neurocognitive challenges during the pandemic.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, COVID-19, Dementia, multimorbidity, Pandemics}, issn = {1538-9375}, doi = {10.1016/j.jamda.2023.01.001}, author = {Li, Chenglong and Hua, Rong and Gao, Darui and Zheng, Fanfan and Xie, Wuxiang} } @article {12614, title = {Cognitive Impairment and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Take-up Among the Eligible Older Americans.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B }, year = {2023}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among eligible adults 60 and older is much lower than among the younger population, and rates continue to decline throughout the life course while at the same time the risk of cognitive impairment increases. Due to the high administrative burden associated with SNAP eligibility processes, cognitive impairment may be associated with low uptake of SNAP among the low-income older adult population, particularly among more socially disadvantaged groups (females, Blacks, and those living alone). We provide new evidence that changes in cognitive functioning are associated with reductions in the probability of SNAP take-up among eligible older adults.

METHODS: Using panel data from the Health and Retirement Study, we estimate linear probability fixed-effects models to assess the effect of cognitive decline on the likelihood of SNAP participation among eligible adults aged 60 and above, controlling for observed characteristics that change over time as well as individual, time, and state fixed effects.

RESULTS: Reduced levels of cognitive functioning that rise to the classification of dementia were strongly associated with reductions in the probability of SNAP take-up among eligible older adults. Results were particularly salient for females and those living alone.

DISCUSSION: One barrier to SNAP take-up among older adults may be cognitive impairment with the size of effect differing by gender and living arrangement. Policymakers may want to consider initiatives to increase SNAP participation among older adults, including a focus on further simplification of eligibility and recertification processes that reduce administrative burden.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac111}, author = {Zuo, Dongmei and Heflin, Colleen M} } @article {12845, title = {Cognitive scientists may have just discovered the most cuddly way to protect your aging brain}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Fast Company}, keywords = {Cognition, Pets}, url = {https://www.fastcompany.com/90832663/cognitive-scientists-may-have-just-discovered-the-most-cuddly-way-to-protect-your-aging-brain}, author = {Gupta, Shalene} } @article {13106, title = {A comparison of cognitive performances based on differing rates of DNA methylation GrimAge acceleration among older men and women.}, journal = {Neurobiology \& Aging}, volume = {123}, year = {2023}, pages = {83-91}, abstract = {

Cognitive heterogeneity increases with age rendering sex differences difficult to identify. Given established sex differences in biological aging, we examined whether comparisons of men and women on neuropsychological test performances differed as a function of age rate. Data were obtained from 1921 adults enrolled in the 2016 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. The residual from regressing the DNA methylation GrimAge clock on chronological age was used as the measure of aging rate. Slow and fast age rates were predefined as 1 standard deviation below or above the sex-specific mean rates, respectively. ANCOVAs were used to test group differences in test performances. Pairwise comparisons revealed that slow aging men outperformed fast aging women (and vice versa) on measures of executive function/speed, visual memory and semantic fluency; however, when groups were matched by aging rates, no significant differences remained. In contrast, women, regardless of their aging rates, education or depressive symptoms maintained their advantage on verbal learning and memory. Implications for research on sex differences in cognitive aging are discussed.

}, keywords = {Aging, Cognition, DNA Methylation, Executive function, GrimAge, Memory, sex/gender differences}, issn = {1558-1497}, doi = {10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.12.011}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Shea, Deirdre M and Alaimo, Hannah and Davis, Jennifer D and Galvin, James E and Tremont, Geoffrey} } @article {13184, title = {Comparison of sex differences in cognitive function in older adults between high- and middle-income countries and the role of education: a population-based multicohort study.}, journal = {Age Ageing}, volume = {52}, year = {2023}, month = {2023 Feb 01}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The extent to which education explains variations in sex differences in cognitive function between countries at different levels of economic development is unknown. We examined the role of education in sex differences in four cognitive domains in high- and middle-income countries.

METHODS: Analyses were based on 70,846 participants, aged 60~years and older, in cohort studies from a high-income (United States) and four middle-income countries (Mexico, Brazil, China, and India). We used weighted linear models to allow nationally-representative comparisons of sex differences in orientation, memory, attention, and fluency using the United States as the reference, before and after adjustment for education, and after stratification by education.

RESULTS: Females had lower levels of education than males in all countries, particularly in India. Before adjustment for education, sex differences in orientation and attention in all middle-income countries, memory in Brazil, China, and India, and fluency in India were less favourable to females than in the United States (P < 0.010). For example, females outperformed males in memory in the United States (mean difference [male-female scores] = -0.26 standard deviations [95\% CI -0.30, -0.22]) but not in China (0.15 [0.09, 0.21]) or India (0.16 [0.13, 0.19]). Adjustment for education attenuated these sex differences. In analyses stratified by education, there were minimal sex differences in the high education group in all countries.

CONCLUSION: Education contributes to larger female disadvantages in cognitive function at older ages in middle-income countries compared with the United States. Gender equity in education is an important target to reduce sex disparities in cognitive function globally.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, Developing Countries, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Income, Male, Middle Aged, Sex Characteristics, United States}, issn = {1468-2834}, doi = {10.1093/ageing/afad019}, author = {Bloomberg, Mikaela and Dugravot, Aline and Sommerlad, Andrew and Kivim{\"a}ki, Mika and Singh-Manoux, Archana and Sabia, S{\'e}verine} } @article {13445, title = {Cumulative exposure to extreme heat and trajectories of cognitive decline among older adults in the USA.}, journal = {J Epidemiol Community Health}, year = {2023}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The projected increase in extreme heat days is a growing public health concern. While exposure to extreme heat has been shown to negatively affect mortality and physical health, very little is known about its long-term consequences for late-life cognitive function. We examined whether extreme heat exposure is associated with cognitive decline among older adults and whether this association differs by race/ethnicity and neighbourhood socioeconomic status.

METHODS: Data were drawn from seven waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2018) merged with historical temperature data. We used growth curve models to assess the role of extreme heat exposure on trajectories of cognitive function among US adults aged 52 years and older.

RESULTS: We found that high exposure to extreme heat was associated with faster cognitive decline for blacks and residents of poor neighbourhoods, but not for whites, Hispanics or residents of wealthier neighbourhoods.

CONCLUSION: Extreme heat exposure can disproportionately undermine cognitive health in later life for socially vulnerable populations. Our findings underscore the need for policy actions to identify and support high-risk communities for increasingly warming temperatures.

}, keywords = {Aging, Climate Change, Cognition, Cohort Studies}, issn = {1470-2738}, doi = {10.1136/jech-2023-220675}, author = {Choi, Eun Young and Lee, Haena and Chang, Virginia W} } @article {13163, title = {Dietary Intake Levels of Iron, Copper, Zinc, and Manganese in Relation to Cognitive Function: A Cross-Sectional Study.}, journal = {Nutrients}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {2023 Jan 30}, abstract = {

: Previous studies have related circulating levels of trace metal elements, of which dietary intake is the major source, to cognitive outcomes. However, there are still relatively few studies evaluating the associations of dietary intake levels of iron, copper, zinc, and manganese with cognitive function (CF). : We leveraged the data of 6863 participants (mean [standard deviation] age = 66.7 [10.5] years) in the Health and Retirement Study (2013/2014). Dietary intake levels of iron, copper, zinc, and manganese were calculated from a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. CF was assessed using the 27-point modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). We used linear regression models to calculate the mean differences in global CF scores by quintiles of dietary intake levels of trace metal elements. : Among the study participants, the mean (SD) values of daily dietary intake were 13.3 (6.3) mg for iron, 1.4 (0.7) mg for copper, 10.7 (4.6) mg for zinc, and 3.3 (1.6) mg for manganese. Compared with the lowest quintile of dietary iron intake (<8.1 mg), the highest quintile (>=17.7 mg) was associated with a lower cognitive score (-0.50, -0.94 to -0.06, P-trend = 0.007). Higher dietary copper was significantly associated with poorer CF (P-trend = 0.002), and the mean difference in cognitive score between extreme quintiles (>=1.8 vs. <0.8 mg) was -0.52 (95\% confidence interval: -0.94 to -0.10) points. We did not observe significant associations for dietary intake of zinc (P-trend = 0.785) and manganese (P-trend = 0.368). : In this cross-sectional study, higher dietary intake of iron and copper was related to worse CF, but zinc and manganese intake levels were not significantly associated with CF.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, Copper, Cross-Sectional Studies, Eating, Humans, Iron, Manganese, Trace Elements, Zinc}, issn = {2072-6643}, doi = {10.3390/nu15030704}, author = {Zhao, Dong and Huang, Yilun and Wang, Binghan and Chen, Hui and Pan, Wenfei and Yang, Min and Xia, Zhidan and Zhang, Ronghua and Yuan, Changzheng} } @article {13648, title = {Do Pets Really Help Aging People Stay Mentally Sharp?}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Psychology Today}, keywords = {Cognition, ELSA, Pets}, url = {https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-us/202312/do-pets-really-help-aging-people-stay-mentally-sharp}, author = {Herzog, Hal} } @article {13090, title = {Does peak expiratory flow moderate trajectories of cognitive function among individuals with lung diseases? A longitudinal analysis of the National Health and Aging Trends Study.}, journal = {Respir Med}, volume = {207}, year = {2023}, pages = {107120}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: Impaired cognitive function can co-exist in chronic respiratory diseases. However, it is not clear if peak expiratory flow (PEF) impacts changes in cognitive function. Our objective was to explore whether peak expiratory flow moderates trajectories of memory, visuospatial abilities, and executive function in individuals with chronic respiratory diseases.

METHODS: This was an analysis of individuals with lung diseases from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Multivariable-adjusted generalized linear mixed models were used to estimate trajectories of immediate and delayed recall, and clock drawing over a 10-year follow-up. The interaction between PEF and time were plotted using sex-specific values for peak expiratory flow at 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles.

RESULTS: In females, interactions of time-by-PEF were found for both immediate (n~=~489, t~=~2.73, p<0.01) and delayed recall (n~=~489, t~=~3.38, p<0.01). Females in the 10th vs. 90th percentile of PEF declined in immediate recall at 0.14 vs. 0.065 words/year, and 0.17 vs. 0.032 words/year for delayed recall. Among males, recall declined linearly over 10 years (immediate recall: n~=~296, t~=~-3.08, p~<~0.01; delayed recall: n~=~292, t~=~-2.46, p~=~0.02), with no interaction with PEF. There were no time-by-PEF interactions nor declines over time in clock drawing scores in both sexes (females: n~=~484, t~=~0.25, p~=~0.81; males: n~=~291, t~=~-0.61, p~=~0.55).

CONCLUSION: Females with the lowest PEF values experienced the greatest rates of decline in immediate and delayed recall over 10 years of follow-up, whereas males experienced similar declines in memory outcomes across all levels of PEF. Clock drawing scores remained stable over 10 years in both sexes.

}, keywords = {Aging, Cognition, Female, Humans, Lung Diseases, Male, Peak Expiratory Flow Rate, Respiratory Function Tests}, issn = {1532-3064}, doi = {10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107120}, author = {Wiley, Elise and Brooks, Dina and MacDermid, Joy C and Sakakibara, Brodie and Stratford, Paul W and Tang, Ada} } @article {13690, title = {The Effects of Midlife Acute and Chronic Stressors on Black-White Differences in Cognitive Decline.}, journal = {Journal of Applied Gerontology, Series B, Psychological Sciences and social sciences}, volume = {78}, year = {2023}, pages = {2147-2155}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Midlife stressors may be particularly consequential for cognitive performance and disparities in cognitive decline. This study examined Black-White differences in trajectories of cognition among middle-aged adults and the effects of acute and chronic stressors on these trajectories.

METHODS: Data come from 4,011 cognitively healthy individuals aged 51-64 (620 Black and 3,391 White) who participated in the 2006-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Stressors included a count of recent life events and measures of financial strain and everyday discrimination. Global cognition was assessed using a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Linear mixed models with random slopes and intercepts assessed change in cognition over time. Race-by-time, race-by-stressor, time-by-stressor, and race-by-stressor-by-time interactions were assessed as were quadratic terms for time and each stressor.

RESULTS: After adjusting for sociodemographic, health behaviors, and health-related factors, Black respondents had lower initial cognitive performance scores (b = -1.75, p < .001) but experienced earlier but slower decline in cognitive performance over time (Black {\texttimes} Time2 interaction: b = 0.02, p < .01). Financial strain, discrimination, and recent life events each had distinct associations with cognitive performance but did not influence racial differences in levels of or change in cognition over time.

DISCUSSION: Middle-aged Black adults have lower initial cognition levels and experience earlier but less accelerated cognitive decline compared to White middle-aged adults. Midlife acute and chronic stressors influence baseline cognition but do so in different ways. Future research should examine the influence of other stressors on racial differences in cognitive decline at other points in the life course.

}, keywords = {Black or African American, Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Humans, Middle Aged, Stress, Psychological, White}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbad143}, author = {Mitchell, Uchechi A and Shaw, Benjamin A and Torres, Jacqueline M and Brown, Lauren L and Barnes, Lisa L} } @article {13691, title = {The Effects of Midlife Acute and Chronic Stressors on Black-White Differences in Cognitive Decline.}, journal = {Journal of Applied Gerontology, Series B, Psychological Sciences and social sciences}, volume = {78}, year = {2023}, pages = {2147-2155}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Midlife stressors may be particularly consequential for cognitive performance and disparities in cognitive decline. This study examined Black-White differences in trajectories of cognition among middle-aged adults and the effects of acute and chronic stressors on these trajectories.

METHODS: Data come from 4,011 cognitively healthy individuals aged 51-64 (620 Black and 3,391 White) who participated in the 2006-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Stressors included a count of recent life events and measures of financial strain and everyday discrimination. Global cognition was assessed using a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Linear mixed models with random slopes and intercepts assessed change in cognition over time. Race-by-time, race-by-stressor, time-by-stressor, and race-by-stressor-by-time interactions were assessed as were quadratic terms for time and each stressor.

RESULTS: After adjusting for sociodemographic, health behaviors, and health-related factors, Black respondents had lower initial cognitive performance scores (b = -1.75, p < .001) but experienced earlier but slower decline in cognitive performance over time (Black {\texttimes} Time2 interaction: b = 0.02, p < .01). Financial strain, discrimination, and recent life events each had distinct associations with cognitive performance but did not influence racial differences in levels of or change in cognition over time.

DISCUSSION: Middle-aged Black adults have lower initial cognition levels and experience earlier but less accelerated cognitive decline compared to White middle-aged adults. Midlife acute and chronic stressors influence baseline cognition but do so in different ways. Future research should examine the influence of other stressors on racial differences in cognitive decline at other points in the life course.

}, keywords = {Black or African American, Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Humans, Middle Aged, Stress, Psychological, White}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbad143}, author = {Mitchell, Uchechi A and Shaw, Benjamin A and Torres, Jacqueline M and Brown, Lauren L} } @article {Komura2023, title = {Estimating the heterogeneous effect of life satisfaction on cognitive functioning among older adults: Evidence of US and UK national surveys}, journal = {SSM - Mental Health}, volume = {4}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Backgrounds: The emerging field of positive psychology suggests higher life satisfaction, a form of psychological well-being, may improve cognitive functioning. Although evidence exists for population-average associations between psychological well-being and better cognitive function, little is known about how the relationship varies across individuals. Methods: We analyzed a national sample of US and UK adults aged >=50 from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (n = 10,650) and the English Longitudinal Survey of Aging (ELSA) (n = 5514). We assessed life satisfaction at baseline using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Cognitive functioning was assessed using a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score after 4-year follow-up. We estimated the population-average association between life satisfaction and cognitive functioning in each sample via doubly-robust targeted maximum likelihood estimation with SuperLearning. To assess effect heterogeneity, we estimated conditional average effects via a causal forest algorithm. Results: We did not find reliable evidence of a population-average association between life satisfaction and higher cognitive functioning in HRS (HRS: β = -0.12; 95\%CI: -0.30, 0.06) and ELSA (ELSA: β = 0.39; 95\%CI: -0.00, 0.79). Our machine-learning-based approach for estimating effect heterogeneity discovered the effect of life satisfaction on cognitive function can substantially vary across individuals. Life satisfaction appeared less beneficial, or even detrimental, among individuals with lower socioeconomic status, poor health status, and more negative psychological conditions, both in the US and UK samples. Conclusions: Further research is needed to uncover mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous effects of life satisfaction on cognitive function, as it may have unintended adverse consequences among some subgroups.}, keywords = {Cognition, Heterogeneity, Life Satisfaction, Psychological well being, Social psychology of aging}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100260}, author = {Komura, Toshiaki and Cowden, Richard G. and Chen, Ruijia and Andrews, Ryan M. and Shiba, Koichiro} } @article {13737, title = {Explaining disparities in cognitive functioning: a test of competing hypotheses.}, journal = {Longitudinal and Life Courses Studies: International Journal}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, pages = {45-68}, abstract = {

This study seeks to examine how the trajectories of total cognition scores exhibited by two birth cohorts vary by race/ethnicity, gender and the level of education. The empirical work of this study is be based on the 1998-2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the HRS Cross-Wave Tracker file. The analysis is limited to individuals with available information on cognitive functioning, sex, race/ethnicity, wave, highest level of education, and the physical comorbidities associated with cognitive functioning (20,985 from the Traditionalist cohort and 11,077 from the Baby Boomer cohort). Growth curve modelling is used to assess the aims of this study. Findings reveal that the cumulative advantage (disadvantage), persistent inequality and age-as-leveller hypotheses explain heterogeneity in total cognition scores for different race/ethnicity-sex groups, race/ethnicity-education and education-sex groups. These findings suggest that the development of an integrated treatment and screening mechanisms for physical comorbidities and cognitive functioning, and for the design of preventive strategies with the purpose of slowing or avoiding cognitive decline and maintaining healthy cognitive function should have a particular focus on females, racial ethnic minorities and those with low education.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, ethnicity, Health Status Disparities, Humans, Racial Groups}, issn = {1757-9597}, doi = {10.1332/175795921X16836624887393}, author = {Liew, Hui-Peng} } @article {13481, title = {Extreme Heat May Hasten Cognitive Decline in Vulnerable Populations}, year = {2023}, publisher = {New York University}, keywords = {Climate Change, Cognition, heat}, url = {https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2023/august/extreme-heat-cognitive-decline.html}, author = {New York University} } @article {13222, title = {Female APOE ɛ4 Carriers with Slow Rates of Biological Aging Have Better Memory Performances Compared to Female ɛ4 Carriers with Accelerated Aging.}, journal = {J Alzheimers Dis}, volume = {92}, year = {2023}, pages = {1269-1282}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that APOE ɛ4 carriers have worse memory performances compared to APOE ɛ4 non-carriers and effects may vary by sex and age. Estimates of biological age, using DNA methylation may enhance understanding of the associations between sex and APOE ɛ4 on cognition.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether associations between APOE ɛ4 status and memory vary according to rates of biological aging, using a DNA methylation age biomarker, in older men and women without dementia.

METHODS: Data were obtained from 1,771 adults enrolled in the 2016 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. A series of ANCOVAs were used to test the interaction effects of APOE ɛ4 status and aging rates (defined as 1 standard deviation below (i.e., slow rate), or above (i.e., fast rate) their sex-specific mean rate of aging on a composite measure of verbal learning and memory.

RESULTS: APOE ɛ4 female carriers with slow rates of GrimAge had significantly better memory performances compared to fast and average aging APOE ɛ4 female carriers. There was no effect of aging group rate on memory in the female non-carriers and no significant differences in memory according to age rate in either male APOE ɛ4 carriers or non-carriers.

CONCLUSION: Slower rates of aging in female APOE ɛ4 carriers may buffer against the negative effects of the ɛ4 allele on memory. However, longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate risk of dementia/memory impairment based on rates of aging in female APOE ɛ4 carriers.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aging, Apolipoprotein E4, Cognition, Dementia, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Memory Disorders}, issn = {1875-8908}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-221145}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Shea, Deirdre M and Galvin, James E} } @article {13669, title = {Food Insecurity Tied to Dementia Risk, Memory Decline in Older Adults}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Neurology Advisor}, keywords = {Cognition, dementia risk, Food insecurity}, url = {https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/topics/alzheimers-disease-and-dementia/food-insecurity-dementia-risk-memory-decline-older-adults/}, author = {Khaja, Hibah} } @article {13188, title = {Gender of study partners and research participants associated with differences in study partner ratings of cognition and activity level.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, year = {2023}, month = {2023 Feb 15}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Studies of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) typically include "study partners" (SPs) who report on participants{\textquoteright} cognition and function. Prior studies show SP reports differ depending on the relationship between the SP and participant, that is, spouse or adult child. Adult children SPs are typically female. Could differing reports be due to gender? Knowing this may help explain variability in measurement.

METHODS: The Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS) enrolled a subset of participants from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Each participant had a SP. Bivariate and multivariable regression models compared 718 SP-participant dyads.

RESULTS: In analyses of four groups defined by SP and participant gender, dyads composed of two women were less likely to identify as White (75.8\%, 95\%CI 70.4 to 80.5) than dyads composed of two men (93.3\%, 95\%CI 81.2 to 97.8). In analyses adjusted for severity of cognitive and functional impairment, women SPs rated women participants as more active than they rated men, mean 2.15 (95\%CI, 2.07 to 2.22) versus mean 2.30 (95\%CI, 2.24 to 2.37), respectively, on a 4-point scale. Similarly, men SPs rated women participants as more active than they rated men, mean 2.1 (95\%CI, 2.0 to 2.2) and mean 2.4 (95\%CI, 2.3 to 2.5), respectively. In an analysis of cognitively unimpaired participants, women SPs rated participants{\textquoteright} memory worse than men SPs did (p<0.05).

DISCUSSION: SP and participant gender influence SPs{\textquoteright} reports of another person{\textquoteright}s cognition and activity level. Our findings expand what is understood about how non-disease factors influence measures of disease severity.

}, keywords = {activity level, Cognition, gender}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbad026}, author = {Stites, Shana D and Gurian, Anna and Coykendall, Cameron and Largent, Emily A and Harkins, Kristin and Karlawish, Jason and Coe, Norma B} } @article {13570, title = {Heat exposure can undermine cognitive health in later life among socially vulnerable populations}, year = {2023}, publisher = {PsyPost}, keywords = {Cognition, heat exposure, Vulnerable Populations}, url = {https://www.psypost.org/2023/10/heat-exposure-can-undermine-cognitive-health-in-later-life-among-socially-vulnerable-populations-213926}, author = {Dolan, Eric W.} } @article {13632, title = {Initiation of Antihypertensive Medication from Midlife on Incident Dementia: The Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease : JAD}, volume = {94}, year = {2023}, pages = {1431-1441}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Hypertension has been identified as a risk factor of dementia, but most randomized trials did not show efficacy in reducing the risk of dementia. Midlife hypertension may be a target for intervention, but it is infeasible to conduct a trial initiating antihypertensive medication from midlife till dementia occurs late life.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to emulate a target trial to estimate the effectiveness of initiating antihypertensive medication from midlife on reducing incident dementia using observational data.

METHODS: The Health and Retirement Study from 1996 to 2018 was used to emulate a target trial among non-institutional dementia-free subjects aged 45 to 65 years. Dementia status was determined using algorithm based on cognitive tests. Individuals were assigned to initiating antihypertensive medication or not, based on the self-reported use of antihypertensive medication at baseline in 1996. Observational analog of intention-to-treat and per-protocol effects were conducted. Pooled logistic regression models with inverse-probability of treatment and censoring weighting using logistic regression models were applied, and risk ratios (RRs) were calculated, with 200 bootstrapping conducted for the 95\% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS: A total of 2,375 subjects were included in the analysis. After 22 years of follow-up, initiating antihypertensive medication reduced incident dementia by 22\% (RR = 0.78, 95\% CI: 0.63, 0.99). No significant reduction of incident dementia was observed with sustained use of antihypertensive medication.

CONCLUSION: Initiating antihypertensive medication from midlife may be beneficial for reducing incident dementia in late life. Future studies are warranted to estimate the effectiveness using large samples with improved clinical measurements.

}, keywords = {Antihypertensive Agents, Cognition, Humans, Hypertension, Retirement, Risk Factors}, issn = {1875-8908}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-230398}, author = {Wei, Jingkai and Xu, Hanzhang and Zhang, Donglan and Tang, Huilin and Wang, Tiansheng and Steck, Susan E and Divers, Jasmin and Zhang, Jiajia and Merchant, Anwar T} } @article {13062, title = {Invited Commentary: Algorithmic Dementia Classification-Promises and Challenges.}, journal = {Am J Epidemiol}, volume = {192}, year = {2023}, pages = {535-538}, abstract = {

Dementia is a complex, progressive syndrome characterized by cognitive decline and disability. Gold-standard dementia diagnosis requires several hours of cognitive and clinical assessment and review by a panel of clinicians and is infeasible in large population-based cohort studies. Alternatively, algorithmic dementia classification methods, which use models that take into account measures of cognition and functional limitations or cognitive and functional-limitation score cutoffs, have been developed to predict dementia status for participants in large studies. Developing accurate dementia classification algorithms is crucial for high-quality studies of the distribution and determinants of dementia. The accompanying article by Nichols et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2023;192(4):520-534) assesses differences in associations of measures of cognition and functional limitations with prevalent dementia versus incident dementia and discusses implications for algorithmic dementia classification in research studies. This work highlights important opportunities for tailoring measures of cognition and functional limitations to study goals by selecting optimal measures and developing and validating algorithms specific to study needs. Combining efficient, high-quality assessments of cognition and functional limitations with innovative study designs will facilitate collection of higher-quality measurements in larger samples and support future development of accurate dementia classifications, ultimately leading to more impactful epidemiologic studies.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Dementia, Humans}, issn = {1476-6256}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwad003}, author = {Mayeda, Elizabeth Rose and Shaw, Crystal} } @article {12927, title = {Known risk factors don{\textquoteright}t explain vast contrasts in cognitive abilities as we age: study}, year = {2023}, publisher = {McKnights }, keywords = {Cognition, Education, Risk Factors}, url = {https://www.mcknights.com/news/clinical-news/known-risk-factors-dont-explain-vast-contrasts-in-cognitive-abilities-as-we-age-study/}, author = {Lasek, Alicia} } @article {13261, title = {Life course engagement in enriching activities: When and how does it matter for cognitive aging?}, journal = {Psychol Aging}, volume = {38}, year = {2023}, pages = {263-276}, abstract = {

Growing evidence suggests that participation in enriching activities (physical, social, and mental) across the life course is beneficial for cognitive functioning in older age. However, few studies have examined the effects of enrichment across the entire life course within the same participants. Using 2,931 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, we linked self-report data from later life and retrospective self-report data from early life and midlife to cognitive performance after Age 65. We categorized participants as having either high (top \~{}25\%) or average to low (bottom \~{}75\%) level of enrichment during each life period. Thus, eight groups were identified that reflected unique patterns of enrichment during early, mid, and later life (e.g., high-high-high). Using growth curve modeling, we found that life course enrichment patterns predicted both cognitive functioning and the rate of cognitive decline across five time points spanning 8 years (Aim 1). Groups with high enrichment during at least one life period had higher performance and slower decline in older age, compared to those who had average to low levels of enrichment throughout all three life periods. We also found that high enrichment during each life period independently predicted better cognitive performance and that high enrichment during early and later life also predicted slower cognitive decline (Aim 2). These findings support the idea that high enrichment is beneficial for cognition in later life and that the effects are long-lasting, even when individuals are inconsistent in enrichment engagement throughout the entire life course. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Aged, Aging, Cognition, cognitive aging, Cognitive Dysfunction, Humans, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Retrospective Studies}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000744}, author = {Frank, Colleen C and Mundy, Lindsey M and Jacqui Smith} } @article {13390, title = {Lifelong Enrichment: A Key to Preserving Cognitive Health}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Psychology Today}, keywords = {activities, Cognition, diet, stress management}, url = {https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-spotlight/202306/lifelong-enrichment-a-key-to-preserving-cognitive-health}, author = {Vitelli, Romeo} } @article {13628, title = {A longitudinal study of polygenic score and cognitive function decline considering baseline cognitive function, lifestyle behaviors, and diabetes among middle-aged and older US adults.}, journal = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s research \& therapy}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, pages = {196}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Genomic study of cognition decline while considering baseline cognition and lifestyle behaviors is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the impact of a polygenic score for general cognition on cognition decline rate, while considering baseline cognition and lifestyle behaviors, among the general population and people with diabetes, a patient group commonly affected by cognition impairment.

METHODS: We tested associations of the polygenic score for general cognition with annual changing rates of cognition measures in 8~years of follow-up among 12,090 White and 3100 Black participants of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of adults aged 50~years and older in the USA. Cognition measures including word recall, mental status, and total cognitive score were measured biannually. To maximize sample size and length of follow-up, we treated the 2010 wave of survey as baseline, and follow-up data until 2018 were analyzed. Baseline lifestyle behaviors, APOE status, and measured cognition were sequentially adjusted. Given racial differences in polygenic score, all analyses were conducted by race.

RESULTS: The polygenic score was significantly associated with annual changing rates of all cognition measures independent of lifestyle behaviors and APOE status. Together with age and sex, the polygenic score explained 29.9\%, 15.9\%, and 26.5\% variances of annual changing rates of word recall, mental status, and total cognitive scores among Whites and explained 17.2\%, 13.9\%, and 18.7\% variance of the three traits among Blacks. Among both White and Black participants, those in the top quartile of polygenic score had the three cognition measures increased annually, while those in the bottom quartile had the three cognition measures decreased annually. After further adjusting for the average cognition assessed in 3 visits around baseline, the polygenic score was still positively associated with annual changing rates of all cognition measures for White (P <= 2.89E - 19) but not for Black (P >= 0.07) participants. In addition, among participants with diabetes, physical activity offset the genetic susceptibility to decline of mental status (interaction P <= 0.01) and total cognitive scores (interaction P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: Polygenic score predicted cognition changes in addition to measured cognition. Physical activity offset genetic risk for cognition decline among diabetes patients.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Apolipoproteins E, Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Diabetes Mellitus, Humans, Life Style, Longitudinal Studies, Middle Aged}, issn = {1758-9193}, doi = {10.1186/s13195-023-01343-1}, author = {Liu, Tingting and Li, Changwei and Zhang, Ruiyuan and Millender, Eugenia Flores and Miao, Hongyu and Ormsbee, Michael and Guo, Jinzhen and Westbrook, Adrianna and Pan, Yang and Wang, Jing and Kelly, Tanika N} } @article {12967, title = {Measures of physical performance as mediators between personality and cognition in two prospective studies.}, journal = {Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics}, volume = {107}, year = {2023}, pages = {104902}, abstract = {

Few studies have examined the pathways linking personality to cognition. This study aimed to examine whether measures of physical performance (gait speed, peak expiratory flow (PEF), and grip strength) mediated the association between five-factor model personality traits and cognition (memory performance, subjective memory, and informant-rated cognition). Participants were aged 57 to 95 years from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N~=~4,109) and the English Longitudinal Study of ageing (ELSA, N~=~3,584). In HRS, personality and demographic factors were assessed in 2008/2010, physical performance in 2012/2014, and memory performance and subjective memory in 2016/2018. Informant-rated cognition was obtained in 2016 for an HRS subsample. In ELSA, personality and demographic factors were assessed in 2010/2011, physical performance in 2012/2013, and objective and subjective memory in 2014/2015. Informant-rated cognition was obtained in 2018 for an ELSA subsample. With a few exceptions, replicable patterns of mediation were found across HRS and ELSA. Slower gait speed partially mediated the association between higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness and worse scores on all three cognitive measures (memory performance, subjective memory, and informant-rated cognition). Slower gait also partially mediated the association between openness and both objective and subjective memory. There was less replicable evidence for a mediating role of PEF and grip strength. The present study advances knowledge on the pathways linking personality to cognition in older adults and supports the hypothesis that personality associations with better physical function can help support healthy cognitive aging.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Personality, Physical Functional Performance}, issn = {1872-6976}, doi = {10.1016/j.archger.2022.104902}, author = {Stephan, Yannick and Sutin, Angelina R and Luchetti, Martina and Aschwanden, Damaris and Cabibel, Vincent and Terracciano, Antonio} } @article { WOS:001023986400001, title = {Meditation and Cognitive Outcomes: A Longitudinal Analysis Using Data From the Health and Retirement Study 2000-2016}, journal = {MINDFULNESS}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, pages = {1705-1717}, abstract = {ObjectiveWe aimed to assess the association between meditation practice and cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older adults.MethodWe included Health and Retirement Study (HRS) participants assessed for meditation practice in the year 2000 as part of the HRS alternative medicine module (n = 1,160) and were followed up for outcomes over 2000-2016 period. We examined the association between meditation \& GE; twice a week vs none/less frequent practice and changes in the outcomes of recall, global cognitive function, and quantitative reasoning using generalized linear regression models. Stratified analyses among persons with/without self-reported baseline depressive symptoms were conducted to assess the link between meditation and cognitive outcomes.ResultsAmong our full study sample, meditation \& GE; twice a week was not significantly associated with total recall [\& beta; = -0.20; 95\% CI: -0.97, 0.57; p = 0.61], global cognitive function [\& beta; = 0.05; 95\% CI: -1.01, 1.12; p = 0.92], and quantitative reasoning [\& beta; = -11.48; 95\% CI: -31.27, 8.32; p = 0.26]. However, among those who did not have self-reported depressive symptoms at baseline, meditation \& GE; twice a week was associated with improvement in cognitive outcomes such as total recall [\& beta; = 0.11; 95\% CI: 0.03, 0.18; p = 0.01] and global cognitive function [\& beta; = 0.22; 95\% CI: 0.05, 0.40; p = 0.01] over time.ConclusionsFrequent meditation practice might have a protective effect on cognitive outcomes over time, but this protection could be limited to those without self-reported baseline depressive symptoms. Future studies could incorporate more precise meditation practice assessment, investigate the effect of meditation on cognitive outcomes over time, and include more rigorous study designs with randomized group assignment.Pre-registrationThis study is not preregistered.}, keywords = {Aging, Cognition, Complementary. Alternative Medicine, meditation}, issn = {1868-8527}, doi = {10.1007/s12671-023-02165-w}, author = {Lopes, Snehal and Shi, Lu and Pan, Xi and Gu, Yian and Dengler-Crish, Christine and Li, Yan and Tiwari, Biplav and Zhang, Donglan} } @article {13670, title = {Negative Wealth Shock and Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Middle-Aged and Older US Adults.}, journal = {JAMA Network Open}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, pages = {e2349258}, abstract = {

IMPORTANCE: As a financial hardship, negative wealth shock has been implicated in some adverse health outcomes. However, associations between negative wealth shock and cognitive decline and dementia have not been examined.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether negative wealth shock was associated with cognitive decline and incident dementia among middle-aged and older US adults.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a prospective cohort study conducted biennially among US adults older than 50 years. Data from the HRS from calendar years 1996 to 2020 were analyzed from July 1 to 31, 2023. The final sample included 8082 participants with complete data of interest.

EXPOSURES: Wealth status was quantified with questionnaires. Negative wealth shock was defined as a loss of 75\% or more in total wealth over a 2-year period. Asset poverty was defined as zero or less total net wealth.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cognitive function was assessed with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m). Dementia status was determined with TICS-m scores and proxy assessment.

RESULTS: Among 8082 participants included (mean [SD] age, 63.7 [5.7] years; 4179 women [51.7\%] and 3903 men [48.3\%]; 1111 Black [13.7\%], 6689 White [82.7\%], and 282 other [3.5\%]), 1441 developed incident dementia over a median follow-up time of 14 (IQR, 7-20) years. Compared with participants who had positive wealth without shock, those with negative wealth shock had accelerated cognitive decline (β coefficient, -0.014 [95\% CI, -0.027 to -0.001]; P = .03) and increased risks of dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.27 [95\% CI, 1.11-1.46]; P < .001). Higher dementia risks were also found in participants with asset poverty at baseline (HR, 1.61 [95\% CI, 1.30-2.00]; P < .001). Associations were found in White participants (HR, 1.34 [95\% CI, 1.14-1.58]; P < .001) and participants younger than 65 years (HR, 1.38 [95\% CI, 1.13-1.68]; P = .001) but not in other races and ethnicities or those 65 years or older.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, negative wealth shock was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and elevated risks of dementia among middle-aged and older US adults, with modifications by age and ethnicity. These findings should be confirmed by further prospective and interventional studies.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Dementia, Shock}, issn = {2574-3805}, doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.49258}, author = {Pan, Liulu and Gao, Bin and Zhu, Junpeng and Guo, Jing} } @article {13551, title = {The Neighborhood You Grow Up in May Impact Your Cognitive Health Decades Later}, year = {2023}, publisher = {College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin}, keywords = {Childhood, Cognition, neighborhood}, url = {https://cns.utexas.edu/news/research/neighborhood-you-grow-may-impact-your-cognitive-health-decades-later}, author = {Engelbart, Emily} } @article {13402, title = {The Quiet Struggles Of Those Living Alone With Memory Loss}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Forbes}, keywords = {Cognition, Living Alone, memory loss}, url = {https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2023/07/18/the-quiet-struggles-of-those-living-alone-with-memory-loss/?sh=784b3d4d43ce}, author = {Gleckman, Howard} } @article {13608, title = {Race, everyday discrimination, and cognitive function in later life.}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, pages = {e0292617}, abstract = {

Discrimination is pernicious in many ways, but there are inconsistent findings regarding whether it is harmful to cognitive function in later life. To address the inconsistency, we use two closely related concepts of everyday discrimination to predict cognitive trajectories in a diverse sample. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examine whether the frequency of discrimination, measured at baseline with six questions, is related to poorer cognitive function and change in function over time (2008-2016). Age at baseline ranged from 53 to 100. Growth curve models of initial cognitive function and change in function were estimated. Everyday global discrimination was associated with poorer initial cognition and slower declines over time, and these relationships were not moderated by race and ethnicity. By contrast, the relationship between everyday racial discrimination and cognition was moderated by race: more frequent everyday racial discrimination was associated with better initial cognitive function among Black adults but not among Hispanic and White adults. Discrimination is a multifaceted concept, and specific types of discrimination manifest lower or higher cognitive function during later life for White, Black, and Hispanic adults.

}, keywords = {Adult, Black or African American, Cognition, ethnicity, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Racism}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0292617}, author = {Ferraro, Kenneth F and Zaborenko, Callie J} } @article {12650, title = {Receptive and participatory arts engagement and healthy aging: Longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Social Science \& Medicine}, volume = {334}, year = {2023}, pages = {116198}, abstract = {Background: There is increasing interest in the potential benefits of referring older adults to engage in community-based arts activities to enhance health. The arts have been found to have wide-ranging benefits for older adults including being associated with an increased lifespan. However, it remains unclear whether they are additionally associated with an increase in the portion of people{\textquoteright}s lives for which they remain healthy ({\textquoteright}healthspan{\textquoteright}). Methods: We included 1,269 older adults who completed the 2014 Arts and Culture Supplement of the Health and Retirement Study and were alive in 2016 and 2018. We measured the number of participatory arts activities engaged in (e.g., reading, crafts, dancing) and the frequency of receptive arts engagement (e.g., going to a gallery or performance) in the past year. Healthy aging was a binary outcome, conceptualized using a previously validated definition of no major chronic diseases, no cognitive impairment, good physical functioning, and good mental health. Logistic regression models tested whether receptive and participatory arts engagement were associated with healthy aging two and four years later. Results: After adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic covariates, doing receptive arts activities once a month or more was associated with 84\% higher odds of healthy aging two years later compared to never engaging (adjusted OR [AOR]=1.84, 95\% CI=1.06-3.19). There was some weak evidence that this association was maintained four years later (AOR=1.68, 95\% CI=0.97-2.90). Although doing one participatory arts activity was associated with 53\% lower odds of healthy aging four years later compared to no participation (AOR=0.47, 95\% CI=0.26-0.87), this association was not present at two years or for higher levels of participatory arts engagement. Conclusions: Expanding on previous studies, which have suggested that receptive arts engagement is related to prolonged longevity, our findings suggest that receptive arts engagement may also be associated with better overall health and function in those who survive. Those with poorer health may have been engaging in participatory arts because they were unable to attend receptive arts or broader leisure activities (indicating reverse causality), or receptive arts activities may contain specifically beneficial active ingredients for healthy aging. These possibilities present promising avenues for future research.}, keywords = {Chronic disease, Cognition, cognitive impairment, Cultural engagement, Mental Health, physical functioning}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116198}, author = {Rena, Melinda and Fancourt, Daisy and Bu, Feifei and Paul, Elise and Sonke, Jill K and Bone, Jessica K} } @article {13709, title = {The Role of Different Weakness Cut-Points for Future Cognitive Impairment in Older Americans.}, journal = {Journal of the American Directors Association}, volume = {24}, year = {2023}, pages = {1936-1941.e2}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: New absolute and normalized handgrip strength (HGS) cut-points may not yield similar predictive value for cognitive performance. We sought to determine the associations of (1) each absolute and normalized weakness cut-point, and (2) compounding weakness on future cognitive impairment in older Americans.

DESIGN: Longitudinal panel.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The analytic sample included 11,116 participants aged >=65 years from the 2006 to 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study completed detailed interviews that included physical measures and core interviews.

METHODS: The modified Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status assessed cognitive function and persons scoring <11 were classified as having a cognitive impairment. A handgrip dynamometer measured HGS. Men were considered weak if their HGS was <35.5 kg (absolute), <0.45~kg/kg (body mass normalized), or <1.05~kg (body mass index normalized), whereas women were classified as weak if their HGS was <20.0 kg, <0.337~kg/kg, or <0.79~kg. Compounding weakness included those below 1, 2, or all 3 cut-points. Generalized estimating equations quantified the associations.

RESULTS: Persons considered weak under the absolute cut-point had 1.62 (95\% CI 1.34-1.96) greater odds for future cognitive impairment, but no significant associations were observed for those classified as weak under the body mass [odds ratio (OR) 1.12, CI 0.91-1.36] and body mass index normalized (OR 1.17, CI 0.95-1.43) cut-points. Older Americans below all 3 weakness cut-points had 1.47 (CI 1.15-1.88) greater odds for future cognitive impairment, but no significant associations were found for persons classified as weak under 1 (OR 1.08, CI 0.83-1.42) or 2 (OR 1.19, CI 0.91-1.55) cut-points.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings suggest that each weakness cut-point has differential prognostic value for future cognitive impairment, and aggregating weakness cut-points may improve their predictive utility. Consideration should be given to how weakness categories are uniquely linked to cognitive function.

}, keywords = {Aged, Body Mass Index, Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Hand Strength, Humans, Male}, issn = {1538-9375}, doi = {10.1016/j.jamda.2023.07.021}, author = {McGrath, Ryan and Tomkinson, Grant R and Hamm, Jeremy M and Juhl, Kirsten and Knoll, Kelly and Parker, Kelly and Smith, Ashleigh E and Rhee, Yeong} } @article {resor_cooke_katz_2021, title = {The role of social communication technologies in cognition and affect in older adults}, journal = {Ageing \& Society}, volume = {43}, year = {2023}, pages = {24 - 52}, abstract = {Affect and cognition have both been associated with communication across one{\textquoteright}s social network during ageing. Thus, it is important to consider how communication varies by different aspects of one{\textquoteright}s social network, and by communication mode, including phone, email and social media. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between technology-mediated communication, depression and an executive function-related fluid-reasoning measure among older adults. Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement dataset{\textquoteright}s 2016 wave. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the link between communication modes (phone, email and social media) with children, family and friends with a fluid-reasoning cognition measure and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, controlling for demographic covariates, among 3,798 older American adults. Phone and email communication, but not social media, were significantly related to depression and cognition. The model fit was considerably stronger for the analyses with cognition than depression. Curvilinear associations were found for communication via phone and email with cognition, suggesting moderate amounts of communication by phone and email across social groups were most closely linked with higher scores on fluid reasoning. For depression, curvilinear relationships were found for talking on the phone with family and friends, and emailing for children and family, indicating that moderate communication levels revealed the lowest depression levels. Implications for how older adults{\textquoteright} social support may contribute to depression and cognition status are discussed.}, keywords = {Cognition, Communication, depression, technologies}, doi = {10.1017/S0144686X21000386}, author = {Resor, Jessica and Cooke, Steph and Katz, Benjamin} } @article {12699, title = {Shifting of Cognitive Assessments Between Face-to-Face and Telephone Administration: Measurement Considerations.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {78}, year = {2023}, pages = {191-200}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Telephone-administered cognitive assessments are a cost-effective and sometimes necessary alternative to face-to-face assessments. There is limited information in large studies concerning mode effects, or differences in cognition attributable to assessment method, as a potential measurement threat. We evaluated mode effects on cognitive scores using a population-based sample of community-living older adults.

METHODS: We used data from participants aged 65-79 in the 2014 Health and Retirement Study for whom interview mode was randomized (n=6825). We assessed mode differences in test means, whether mode modifies associations of cognition with criterion variables, and formal measurement invariance testing.

RESULTS: Relative to face-to-face assessment, telephone assessment was associated with higher scores for memory and calculation (0.06 to 0.013 standard deviations (SD)) and lower scores for non-memory items (-0.09 to -0.01 SD). Cognition was significantly differentially related to IADL difficulty depending on assessment mode. Measurement invariance testing identified evidence of mode differences in certain tests as a function of mode: adjusting for underlying cognition, the largest mode differences in memory and attention: immediate noun recall, delayed word recall, and serial-7s scores were higher given telephone administration.

DISCUSSION: Differences by mode of administration are apparent in cognitive measurement in older adults albeit to a small degree in our study, and most pronounced for tests of memory and attention. The importance of accounting for mode differences ultimately depends on one{\textquoteright}s research question and study sample: not all associations may be affected by mode differences and such modification may only be apparent among those with lower cognitive functioning.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Mode effects, Psychometrics, Telephone}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac135}, author = {Smith, Jason R and Gibbons, Laura E and Crane, Paul K and Mungas, Dan M and Glymour, M Maria and Jennifer J Manly and Zahodne, Laura B and Mayeda, Elizabeth Rose and Richard N Jones and Gross, Alden L} } @article {13108, title = {Social Determinants of Health Contribute to Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Depression, Cognition}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Psychiatry Advisor}, keywords = {Cognition, depression, Disparities, health, Race/ethnicity, social determinants}, url = {https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/general-psychiatry/sdoh-contribute-racial-ethnic-disparities-depression-cognition/}, author = {Nye, Jessica} } @article {12901, title = {This is your brain at work}, year = {2023}, publisher = {Michigan Today, University of MIchigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, keywords = {Brain health, Cognition, Retirement}, url = {https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2023/01/27/this-is-your-brain-at-work/}, author = {Capos, Claudia} } @article {13165, title = {Trajectories of self-reported hearing and their associations with cognition: evidence from the United Kingdom and United States of America.}, journal = {Age Ageing}, volume = {52}, year = {2023}, month = {2023 Feb 01}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between trajectories of change in self-reported hearing over eight years with subsequent effects on cognition, measured using episodic memory.

METHODS: Data were drawn from 5 waves (2008-2016) of the English Longitudinal Study of England (ELSA) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), involving 4,875 individuals aged 50+ at the baseline in ELSA and 6,365 in HRS. The latent growth curve modelling was used to identify trajectories of hearing over eight years, and linear regression models were performed to investigate the relationship between hearing trajectory memberships and episodic memory scores, controlling for confounding factors.

RESULTS: Five trajectories of hearing (stable very good, stable fair, poor to fair/good, good to fair, and very good to good) were retained in each study. Individuals whose hearing remains suboptimal and those whose hearing deteriorates within suboptimal levels throughout eight years have significantly poorer episodic memory scores at follow-up than those with stable very good hearing. Conversely, individuals whose hearing declines but is within an optimal category at baseline do not see significantly poorer episodic memory scores than those with consistently optimal hearing. There was no significant relationship between individuals whose hearing improved from suboptimal baseline levels to optimal by follow-up and memory in ELSA. However, analysis using HRS data shows a significant improvement for this trajectory group (-1.260, P~< 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Either stable fair or deterioration in hearing is associated with worse cognitive function, both stable good or improving hearing is associated with better cognitive function specifically episodic memory.

}, keywords = {Cognition, hearing, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Memory, Episodic, Self Report, United Kingdom, United States}, issn = {1468-2834}, doi = {10.1093/ageing/afad017}, author = {Matthews, Katey and Dawes, Piers and Elliot, Rebecca and Pendleton, Neil and Tampubolon, Gindo and Maharani, Asri} } @article {12760, title = {1 in 10 Americans over 65 have dementia, study finds}, year = {2022}, publisher = {CNN}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, HCAP}, url = {https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/health/dementia-cognitive-decline-wellness/index.html?utm_content=2022-10-24T15\%3A48\%3A07\&utm_term=link\&utm_source=twCNN\&utm_medium=social}, author = {LaMotte, Sandee} } @article {12245, title = {Age Profiles of Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Late Life in the Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS).}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B }, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {1880-1891}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To better understand the temporal dynamics of progression from cognitive decline to onset of dementia in the dementia-free older population in the U.S.

METHODS: We used longitudinal data from a diverse national population-based sample of older adults (N=531) in the Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) with repeated measures of cognitive function and dementia diagnosis during 12 years of follow-up from 1996 to 2009. We employed joint latent class mixed models to estimate the association between cognitive change and competing risks of dementia and non-dementia death and identify heterogeneity in the age profiles of such association adjusting for baseline characteristics.

RESULTS: Our analyses found three latent classes with distinct age profiles of cognitive decline and associated risk of dementia and mortality: "Rapid Cognitive Decline" (19.6\%), "Moderate Progression" (44.6\%), and "Optimal Cognitive Aging" (35.8\%). When simultaneously accounting for cognitive trajectories and time-to-dementia/death, we also found associations of baseline covariates with slope of cognitive decline (e.g., steeper decline among non-Hispanic Blacks and more educated) and risk of dementia (e.g., greater risk for females and apolipoprotein E [APOE-4] carriers, but no difference by education level) that differ substantially from those in separate longitudinal mixed models or survival models.

DISCUSSION: The differential age patterns of cognitive decline predicting dementia incidences identified in this study suggest variation in the course of cognitive aging in older adults that may inform future etiological and intervention studies.

}, keywords = {ADAMS, Cognition, joint models, latent class, longitudinal trajectories, Mortality}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac038}, author = {Walsh, Christine E and Yang, Yang C and Oi, Katsuya and Allison E Aiello and Daniel W. Belsky and Mullan Harris, Kathleen and Brenda L Plassman} } @article {AHN2022104243, title = {Association of Adherence to high-intensity physical activity and the Mediterranean-dietary approaches to stop hypertension intervention for neurodegenerative delay diet with cognition: A cross-sectional study}, journal = {International Journal of Nursing Studies}, volume = {131}, year = {2022}, pages = {104243}, abstract = {Background Prevention is a priority in the absence of a cure for dementia. Physical activity and a neuroprotective diet such as the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet are healthy lifestyle behaviors that may slow the onset of dementia. However, research on the relationship between the combination of physical activity and the MIND diet and cognition is rare. Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the combination of high-intensity physical activity and the MIND diet is associated with better cognition compared with either behavior alone or neither behavior. Design A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Methods Using information from a total of 3463 participants (age 68.0 {\textpm} 10.0 years), multivariate linear regression models and binary logistic regression models with interaction terms between high-intensity physical activity (PA) and the MIND diet (MIND) were used to assess associations of PA and MIND with global cognition and odds of cognitive decline. Group comparisons were conducted among four groups: PA-/MIND-, PA+/MIND-, PA-/MIND+, and PA+/MIND+. Results PA+/MIND- did not predict cognitive outcomes (versus PA-/MIND-). PA-/MIND+ was associated with better global cognition (mean difference [d] = 0.81; 95\% confidence interval [CI] = 0.50{\textendash}1.11; p < 0.001) and lower odds of cognitive decline (odds ratio [OR] = 0.68; 95\% CI = 0.54{\textendash}0.86; p = 0.001) (versus PA-/MIND-). PA+/MIND+ predicted better global cognition (d = 0.98; 95\% CI = 0.59{\textendash}1.36; p < 0.001) and lower odds of cognitive decline (OR = 0.69; 95\% CI = 0.50{\textendash}0.94; p = 0.004) (versus PA-/MIND-). PA+/MIND+ was associated with better global cognition (d = 0.60; 95\% CI = 0.08{\textendash}1.12; p < 0.001), but did not predict lower odds of cognitive decline (versus PA+/MIND-). PA+/MIND+ did not predict cognitive outcomes (versus PA-/MIND+). Conclusions Combining high-intensity physical activity and the MIND diet was associated with better cognitive health than high-intensity physical activity alone or non-adherence to both behaviors. To potentially exert additive effects, it will be important to encourage these two healthy habits. More research on the role of combined physical activity and dietary change is necessary to further inform policy and clinical guidance. What is already known {\textbullet}Because there is no cure for dementia, prevention is a major issue.{\textbullet}A healthy lifestyle is a non-pharmacological way to potentially prevent dementia.{\textbullet}Physical activity or the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet may improve cognitive function. What this paper adds {\textbullet}The influence of the combination of high-intensity physical activity and the MIND diet on cognitive health was investigated among a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals without dementia.{\textbullet}The combination of high-intensity physical activity and the MIND diet was associated with better global cognition and a lower risk of cognitive decline compared with neither behavior.{\textbullet}Adding the MIND diet to high-intensity physical activity was associated with higher global cognition when compared with high-intensity physical activity only, which may imply an additive effect.}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, Health Promotion, MIND diet, Physical activity}, issn = {0020-7489}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104243}, author = {Sangwoo Ahn and Carrie N. Lingerfelt and Chung Eun Lee and Jung-Ah Lee and Hollie A. Raynor and Joel G. Anderson} } @article {12293, title = {Association of Cumulative Blood Pressure With Cognitive Decline, Dementia, and Mortality.}, journal = {Journal of the American College of Cardiology}, volume = {79}, year = {2022}, pages = {1321-1335}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Elevated blood pressure (BP) has been linked to impaired cognition and dementia in older adults. However, few studies have accounted for long-term cumulative BP exposure.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to test whether long-term cumulative BP was independently associated with subsequent cognitive decline, incident dementia, and all-cause mortality among cognitively healthy adults.

METHODS: This study used data from the HRS (Health and Retirement Study) and ELSA (English Longitudinal Study of Ageing). Cumulative BP was calculated as the area under the curve using measurements from wave 0 (1998-1999) to wave 4 (2008-2009) in ELSA and wave 8 (2006-2007) to wave 10 (2010-2011) in the HRS. Outcomes included cognitive decline, incident dementia, and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS: A total of 7,566 and 9,294 participants from ELSA and the HRS were included (44.8\% and 40.2\% men and median age 62.0 years [IQR: 55.0-70.0 years] and 65.0 years [IQR: 58.0-72.0 years], respectively). The median follow-up duration was 8.0 years (IQR: 4.0-8.0 years) and 8.0 years (IQR: 6.0-8.0 years), respectively. Elevated cumulative systolic BP and pulse pressure were independently associated with accelerated cognitive decline (P~< 0.001 for both), elevated dementia risk (P~< 0.001 for both), and all-cause mortality (P~< 0.001 for both), while a significant inverse association was observed for diastolic BP. Strong dose-response relationships were identified, with similar results for the 2 cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS: Long-term cumulative BP was associated with subsequent cognitive decline, dementia risk, and all-cause mortality in cognitively healthy adults aged >=50 years. Efforts are required to control long-term systolic BP and pulse pressure and to maintain adequate diastolic BP.

}, keywords = {Aged, Blood pressure, Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Dementia, Female, Male}, issn = {1558-3597}, doi = {10.1016/j.jacc.2022.01.045}, author = {Li, Chenglong and Zhu, Yidan and Ma, Yanjun and Hua, Rong and Zhong, Baoliang and Xie, Wuxiang} } @article {10.1093/geroni/igac059.2946, title = {ASSOCIATION OF RELIGIOUS ATTENDANCE WITH NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS, COGNITION, AND SLEEP IN COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {12}, pages = {819-819}, abstract = {Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), cognitive decline, and sleep disturbances are common among older adults with cognitive impairment. Religious practices may protect mental and physical health, yet few studies have been reported in older adults with cognitive impairment. Utilizing the Health and Retirement Study in 2006 and 2008 and sub study, Aging, Demographics, and Memory study in 2006{\textendash}2007 and 2008{\textendash}2009, we examined the association of religious attendance with NPS, cognition, and sleep disturbances controlling for social interaction in older adults with cognitive impairment (N = 63). Bootstrapped Spearman{\textquoteright}s partial Rho correlation was conducted separately for time points one (T1) and two (T2); Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine significant change over time. Mean age was 81.89(5.26) years, 65.9\% were non-Hispanic White, 50.1\% were female, and mean cognition (Clinical Dementia Rating) was .94(.228). Significant changes over 1.5 years were found for sleep disturbances but not for NPS and cognition. Significant associations were found for religious attendance and NPS (T1: rs (97)= - .103, 95\% CI [-.108, -.098], p \< .0005 and T2: -.243, 95\% CI [-.246,-.239], p \< .0005), cognition, (T1: rs (97) = - .119, 95\% CI [-.122, -.115], p \< .0005, and T2: rs (97) = -.104, 95\% CI [-.107,-.102], p \< .0005), and sleep disturbances, (T1: rs (97) = .028, 95\% CI [.023, .033], p \< .001, and T2: rs (97) = -.051, 95\% CI [-.056,-.047], p \< .001). Increased religious attendance was associated with lower NPS and cognition at both time points and greater sleep disturbances at T1 but lower at T2. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine associations further.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive impairment, Religious attendance}, issn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igac059.2946}, author = {Britt, Katherine and Richards, Kathy and Kesler, Shelli and Acton, Gayle and Hamilton, Jill and Radhakrishnan, Kavita} } @article {12150, title = {Associations between social network components and cognitive domains in older adults.}, journal = {Psychology \& Aging}, volume = {37}, year = {2022}, pages = {591-603}, abstract = {

Previous research shows that social network components are associated with cognitive function later in life. However, fewer studies consider different cognitive domains or disaggregate the social network by relationship type. Using data from 2,553 participants aged 65 or older in the Health and Retirement Study{\textquoteright}s Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol, this study examined relationships between social network structure (i.e., size, contact frequency) and quality (i.e., support, strain) and performance in five cognitive domains (i.e., episodic memory, executive function, visuoconstruction, language, and processing speed) 2-4 years later, controlling for sociodemographics and previous global cognition. Separate linear regressions were conducted for each cognitive outcome. When averaged across relationship types, network size was not associated with any domain. Contact frequency was positively associated with all domains except episodic memory. Support and strain were negatively associated with all cognitive domains. When considering individual relationship types, larger friend networks were positively associated with visuoconstruction, and greater contact frequency with friends was positively associated with all cognitive domains. Larger family networks were associated with worse executive function, visuoconstruction, and speed. Strain from friends had a negative relationship with every domain except episodic memory. Support from family was negatively associated with episodic memory, executive function, and language. These associations were equivalent to one to 3.5 years of cognitive aging. These results showed that both social network structure and quality may be consequential for cognitive functioning and that links between social relations and cognition differ across domains and as a function of relationship type. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Cognition, social network}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000672}, author = {Lindsey Meister and Laura B Zahodne} } @article {12401, title = {Black adults raised in the south have greater risk of lower cognitive performance in later life}, year = {2022}, publisher = {EurekAlert!}, abstract = {Black adults who grew up poor and socially disadvantaged in the American South are more likely than White adults with a similar background to suffer cognition problems later in life, according to a Rutgers study.}, keywords = {Black adults, Cognition, geographic differences, Racial Disparities}, url = {https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/952798}, author = {Rutgers University} } @article {12102, title = {The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Functional Polymorphism and Hand Grip Strength Impact the Association between Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels and Cognition in Older Adults in the United States.}, journal = {Biological Research for Nursing}, volume = {24}, year = {2022}, pages = {226-234}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: Aging is associated with subtle cognitive decline in attention, memory, executive function, processing speed, and reasoning. Although lower brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been linked to cognitive decline among older adults, it is not known if the association differs among individuals with various Val66Met (rs6265) genotypes. In addition, it is not clear whether these associations vary by hand grip strength or physical activity (PA).

METHODS: A total of 2904 older adults were included in this study using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Associations between serum BDNF and measures of cognitive function were evaluated using multivariable linear regression models stratified by Met allele status. PA and hand grip strength were added to the model to evaluate whether including these variables altered associations between serum BDNF and cognition.

RESULTS: Mean age was 71.4~years old, and mean body mass index was 28.3~kg/m. Serum BDNF levels were positively associated with higher total cognitive score (beta = 0.34, = .07), mental status (beta = 0.16, = .07), and word recall (beta = 0.22, =.04) among Met carriers, while serum BDNF levels were negatively associated with mental status (beta = -0.09, = .07) among non-Met carriers. Furthermore, associations changed when hand grip strength was added to the model but not when PA was added to the model.

CONCLUSIONS: The Val66Met variant may moderate the association between serum BDNF levels and cognitive function in older adults. Furthermore, such associations differ according to hand grip strength but not PA.

}, keywords = {Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Cognition, Exercise, Gene-Environment Interaction, Hand Strength}, issn = {1552-4175}, doi = {10.1177/10998004211065151}, author = {Liu, Tingting and Li, Hongjin and Conley, Yvette P and Primack, Brian A and Wang, Jing and Li, Changwei} } @article {12666, title = {Cross-national harmonization of cognitive measures across HRS HCAP (USA) and LASI-DAD (India).}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, pages = {e0264166}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: As global populations age, cross-national comparisons of cognitive health and dementia risk are increasingly valuable. It remains unclear, however, whether country-level differences in cognitive function are attributable to population differences or bias due to incommensurate measurement. To demonstrate an effective method for cross-national comparison studies, we aimed to statistically harmonize measures of episodic memory and language function across two population-based cohorts of older adults in the United States (HRS HCAP) and India (LASI-DAD).

METHODS: Data for 3,496 HRS HCAP (>=65 years) and 3,152 LASI-DAD (>=60 years) participants were statistically harmonized for episodic memory and language performance using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) methods. Episodic memory and language factor variables were investigated for differential item functioning (DIF) and precision.

RESULTS: CFA models estimating episodic memory and language domains based on a priori adjudication of comparable items fit the data well. DIF analyses revealed that four out of ten episodic memory items and five out of twelve language items measured the underlying construct comparably across samples. DIF-modified episodic memory and language factor scores showed comparable patterns of precision across the range of the latent trait for each sample.

CONCLUSIONS: Harmonization of cognitive measures will facilitate future investigation of cross-national differences in cognitive performance and differential effects of risk factors, policies, and treatments, reducing study-level measurement and administrative influences. As international aging studies become more widely available, advanced statistical methods such as those described in this study will become increasingly central to making universal generalizations and drawing valid conclusions about cognitive aging of the global population.

}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive aging, Episodic, HCAP, India, Language, LASI-DAD, Memory, Neuropsychological tests}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0264166}, author = {Vonk, Jet M J and Gross, Alden L and Zammit, Andrea R and Bertola, Laiss and Avila, Justina F and Jutten, Roos J and Gaynor, Leslie S and Suemoto, Claudia K and Lindsay C Kobayashi and O{\textquoteright}Connell, Megan E and Elugbadebo, Olufisayo and Amofa, Priscilla A and Staffaroni, Adam M and Arce Renter{\'\i}a, Miguel and Turney, Indira C and Richard N Jones and Jennifer J Manly and Lee, Jinkook and Zahodne, Laura B} } @article {12667, title = {Depression among those caring for partners with dementia can start a decade before dementia diagnosis}, year = {2022}, publisher = {Michigan News, University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, depression, partner}, url = {https://news.umich.edu/depression-among-those-caring-for-partners-with-dementia-can-start-a-decade-before-dementia-diagnosis/}, author = {Bailey, Laura} } @article {12498, title = {DNA methylation "GrimAge" acceleration mediates sex/gender differences in verbal memory and processing speed: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series A}, year = {2022}, abstract = {

Whether sex/gender differences in rates of biological aging mediate sex/gender differences in cognition in older adults has not been fully examined. The aim of the current study was to investigate this association. Data from up to 1,928 participants (mean age = 75, SD = 7.04, female = 57\%) who took part in the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol and Venous Blood Study; sub-studies of the Health and Retirement Study were included in the current study. The residuals from four age-adjusted epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, and GrimAge) were used to measure biological age acceleration. Sex/gender differences in cognition were tested using a series of ANCOVAs. Mediation analyses tested whether the measures of age acceleration accounted for these sex/gender differences, controlling for age, education, smoking status, and white blood cell count. Women outperformed men on measures of verbal learning, verbal memory, visual scanning, and processing speed. No other significant sex/gender differences were identified. Results from mediation analyses revealed that women{\textquoteright}s slower rates of GrimAge fully accounted for their faster processing speeds and partially accounted for their better performances on verbal learning, verbal memory, and visual scanning measures. None of the other measures of age acceleration were significant mediators. Accounting for sex/gender differences in biological aging may differentiate between cognitive sex/gender differences that are driven by universal (i.e., age-related) versus sex-specific mechanisms. More broadly, these findings support the growing evidence that the GrimAge clock outperforms other clocks in predicting cognitive outcomes.

}, keywords = {Biological age, Cognition, DNA Methylation, GrimAge, HCAP, sex/gender differences}, issn = {1758-535X}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/glac133}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Shea, Deirdre M and Maynard, Taylor and Tremont, Geoffrey} } @mastersthesis {12574, title = {Does a Purposeful Life Mean a Healthy Life? Evaluating Longitudinal Associations between Sense of Purpose, Cognition, and Health}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2022}, school = {University of Victoria}, keywords = {Cognition, health, life purpose}, url = {https://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/psychology/assets/docs/oral/lewis-abstract.pdf}, author = {Nathan Alexander Lewis} } @mastersthesis {12688, title = {Education and cognitive resilience: the role of schooling characteristics in shaping an ability to maintain high levels of cognitive functioning after the onset of disease}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2022}, school = {University of California, San Francisco}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, abstract = {This dissertation explores the role of educational characteristics as a marker of cognitive resilience. Incident stroke is often accompanied by acute deficits and declines in cognitive ability as well as long-term acceleration of cognitive decline. These resulting impairments and dementia drastically affect quality of life, and patients with dementia after stroke are at increased risk of death and disability. Education has been consistently identified as a predictor of cognition after stroke, but mechanisms behind this relationship are not fully understood. One hypothesis considers cognitive resilience, suggesting that education provides individuals with cognitive tools to maintain cognitive functioning amidst a clinically meaningful amount of neurodegeneration or injury. However, studies of this relationship are hindered by a lack of universally accepted definitions of cognitive resilience. Furthermore, some studies suggest that the commonly used measure of attained education may not capture variation in cognition as well as alternative measures such as educational quality and literacy. The relationship between stroke and dementia has the potential to be used to study cognitive resilience and reserve, a critical issue in cognitive aging research. By using stroke as a well-defined and clearly diagnosed disease with a known time of event onset, studies can be conducted to assess for differences between educational subgroups and to differentiate between normal-age related decline and disease-related pathological processes. Therefore, this proposal aims to investigate the influence of educational characteristics on cognitive resilience after stroke. Chapter 1 examines memory trajectories before, at the time, and after stroke in a nationally representative sample to assess where along the development of stroke education may benefit cognition. More years of attained education was associated with a small decrease in memory decrement at the time of stroke and a slight slowing of memory decline after stroke onset. However the benefits of education lie primarily in pre-existing cognitive reserve prior to stroke, with individuals of higher attained education declining only slightly slower than individuals with lower education. Chapter 2 estimates the extent to which educational characteristics modify the effect of history of stroke on dementia risk, finding that state-level administrative school quality is a predictor of late-life dementia incidence, independently of own educational attainment. Chapter 3 investigates whether education influences individuals{\textquoteright} cognitive responses to markers of disease pathology in the brain, finding that contrary to previous studies, the relationship between white matter hyperintensities and cognition does not differ by level of education. Together, these studies address the gap in understanding of mechanisms behind cognitive resilience by investigating whether increases in education allow people to maintain cognitive functioning following the onset of disease, and assessing where education is most beneficial along the development of disease.}, keywords = {Cognition, Education, Episodic Memory}, url = {https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2th4t97g}, author = {Eng, Chloe} } @article {13030, title = {Examining the Moderating Roles of Social Isolation and Social Technology Use in Health Disparities of Cognitive Impairment}, journal = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s \& Dementia }, volume = {18}, year = {2022}, pages = {e066712}, abstract = {Background There are profound racial disparities in cognitive impairment and dementia. Black and rural older adults are nearly twice as likely to develop dementia compared to White and urban-dwelling older adults, respectively. However, the way social factors affect these racial and rural-urban disparities in dementia prevalence remains poorly understood. Social isolation is associated with poorer cognitive outcomes among older adults, yet social technology use may provide a means to reduce social isolation. This research examines how two social factors{\textemdash}social isolation and social technology use influence racial and rural disparities in cognitive impairment and dementia. Method Data was extracted from the 2014 to 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 5,358). Participants (aged 50-102) completed survey measures of social isolation, loneliness, and frequency of online social communication (e.g., use of Facebook, Skype). The modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status was used to operationalize dementia. The validated TICS classification system was used to classify scores with a cognitive status of dementia (scores <=6), cognitive impairment (score of 7-11), or cognitively normal (scores >=12). Data was analyzed using structural equation models. Result Across all groups, frequency of social technology use moderated the negative relationship between social isolation and cognitive impairment, controlling for age, education, gender, wealth, and general computer usage. More frequent social technology use was associated with cognitively normal status among older adults who reported greater degrees of social isolation. In terms of health disparities, the results revealed racial, but not rural-urban, differences in the relationship between frequency of social technology use and cognitive status. Frequent social technology use was associated with improved cognitive status in Black American older adults but not White older adults, irrespective of their level of social isolation. Conclusion Social technology may offer a means to mitigate cognitive decline; the potential benefit of such technology may be particularly promising among Black older adults.}, keywords = {Cognition, Health Disparities, social isolation, social technology}, doi = {10.1002/alz.066712}, author = {Kaileigh A Byrne} } @article {article, title = {Frailty Among Older Individuals with and without COPD: A Cohort Study of Prevalence and Association with Adverse Outcomes}, journal = {International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease}, volume = {Volume 17}, year = {2022}, pages = {701-717}, abstract = {Rationale: Frailty prevalence estimates among individuals with COPD have varied widely, and few studies have investigated relationships between frailty and adverse outcomes in a COPD population. Objective(s): Describe frailty prevalence among individuals with and without COPD and examine associations between frailty and mortality and other adverse outcomes in the next two years. Methods: This was an observational cohort study using Health and Retirement Study data (2006{\textendash} 2018) of community living individuals ages 50{\textendash} 64 and >= 65 with and without COPD (non-COPD). Frailty (Fried phenotype [5 items], and a modified Frailty Index-Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment [Enhanced FI-CGA] [37 items], and debility (modified BODE Index [4 items]) were assessed. Two-year post-assessment outcomes (mortality, >= 1 inpatient stay, home health and skilled nursing facility (SNF) use) were reviewed in a population matched 3:1 (non-COPD: COPD) on age, sex, race, and year using univariate and multivariate logistic regression (adjusted for morbidities). Area-under-the-curve (AUC) was used to evaluate regressions. Results: The study included 18,979 survey observations for age 50{\textendash} 64, and 24,162 age >= 65; 7.8\% and 12.0\% respectively reporting a diagnosis of COPD. Fried phenotype frailty prevalence for age >= 65 was 23.1\% (COPD) and 9.4\% (non-COPD), and for the Enhanced FI-CGA, 45.9\% (COPD) and 22.4\% (non-COPD). Two-year mortality for COPD was more than double non-COPD for age 50{\textendash} 64 (95\% CI: 3.8{\textendash} 5.9\% vs 0.7{\textendash} 1.3\%) and age >= 65 (95\% CI: 11.9{\textendash} 14.3\% vs 5.6{\textendash} 6.6\%). Inpatient utilization, home health care use, or at least temporary SNF placement were also more frequent for COPD. Measures were predictive of adverse outcomes. In adjusted models, the Fried phenotype and modified BODE score performed similarly, and both performed better than the Enhanced FI-CGA index. AUC values were higher for morality regressions. Conclusion: Frailty prevalence among individuals with COPD in this national survey is substantially greater than without COPD, even at pre-retirement (50{\textendash} 64 years). These measures identify patients with increased risk of poor outcomes.}, keywords = {Cognition, Disability, home health, peak air flow, Survival}, doi = {10.2147/COPD.S348714}, author = {Roberts, Melissa and Mapel, Douglas and Ganvir, Nikhil and Dodd, Melanie} } @article {12327, title = {Identifying Racial and Rural Disparities of Cognitive Functioning among Older Adults: The Role of Social Isolation and Social Technology Use.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B }, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {1779-1790}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Social isolation is associated with poorer cognitive outcomes among older adults. The use of online social technology platforms may provide a means to reduce social isolation. However, research examining whether social technology can mitigate the negative effects of social isolation on cognitive functioning is limited. This study investigates the interaction between social isolation and social technology use on cognitive functioning among older adults and seeks to identify racial and rural-urban differences in this relationship.

METHOD: Data was obtained from the Health and Retirement Study 2014 to 2018 waves (N=5,358). Participants (aged 50-102) completed self-report measures of social isolation, loneliness, and frequency of online social communication and completed the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m), which assesses cognitive functioning. Examinations of race focused on differences between Black/African American and White/Caucasian groups; rurality was operationalized using Beale Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Data was analyzed using structural equation models.

RESULTS: Social technology use moderated the negative relationship between social isolation and cognitive functioning, controlling for age, education, gender, wealth, and general computer usage. Greater social technology use was associated with better cognitive functioning among socially isolated older adults. Results showed evidence of racial, but not rural-urban, differences in the relationship between social technology use and cognitive functioning. Regardless of degree of social isolation, frequent social technology use was associated with improved cognitive functioning in Black/African American older adults but not White/Caucasians older adults.

DISCUSSION: Social technology may represent a way to mitigate cognitive decline, particularly among Black/African American older adults.

}, keywords = {Cognition, rurality, Social Interaction, Social networks, Technology}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac055}, author = {Byrne, Kaileigh A and Ghaiumy Anaraky, Reza} } @mastersthesis {12476, title = {Individual and Partner Exercise Status and Cognitive Function in Older Adults}, volume = {M.S.}, year = {2022}, school = {Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University }, address = {Blacksburg, VA}, abstract = {The present study used a linear mixed model analytic approach to assess the association between a combined respondent and spousal exercise score and cognitive outcomes of older adult respondents drawn from a nationally representative dataset, The Health and Retirement Study. Informed by the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC), the present study sought to understand the role of both an individual and their spouse{\textquoteright}s aerobic physical activity in an individual{\textquoteright}s cognitive outcomes and trajectories. Utilizing longitudinal survey data collected across twelve years (N=3,189), the combined exercise status of a married couple was found to be a significant predictor of cognitive outcomes; when an interaction between time and couple exercise status was included in the model, this was also found to be a significant predictor of four specific cognitive outcomes. The highest cognitive benefit was identified among individuals where both they and their partner participated in the recommended amount of aerobic physical activity, suggesting an additive effect. These findings and their implications are discussed further.}, keywords = {aerobic exercise, Cognition, Physical activity, Spouses}, url = {https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/110402/Ratliff_KG_T_2022.pdf?sequence=1\&isAllowed=y}, author = {Kathryn Georgette Ratliff} } @article {11913, title = {Internet Use and Cognitive Functioning in Later Life: Focus on Asymmetric Effects and Contextual Factors.}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {62}, year = {2022}, pages = {425-435}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Despite emerging literature linking Internet usage and cognitive functioning in later life, research seldom takes changes in older adults{\textquoteright} Internet use into account. How changes in Internet use influence older adults{\textquoteright} cognitive decline over time, particularly in the context of sociodemographic factors that shape Information and Communications Technology (ICT) use, remains an open question.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using nine waves of panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2002-2018), we examined within-person asymmetric effects of transitioning into and out of Internet use on cognitive functioning, and whether the associations vary across birth cohorts and by living arrangement.

RESULTS: Transitioning into Internet use (i.e., Internet use onset) was associated with improved cognitive functioning at a given wave and decelerated cognitive decline over time. Transitioning out of the Internet (i.e., Internet use cessation) was associated with worse cognitive functioning at a given wave and accelerated cognitive decline over time. Further, birth cohort and living arrangement moderated these associations. The detrimental effect of transitioning out of Internet use was worse for older adults born in 1941 or before. The cognitive benefits of transitioning into Internet use were greater for those older adults who live alone.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings highlight the interplay between technology, social environment, and cognitive functioning in later life. The salubrious effects of using the Internet, as well as the deleterious effects of ceasing to use such technology, underscores the importance of promoting digital literacy and access to ICT among the older adult population.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Internet use, sociodemographic factors}, issn = {1758-5341}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gnab149}, author = {Kim, Yijung K and Sae Hwang Han} } @article {12726, title = {Leisure, Mental Health, and Life Satisfaction among Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.}, journal = {American Journal of Health Behavior}, volume = {46}, year = {2022}, pages = {477-487}, abstract = {

Little research has investigated the relationship between types of leisure activities and mental health outcomes among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The purpose of this study was to investigate how certain leisure activities are associated with life satisfaction, anxiety, loneliness, happiness, and positive and negative affect. In this study, we used the 2020 Health and Retirement Study Core Early data and conducted a hierarchical regression analysis to investigate the different effects of the 3 types of leisure activities on the mental health of older adults with MCI (N=901). We found that leisure-time physical activity was the strongest predictor of enhanced life satisfaction, positive affect, and happiness, and reduced anxiety and loneliness. In addition, sedentary leisure was associated with reduced anxiety and loneliness and increased happiness. These findings suggest that engagement in leisure-time physical activity and sedentary leisure can be instrumental in promoting the life satisfaction and mental health of older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Leisure activities, Mental Health, Personal Satisfaction}, issn = {1945-7359}, doi = {10.5993/AJHB.46.4.8}, author = {Kim, Junhyoung and Lee, Jungjoo and Ko, Myung Jin and Min Oh, Seok} } @article {12541, title = {Lifecourse Traumatic Events and Cognitive Aging in the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {American Journal of Preventive Medicine}, volume = {63}, year = {2022}, pages = {818-826}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: Much of the heterogeneity in the rate of cognitive decline and the age of dementia onset remains unexplained, and there is compelling data supporting psychosocial stressors as important risk factors. However, the literature has yet to come to a consensus on whether there is a causal relationship and, if there is, its direction and strength. This study estimates the relationship between lifecourse traumatic events and cognitive trajectories and predicted dementia incidence.

METHODS: Using data on 7,785 participants aged >=65 years from the Health and Retirement Study, this study estimated the association between lifecourse experience of 10 traumatic events (e.g., losing a child) and trajectories of Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status from 2006 to 2016 using linear mixed-effects models and predicted incident dementia from 2006 to 2014 using cumulative incidence functions (data analysis was in 2020-2022). Inverse probability weights accounted for loss to follow-up and confounding by sex, education, race/ethnicity, and age.

RESULTS: Experiencing 1 or more traumatic events over the lifecourse was associated with accelerated decline compared with experiencing no events (e.g., β= -0.05 [95\% CI= -0.07, -0.02] Health and Retirement Study-Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status units/year; 1 vs 0 events). In contrast, experiencing traumatic events was associated with better cognitive function cross-sectionally. Furthermore, the impact of trauma on cognitive decline was of greater magnitude when it occurred after the age of 64 years. However, the magnitude and direction of association varied by the specific traumatic event. There were no associations with predicted incident dementia.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that researchers and clinicians should not aggregate traumatic events for understanding the risk of accelerated cognitive decline.

}, keywords = {Cognition, lifecourse, traumatic events}, issn = {1873-2607}, doi = {10.1016/j.amepre.2022.05.007}, author = {Stebbins, Rebecca C and Maselko, Joanna and Yang, Y Claire and Plassman, Brenda L and Edwards, Jessie K and Aiello, Allison E} } @article {12665, title = {Linear linking for related traits (LLRT): A novel method for the harmonization of cognitive domains with no or few common items.}, journal = {Methods}, volume = {204}, year = {2022}, pages = {179-188}, abstract = {

Harmonization means to make data comparable. Recent efforts to generate comparable data on cognitive performance of older adults from many different countries around the world have presented challenges for direct comparison. Neuropsychological instruments vary in many respects, including language, administration techniques and cultural differences, which all present important obstacles to assumptions regarding the presence of linking items. Item response theory (IRT) methods have been previously used to harmonize cross-national data on cognition, but these methods rely on linking items to establish the shared metric. We introduce an alternative approach for linking cognitive performance across two (or more) groups when the fielded assessments contain no items that can be reasonably considered linking items: Linear Linking for Related Traits (LLRT). We demonstrate this methodological approach in a sample from a single United States study split by educational attainment, and in two sets of cross-national comparisons (United States to England, and United States to India). All data were collected as part of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) and are publicly available. Our method relies upon strong assumptions, and we offer suggestions for how the method can be extended to relax those assumptions in future work.

}, keywords = {Cognition, HCAP, Research Design}, issn = {1095-9130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.11.011}, author = {Nichols, Emma L and Cadar, Dorina and Lee, Jinkook and Richard N Jones and Gross, Alden L} } @article {12169, title = {Long-Term Pet Ownership Can Slow Cognitive Decline in Older Adults, New Study Finds}, year = {2022}, publisher = {People.com}, keywords = {Cognition, Pets}, url = {https://people.com/pets/long-term-pet-ownership-can-slow-cognitive-decline-seniors-study/}, author = {People Staff} } @article {12413, title = {Marital Loss and Cognitive Function: Does Timing Matter?}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {1916-1927}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the association between age at marital loss (i.e., divorce or widowhood) and cognitive function in later life and whether the association differs by gender.

METHODS: We used mixed-effects models, drawing on longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2016). The analytical samples included older adults aged 51 and older who had ever been widowed (N=5,639 with 25,537 person-waves) or divorced (N=10,685 with 50,689 person-waves).

RESULTS: We find that those who were widowed at younger ages had lower cognitive function than their counterparts who were widowed at older ages, for both men and women, after controlling for covariates. Household income and health-related factors partially accounted for the positive association between age at widowhood and cognitive function. Those who divorced at younger ages also had lower cognitive function than their counterparts who divorced at older ages, but this association was only present among men, not women. Health-related factors partially accounted for the associations between age at divorce and cognitive function among men.

DISCUSSION: Findings highlight the importance of considering the role of timing of marital loss in cognitive health among older adults.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Divorce, gender, Timing of life course events, Widowhood}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac069}, author = {Zhang, Zhenmei and Liu, Hui and Zhang, Yan} } @article {12989, title = {MODE EFFECTS ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING ASSESSMENTS IN THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, pages = {163}, abstract = {As the population of the US ages, there is interest in assessing health conditions associated with age and longevity, such as age-related decline in cognitive functioning. As a result, there is an increased focus on measuring cognitive functioning in surveys of older populations. One challenge relates to conducting comparable measurement across survey modes (e.g., phone vs. web). Compounding this is that mode of survey administration is often not assigned randomly making inter-group comparison more difficult. This paper addresses these issues using a novel experiment embedded within the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The HRS, a US-based cohort of people over 50, has measured cognition since its inception using both in-person and telephone modes. In 2018, a sample of approximately 3700 respondents was identified as web-eligible based on a prior report of internet access along with other selection criteria. Of these, 60\% were randomly selected for the web sample with the remainder serving as controls, assigned to telephone mode for comparison purposes. We deploy techniques from item response theory (IRT) and differential item functioning (DIF) to estimate the difference in cognitive functioning between web and phone respondents in 2018 based on longitudinal cognition data collected prior to 2018. Second, we estimate the overall effect of taking the survey via the web as compared to the phone. Third, we examine item-level variation in the magnitude of the mode effect and suggest possible methods for adjustment to support longitudinal consistency. These results are important in guiding future research that utilizes web-based cognitive measures.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive functioning assessments}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igac059.652}, author = {Jessica Faul and Domingue, Ben and Stenhaug, Ben and Brady T. West and Kenneth M. Langa and David R Weir} } @article {doi:10.1080/08882746.2021.2006548, title = {Mortgage delinquency, foreclosure, and cognition in later life}, journal = {Housing and Society}, volume = {49}, year = {2022}, pages = {113-127}, abstract = {The rapid growth in housing insecurity among older adults is a major public health concern. While there is evidence that stress contributes to poor health, the relationship between housing-related financial stressors and cognitive functioning is relatively unknown. We investigated the association between the personal experiences of mortgage delinquency and foreclosure and cognition and its sub-components of episodic memory and mental status among Americans age 65 years and older. Using the data from two concatenated waves (2010, 2012) of the Health and Retirement Study, we analyzed data for respondents (N = 6,612) across both waves using generalized linear regressions. Our findings suggest that there is a negative association between mortgage delinquency/foreclosure and cognitive scores. Further, we found a negative association between mortgage delinquency and mental status among women, specifically. These results highlight the importance of financial well-being vis-{\`a}-vis housing stability and its significance to mental well-being and cognition of adults in later life. Future research is needed to identify macro-level stressors such as mortgage delinquency and/or foreclosure. Such information would improve strategies for prevention and intervention particularly for older adults living on fixed incomes who have little opportunity to earn pre-retirement levels of income.}, keywords = {Cognition, Foreclosure, mortgage delinquency, Stress}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/08882746.2021.2006548}, author = {Gillian L Marshall and Sarah L. Canham and Eva Kahana and Eric B Larson} } @article {12926, title = {Multidimensional trajectories of multimorbidity, functional status, cognitive performance, and depressive symptoms among diverse groups of older adults.}, journal = {Journal of Multimorbidity and Comorbidity}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, pages = {26335565221143012}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Inter-relationships between multimorbidity and geriatric syndromes are poorly understood. This study assesses heterogeneity in joint trajectories of somatic disease, functional status, cognitive performance, and depressive symptomatology.

METHODS: We analyzed 16~years of longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 1998-2016) for n = 11,565 older adults (>=65~years) in the United States. Group-based mixture modeling identified latent clusters of older adults following similar joint trajectories across domains.

RESULTS: We identified four distinct multidimensional trajectory groups: (1) (32.7\% of the sample; mean = 0.60 conditions at age 65, 2.1 conditions at age 90) had limited deterioration; (2) (32.9\%; mean = 2.3 conditions at age 65, 4.0 at age 90) had minimal deterioration; (3) (19.9\%; mean = 1.3 conditions at age 65, 2.7 at age 90) had moderate depressive symptomatology and functional impariments with worsening cognitive performance; (4) (14.1\%; mean = 3.3 conditions at age 65; 4.7 at age 90) had substantial functional limitation and high depressive symptomatology with worsening cognitive performance. Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity, lower wealth, lower education, male sex, and smoking history were significantly associated with membership in the two classes.

CONCLUSIONS: There is substantial heterogeneity in combined trajectories of interrelated health domains in late life. Membership in the two most impaired classes was more likely for minoritized older adults.

}, keywords = {Cognition, depression, joint trajectories, multimorbidity}, issn = {2633-5565}, doi = {10.1177/26335565221143012}, author = {Qui{\~n}ones, Ana R and Nagel, Corey L and Botoseneanu, Anda and Newsom, Jason T and Dorr, David A and Kaye, Jeffrey and Thielke, Stephen M and Allore, Heather G} } @article {11626, title = {Multifaceted Demands of Work and Their Associations with Cognitive Functioning: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B }, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {351-361}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: The present study examines the associations among mental, social, and physical demands of work with cognitive functioning among older adults in the United States.

METHODS: Data from 3,176 respondents in the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed using growth curve modeling (2004-2014). The study investigated differences by gender, race, ethnicity, and education.

RESULTS: Higher mental and social demands of work were associated with higher levels of initial cognitive functioning, but not significantly associated with slower cognitive decline over time. Physical demands of work were negatively associated with initial cognitive functioning and also marginally associated with a slower rate of decline in cognitive functioning going into older adulthood. In stratified analyses, results varied by sociodemographic characteristics.

DISCUSSION: The results partially support the environmental complexity hypothesis and the productive aging framework in that higher mental and social demands and lower physical demands relate to better cognitive functioning at baseline, with the differences appearing stable throughout older adulthood. The stratified results shed light on addressing disparities in cognitive aging and work environments.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Employment, Older workers}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbab087}, author = {Lee, Yeonjung Jane and Gonzales, Ernest and Andel, Ross} } @article {Wolfova970, title = {Offspring Sex and Parental Cognition in Mid-life and Older Adulthood (P1-3.004)}, journal = {Neurology}, volume = {98}, year = {2022}, pages = {970}, abstract = {Objective: We aim to examine the relationship between offspring sex and parental baseline level of cognition and rate of cognitive decline in older adults.Background: Studies suggest a link between offspring sex and maternal long-term health outcomes, including dementia. One of the proposed explanations is male microchimerism of foetal origin. We hypothesize that mothers of at least 1 boy would have better cognition than mothers with no boys, and there would be no differences in fathers.Design/Methods: We analysed a cohort of 13,777 adults age >= 50 years from the US Health and Retirement Study. Offspring sex was classified as no boy vs. at least 1 boy in primary analysis and as number of boys (0 boys, 1 boy, 2 boys, 3 or more boys) and number of girls (0 girls, 1 girl, 2 girls, 3 or more girls) in secondary analysis. Cognition was assessed using a sum of scores from immediate and delayed 10-noun free recall tests, a serial 7s subtraction test, and a backwards counting test. Associations were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models, adjusting for 1) baseline age, sex, ethnicity, parity; 2) socioeconomic factors; and 3) health-related factors and marital status.Results: A total of 17.7\% of respondents had no boy and 60.1\% of respondents were female. Stratifying on parental sex, mothers and fathers of at least 1 boy had a significantly higher baseline cognition in comparison to those with no boy. Associations were attenuated in adjusted models. In secondary analysis, having 3 or more boys was associated with higher baseline cognition in fathers, there were no differences in mothers. We found a significant association of cognitive decline with number of boys, but not with number of girls.Conclusions: Offspring sex was associated with cognitive aging among both mothers and fathers, suggesting interplay of biological and social influences.Disclosure: Dr. Wolfova has nothing to disclose. Mr. Wu has nothing to disclose. Mr. Kohler has nothing to disclose. Prof. Skirbekk has nothing to disclose. Dr. Stern has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Eisai. Dr. Stern has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care. Dr. Stern has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care. Prof. Gemmill has received research support from National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Prof. Gemmill has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as a Consultant with World Health Organization. The institution of Sarah Tom has received research support from National Institutes of Health . Sarah Tom has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant with Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Association .}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive decline, offspring sex, Parents}, issn = {0028-3878}, url = {https://n.neurology.org/content/98/18_Supplement/970}, author = {Wolfova, Katrin and Wu, Di and Weiss, Jordan and Cermakova, Pavla and Kohler, Hans-Peter and Skirbekk, Vegard Fykse and Stern, Yaakov and Gemmill, Alison and Tom, Sarah} } @article {12842, title = {Owning a pet is linked to having better cognitive health in advanced age, study finds}, year = {2022}, publisher = {PsyPost}, keywords = {Aging, Cognition, pet ownership}, url = {https://www.psypost.org/2022/12/owning-a-pet-is-linked-to-having-better-cognitive-health-in-advanced-age-study-finds-64604}, author = {Hedrih, Vladimir} } @article {CHOPIK2022107028, title = {Partner influences on ICT use variety among middle-aged and older adults: The role of need for cognition}, journal = {Computers in Human Behavior}, volume = {126}, year = {2022}, pages = {107028}, abstract = {This exploratory study examined individual and dyadic predictors of variety of ICT use. Need for cognition is associated with engaging in a variety of intellectually stimulating practices and a prominent individual difference predictor of the types of ICTs people use. Participants were a subset of 542 heterosexual couples (N = 1084 individuals; 50\% women; Mage = 63.65; 83.9\% Caucasian) from the Health and Retirement Study with access to the internet. Individuals high in need for cognition were more likely to use ICTs for a variety of reasons. Being married to someone high in need for cognition was associated with a greater variety of ICT ownership, use of ICTs for financial/transactional activities, and use of ICTs for miscellaneous reasons (e.g., research), although these effects were relatively small and the evidence for partner effects was relatively weak according to the distribution of p-values. Partner effects were not significant for social technology or internet-enabling ICTs; cross-partner interactions provided suggestive evidence for compensatory partner effects of need for cognition. Findings are discussed with respect to the relational and contextual determinants of ICT use in older adulthood.}, keywords = {actor-partner interdependence model, Cognition, Dyadic influence, Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology}, issn = {0747-5632}, doi = {10.1016/j.chb.2021.107028}, author = {William J. Chopik and Jess Francis} } @article {11971, title = {Persistence of pain and cognitive impairment in older adults.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, volume = {70}, year = {2022}, pages = {449-458}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: No studies have examined the longitudinal association between the persistence of pain and its relationship to cognitive problems in older adults. The objective of this study was to examine how the persistent of pain associates with cognitive performance, cognitive impairment, and subjective memory decline.

METHODS: Across 10 biennial waves, 8515 adults ages 65 and over were assessed from the Health and Retirement Study (M ~=~74.17, SD~=~6.87, 59.2\% female). At each wave, individuals were asked to report on pain presence, and if present, rate its intensity and interference with daily activities such as housework or chores. Using running frequencies or averages, we calculated the persistence of pain using these three pain measures. Cognition was assessed using cognitive performance and different cognitive impairment cutoffs. Incident subjective memory decline was additionally measured as new self-reported memory change in the last 2 years. General estimating equations examined concurrent associations between persistence of pain and cognitive variables, adjusting for demographics, depressive symptoms, and medical comorbidities.

RESULTS: Persistence of pain presence was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. Only persistence of pain interference, not pain intensity, was significantly associated with poorer cognitive performance or being classified as cognitively impaired. For every 2 years, persistence of pain interference was associated with 21\% increased odds of cognitive impairment. Only one of three pain variables was related to incident subjective memory decline.

CONCLUSIONS: Persistence of pain is associated with poorer cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults, especially when involving ongoing interference in chores and work. Facilitating pain management might be important for helping to maintain later-life cognition and reduce dementia risk.

}, keywords = {Chronic pain, Cognition, cognitive impairment, pain, subjective memory}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.17542}, author = {Bell, Tyler and Franz, Carol E and Kremen, William S} } @article {12888, title = {Pet Ownership May Delay Cognitive Decline in Older Adults}, year = {2022}, publisher = {AARP}, keywords = {Cognition, pet ownership}, url = {https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2022/pet-ownership-and-cognition.html$\#$:~:text=Over\%20six\%20years\%2C\%20cognitive\%20scores,compared\%20to\%20non\%2Dpet\%20owners.}, author = {Ventiera, Sara} } @mastersthesis {12436, title = {Predictors of Technology Use among Older Adults: Evidence Ranging from Non-Users to Elite Users}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2022}, school = {University of Central Florida}, address = {Orlando, FL}, abstract = {Older adults tend to under-utilize digital technology and online services that can yield substantial benefits to their health and wellbeing. Addressing this problem requires determining robust and consistent predictors of older adults{\textquoteright} technology use. Also, few studies have examined older adults who are elite users of digital technology, who may provide insights into how individuals can prepare to become competent users of future technologies as they age. To address these gaps in the technology and aging literature, this dissertation offers (1) large-scale machine learning analyses, (2) longitudinal perspectives, (3) age group comparisons across the adult life span, (4) the novel recruitment of elite, older users of digital technology, and (5) the development and validation of a technology use scale focused on current innovations. In Study 1, data from the Health and Retirement Study were used. Machine learning classified Internet users versus non-users with an accuracy of ~80\%. Across a 14-year span, results largely supported current models of aging and technology use. Age, cognition, and socioeconomics emerged as the most robust and consistent predictors of Internet use from competition with hundreds of variables. In Study 2, the outcome variable was expanded to include nine domains of technology use. Elite, older users exhibited many markers of successful aging, including higher levels of cognition, socioeconomics, and self-efficacy. Across studies, results suggested that skills needed to engage with technology at a basic level differ slightly from those needed to reach higher levels of technology use. Specifically, poor episodic long-term memory may pose a barrier to basic technology use among older adults (e.g., assessing the Internet), while better short-term memory is required to achieve elite-level technology use. These results highlight the potential value of exposure to new technology at a younger age {\textendash} when there are fewer barriers of entry (e.g., cognitive limitations) and a foundation of technology use principles can be developed and built upon across adulthood.}, keywords = {Cognition, Machine learning, socioeconomic, Technology}, url = {https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2110\&context=etd2020}, author = {Xiaoqing Wan} } @article {JUNG2021100361, title = {Revisiting the Effect of Retirement on Cognition: Heterogeneity and Endowment}, journal = {The Journal of the Economics of Ageing}, volume = {21}, year = {2022}, pages = {100361}, abstract = {Since the seminal paper of Rohwedder and Willis (2010), the effect of retirement on cognition has drawn significant research interest from economists. Especially with ongoing policy discussions about public pension reforms and the increasing burden of dementia, it is indisputably an important research question with significant policy implications. Building on this growing literature, our paper makes two important contributions. First, we explicitly consider cognitive demands of jobs in studying hetereogeneity of the retirement effect. As the primary explanation for the potential adverse effect of retirement is that cognition is better maintained through mental exercise (Salthouse, 2006), by investigating the cognitive demands of the job one retires from we can directly test the hypothesized relationship. Second, we avoid biases associated with omitted variables, particularly by controlling for endowed cognitive ability. While endowed, genetic differences in cognitive ability is an important omitted variable that can explain individual differences in cognitive performance as well as selection into a particular type of job, this inherited characteristic has not been controlled for in the prior literature. Taking advantage of the polygenic risk score of cognition (Davies et al., 2015), we control for individual differences in genetic endowments in estimating the effect of retirement on cognition. We find supporting evidence for differential effects of retirement by cognitive demands of jobs after controlling for innate differences in cognition and educational attainment.}, keywords = {Cognition, genetic risk score, O*NET, Occupation, Retirement}, issn = {2212-828X}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2021.100361}, author = {Dawoon Jung and Jinkook Lee and Erik Meijer} } @article {12563, title = {The Role of Fertility and Partnership History in Later-life Cognition}, journal = {Ageing International}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Cognitive ageing continues to be a significant burden for society and a primary contributor to individuals{\textquoteright} diminishing independence and quality of life. Therefore, improving our understanding of life-course influences on cognitive function is a necessity for public health. Parenthood and marriage are two such influences that may affect cognition in old age. Using the Health and Retirement Study, the relationship between family histories and cognitive functioning in adults in the {\textquoteleft}older{\textquoteright} age group in the United States is investigated through a sequence-analysis approach. The results show that most of the relationship between fertility and partnership history and cognition later in life is explained by childhood health and socioeconomic conditions, and current sociodemographic characteristics. However, those individuals who have never been married, and in particular those who have never been married and have had no children, report a significantly lower level of cognitive functioning in older age, especially women.}, keywords = {Ageing, Cognition, Family Trajectories, life course, Sequence analysis}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-022-09500-x}, author = {Sironi, Maria} } @article {11765, title = {The Role of Social Connection/Engagement in Episodic Memory Change in Stroke.}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {62}, year = {2022}, pages = {364-374}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Positive associations between social connection/engagement and cognitive function are well documented. However, little is known about whether social connection/engagement can buffer the impact of serious brain injury such as stroke on cognitive functioning.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were 898 individuals with incident stroke from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between 1998-2012. Multilevel modeling was used to examine how social connection/engagement were associated with episodic memory pre- and post-stroke. Models controlled for age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, number of health conditions, and functional health.

RESULTS: Participants who were lonely pre-stroke recalled significantly fewer words at time of stroke, and participants who had children residing within 10 miles pre-stroke showed significantly less decline in word recall over time. Participants who provided help to others pre-stroke showed less stroke-related decline in word recall. Within-person increase in partnered status, having friends, and helping others were related to better word recall in the post-stroke period.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Higher pre-stroke levels of social connection/engagement predicted better episodic memory at stroke, smaller decline in episodic memory with stroke, and less decline in episodic memory over time. Increases in social connection/engagement from pre- to post-stroke also predicted better post-stroke episodic memory. Beyond the widely documented benefits of social connection/engagement to well-being, they may also increase cognitive stimulation and cognitive reserve and thus contribute to stroke recovery in the cognitive domain. Social connection/engagement is an important and modifiable risk factor in older adults.

}, keywords = {Cardiovascular accident, Cognition, Cognitive Reserve, Social participation, Word recall}, issn = {1758-5341}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gnab095}, author = {Elayoubi, Joanne and Nelson, Monica E and William E. Haley and Hueluer, Gizem} } @article {12009, title = {Screening recall in older cancer survivors detects differences in balance and mobility.}, journal = {Supportive Care In Cancer}, volume = {30}, year = {2022}, pages = {2605-2612}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Cognitive impairments have been reported by up to two-thirds of cancer survivors whose primary cancer did not occur in the central nervous system. Physical impairments as sequelae of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) have not been well described in previous studies. Furthermore, there is scarcity of literature describing differences among physical performance in those with and without CRCI. The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in physical function of older cancer survivors based on cognitive ability to determine if physical performance differs when different cognitive screening measures are employed.

METHODS: Adults age 65 + with a history of cancer from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study (n = 1,953) were assigned to groups according to their cognitive ability. Between-group demographic, mobility, and cognitive differences were analyzed using chi-squared and t tests. Recall and orientation were used as cognitive variables, and physical performance outcomes included gait speed, balance, and grip strength.

RESULTS: Respondents with Low Recall had more impaired balance (semi-tandem, tandem) (p < .05) and slower gait speeds (p < .05). Respondents that were Not-Oriented had slower gait speed (p < .05). Between-group differences in demographics were found by recall and orientation groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Impairments in balance and gait speed are able to be detected when recall is screened in a population of older cancer survivors. When assessing how physical mobility is related to fall risk, a screen of cognition should go beyond just orientation.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Memory, Neoplasms, Orientation, Postural Balance, Short-term, walking speed}, issn = {1433-7339}, doi = {10.1007/s00520-021-06705-9}, author = {Blackwood, Jennifer and Sweeney, Robert and Rybicki, Kateri} } @article {12412, title = {Sex differences in post-stroke cognitive decline: A population-based longitudinal study of nationally representative data.}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, pages = {e0268249}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Sex differences in post-stroke cognitive decline have not been systematically evaluated in a nationally representative cohort. We use a quasi-experimental design to investigate sex differences in rate of post-stroke cognitive decline.

METHODS: Utilizing the event study design, we use the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data (1996-2016) to evaluate the differences (percentage points [95\% Confidence interval]) in the rate of change in cognitive function, measured using the modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) score, before and after incident stroke, and among patients with and without incident stroke. We estimated this event study model for the overall study population and separately fit the same model for male and female participants.

RESULTS: Of 25,872 HRS participants included in our study, 14,459 (55.9\%) were females with an overall mean age (SD) of 61.2 (9.3) years. Overall, 2,911 (11.3\%) participants reported experiencing incident stroke. Participants with incident stroke (vs. no stroke) had lower baseline TICS-m score (15.6 vs. 16.1). Among participants with incident stroke, the mean pre-stroke TICS-m score was higher than the mean post-stroke TICS-m score (14.9 vs. 12.7). Event study revealed a significant short-term acceleration of cognitive decline for the overall population (4.2 [1.7-6.6] percentage points, p value = 0.001) and among female participants (5.0 [1.7-8.3] percentage points, p value = 0.003). We, however, found no evidence of long-term acceleration of cognitive decline after stroke. Moreover, among males, incident stroke was not associated with significant changes in rate of post-stroke cognitive decline.

CONCLUSION: Females, in contrast to males, experience post-stroke cognitive deficits, particularly during early post-stroke period. Identifying the sex-specific stroke characteristics contributing to differences in post stroke cognitive decline may inform future strategies for reducing the burden of post-stroke cognitive impairment and dementia.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Female, Male, Sex Characteristics, Stroke}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0268249}, author = {Bako, Abdulaziz T and Potter, Thomas and Tannous, Jonika and Pan, Alan P and Johnson, Carnayla and Baig, Eman and Downer, Brian and Vahidy, Farhaan S} } @mastersthesis {12720, title = {The Social Pattern and Causes of Dementia Prevalence Decline in the United States}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2022}, school = {University of Minnesota}, address = {Minneapolis, MN}, abstract = {Age-adjusted dementia prevalence has significantly declined in the United States over the last 25 years, despite little advancement in the biomedical treatment of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease or improvement in proximal dementia risk factors. In this dissertation, I analyze data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to improve current understanding of the descriptive trends and causal mechanisms underlying dementia prevalence decline. In my first study, I rebut the argument that dementia decline in the HRS is an artefact of unmeasured panel conditioning. I show that practice effects do not bias the estimated secular trend in dementia prevalence after accounting for selective panel attrition. In my second study, I argue that cohort trends in early life risk factors offer a more plausible explanation of the observed dementia improvement than period trends, which have been emphasized in previous research. In my third study, I empirically test the contribution of early life risk factors to cohort trends in dementia prevalence. I find that age- and sex-adjusted dementia prevalence declined 2.3 percentage points per 10-year increase in birth year for cohorts born 1892-1952. The majority (72\%) of this trend was explained by increases in educational attainment for more recent cohorts. Proximal risk factors had little influence net of education and other early life factors. The trend in dementia decline was steeper for Black than White Americans, and the causal mechanisms also differed by race. In my fourth study, I document cohort trends in midlife cognitive aging. I find that, compared with those born 1942-1947, those born 1954-1959 entered midlife with lower cognitive function, but exhibited greater maintenance of cognition over time. This suggests that dementia prevalence may continue to improve as this latter-born cohort ages. Overall, this research reinforces the importance of social improvement (especially educational expansion) across the 20th century for cognitive health improvements in the 21st century. This work indicates that interventions to reduce or delay dementia and ameliorate racial disparities should be expanded to include social determinants of health across the life course.}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, life course, Population Health}, url = {https://www.proquest.com/docview/2714119717/abstract/CB2D6E694C244E7EPQ/1?accountid=14667}, author = {Lee, Mark} } @article {12652, title = {Socioeconomic Status, Biological Aging, and Memory in a Diverse National Sample of Older US Men and Women.}, journal = {Neurology}, volume = {99}, year = {2022}, pages = {e2114-e2124}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with early-onset cognitive aging. Biological aging, the progressive loss of system integrity that occurs as we age is proposed as a modifiable process mediating this health inequality. We examined whether socioeconomic disparities in cognitive aging in mid-to late-life adults is explained by accelerated biological aging similarly across race, ethnicity and sex/gender.

METHODS: Data was from a prospective cohort study of the U.S. Health and Retirement Study DNA-methylation sub-study. Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured from years of education and household wealth at baseline. The extent and pace of biological aging were quantified using three DNA-methylation measures: PhenoAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPoAm. Cognitive aging was measured from repeated longitudinal assessments of immediate and delayed word recall. Latent growth curve modeling estimated participants{\textquoteright} level of memory performance and rate of decline over 2-11 follow-up assessments spanning 2-20 years. Multiple-group models were estimated to assess whether the relationship between SES and memory trajectories was mediated by biological aging across racial-ethnic by sex/gender subgroups.

RESULTS: Data from a total of 3,997 adults aged 50-100 were analyzed. Participants with lower SES had lower memory performance, faster decline and exhibited accelerated biological aging (SES effect size associations (β) ranged from .08 to .41). Accelerated biological aging was associated with decreased memory performance and faster memory decline (effect-size range .03 to .23). SES-biological aging associations were strongest for White men and women and weakest for Latinx women. The relationship between biological aging measures and memory was weaker for Black participants compared with White and Latinx people. In mediation analysis, biological aging accounted for 4-27\% of the SES-memory gradient in White participants. There was little evidence of mediation in Black or Latinx participants.

DISCUSSION: Among a national sample of mid-to late-life adults, DNA-methylation measures of biological aging were variably associated with memory trajectories and SES across White, Black, and Latinx mid-to late-life adults. These results challenge the assumption that DNA-methylation biomarkers of aging that were developed in primarily White people can equivalently quantify aging processes affecting cognition in Black and Latinx mid-to late-life adults.

}, keywords = {biological aging, Cognition, DNA Methylation, Race/ethnicity, sex/gender, socio-economic status}, issn = {1526-632X}, doi = {10.1212/WNL.0000000000201032}, author = {Avila-Rieger, Justina and Turney, Indira C and Vonk, Jet M J and Esie, Precious and Seblova, Dominika and Weir, Vanessa R and Belsky, Daniel W and Jennifer J Manly} } @article {12675, title = {Study Finds Mental Decline Is Causing Financial Trouble For Millions Of Seniors}, year = {2022}, publisher = {Health Digest}, keywords = {Cognition, Finances}, url = {https://www.healthdigest.com/1015049/study-finds-mental-decline-is-causing-financial-trouble-for-millions-of-seniors/}, author = {Bradford, Beth} } @article {11828, title = {Trans-ethnic Meta-analysis of Interactions between Genetics and Early Life Socioeconomic Context on Memory Performance and Decline in Older Americans.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series A}, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {2248-2256}, abstract = {

Later life cognitive function is influenced by genetics as well as early- and later-life socioeconomic context. However, few studies have examined the interaction between genetics and early childhood factors. Using gene-based tests (iSKAT/iSKAT-O), we examined whether common and/or rare exonic variants in 39 gene regions previously associated with cognitive performance, dementia, and related traits had an interaction with childhood socioeconomic context (parental education and financial strain) on memory performance or decline in European ancestry (EA, N=10,468) and African ancestry (AA, N=2,252) participants from the Health and Retirement Study. Of the 39 genes, 22 in EA and 19 in AA had nominally significant interactions with at least one childhood socioeconomic measure on memory performance and/or decline; however, all but one (father{\textquoteright}s education by SLC24A4 in AA) were not significant after multiple testing correction (FDR <0.05). In trans-ethnic meta-analysis, two genes interacted with childhood socioeconomic context (FDR <0.05): mother{\textquoteright}s education by MS4A4A on memory performance, and father{\textquoteright}s education by SLC24A4 on memory decline. Both interactions remained significant (p<0.05) after adjusting for respondent{\textquoteright}s own educational attainment, APOE ε4 status, lifestyle factors, BMI, and comorbidities. For both interactions in EA and AA, the genetic effect was stronger in participants with low parental education. Examination of common and rare variants in genes discovered through GWAS shows that childhood context may interact with key gene regions to jointly impact later life memory function and decline. Genetic effects may be more salient for those with lower childhood socioeconomic status.

}, keywords = {Childhood SES, Cognition, Education, Epidemiology, Gene-Environment Interaction, Genetics, Memory, Rare Variant}, issn = {1758-535X}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/glab255}, author = {Jessica Faul and Kho, Minjung and Zhao, Wei and Rumfelt, Kalee E and Yu, Miao and Colter Mitchell and Smith, Jennifer A} } @article {12705, title = {Using dynamic microsimulation to project cognitive function in the elderly population.}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, pages = {e0274417}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: A long-term projection model based on nationally representative data and tracking disease progression across Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease continuum is important for economics evaluation of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and other dementias (ADOD) therapy.

METHODS: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) includes an adapted version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS27) to evaluate respondents{\textquoteright} cognitive function. We developed an ordered probit transition model to predict future TICS27 score. This transition model is utilized in the Future Elderly Model (FEM), a dynamic microsimulation model of health and health-related economic outcomes for the US population. We validated the FEM TICS27 model using a five-fold cross validation approach, by comparing 10-year (2006-2016) simulated outcomes against observed HRS data.

RESULTS: In aggregate, the distribution of TICS27 scores after ten years of FEM simulation matches the HRS. FEM{\textquoteright}s assignment of cognitive/mortality status also matches those observed in HRS on the population level. At the individual level, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve is 0.904 for prediction of dementia or dead with dementia in 10 years, the AUROC for predicting significant cognitive decline in two years for mild cognitive impairment patients is 0.722.

CONCLUSIONS: The FEM TICS27 model demonstrates its predictive accuracy for both two- and ten-year cognitive outcomes. Our cognition projection model is unique in its validation with an unbiased approach, resulting in a high-quality platform for assessing the burden of cognitive decline and translating the benefit of innovative therapies into long-term value to society.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer disease, Cognition, Cognitive Dysfunction, Neuropsychological tests, ROC Curve}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0274417}, author = {Wei, Yifan and Heun-Johnson, Hanke and Tysinger, Bryan} } @article {12887, title = {Where Food Security May Make a Difference Seniors Who Use Food Benefits Experience Slower Memory Decline}, year = {2022}, publisher = {NeurologyToday }, keywords = {Cognition, SNAP program}, url = {https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/Fulltext/2022/12150/Where_Food_Security_May_Make_a_Difference__Seniors.6.aspx}, author = {Shaw, Gina} } @article {11186, title = {The Association Between Cancer and Spousal Rate of Memory Decline: A Negative Control Study to Evaluate (Unmeasured) Social Confounding of the Cancer-memory Relationship.}, journal = {Alzheimer Disease \& Associated Disorders}, volume = {35}, year = {2021}, pages = {271-274}, abstract = {

Cancer diagnoses are associated with better long-term memory in older adults, possibly reflecting a range of social confounders that increase cancer risk but improve memory. We used spouse{\textquoteright}s memory as a negative control outcome to evaluate this possible confounding, since spouses share social characteristics and environments, and individuals{\textquoteright} cancers are unlikely to cause better memory among their spouses. We estimated the association of an individual{\textquoteright}s incident cancer diagnosis (exposure) with their own (primary outcome) and their spouse{\textquoteright}s (negative control outcome) memory decline in 3601 couples from 1998 to 2014 in the Health and Retirement Study, using linear mixed-effects models. Incident cancer predicted better long-term memory for the diagnosed individual. We observed no association between an individual{\textquoteright}s cancer diagnosis and rate of spousal memory decline. This negative control study suggests that the inverse association between incident cancer and rate of memory decline is unlikely to be attributable to social/behavioral factors shared between spouses.

}, keywords = {Cancer, Cognition, Spouses}, issn = {1546-4156}, doi = {10.1097/WAD.0000000000000398}, author = {Ospina-Romero, Monica and Willa D Brenowitz and M. Maria Glymour and Elizabeth R Mayeda and Graff, Rebecca E and Witte, John S and Ackley, Sarah F and Lu, Kun Ping and Lindsay C Kobayashi} } @article {11582, title = {Association of social deprivation with cognitive status and decline in older adults.}, journal = {International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {1085-1094}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Social deprivation, i.e. the relative deprivation in socioeconomic domains, is known to exacerbate disease risk. Less is known about its role in cognitive functioning and decline in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the association between social deprivation and cognitive status as well as rate of decline.

METHODS: We analysed data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement study (HRS) of individuals aged 50 and older. The analysis sample contained 11,101 respondents (mean age at baseline: 69.4, SD: 8.6, 55\% female) with at least two cognitive assessments (mean follow up: 11.2, SD: 5.4). To quantify social deprivation we constructed a social deprivation index (SDI) with structural equation modelling. Multiple growth curve modelling was used to model cognitive status and decline as predicted by SDI.

RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, greater social deprivation was associated with poorer cognitive status (β= -0.910, p <.001; 95\% CI: -0.998-0.823) and faster cognitive decline (β= -0.005, p=.002; 95\% CI:-0.009-0.002). Of the covariates, depressive symptoms, chronic disease burden, belonging to a racial or ethnical minority, and male gender were also associated with poorer cognitive status. Marriage statuses other than being married or partnered had a positive association with cognitive status.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that greater social deprivation was associated with significantly poorer cognitive status implying that preventing social deprivation can contribute to raising cognitive functioning in the older population and help reduce the incidence of dementia. Policy that facilitates early intervention in social deprivation will be key. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive decline, Dementia, social deprivation, socioeconomic}, issn = {1099-1166}, doi = {10.1002/gps.5555}, author = {Hofbauer, Lena M and Rodriguez, Francisca S} } @article {11383, title = {Associations of Insomnia Symptoms With Cognition in Persons With Heart Failure.}, journal = {Western Journal of Nursing Research}, volume = {43}, year = {2021}, pages = {1105-1117}, abstract = {

Although cognitive impairment is common among persons with heart failure and negatively impacts self-care, hospitalization, and mortality, the associations between cognitive impairment and insomnia symptoms are not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to explore these associations and examine if they are maintained after adjusting for relevant sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. Guided by the Neurocognitive model of insomnia and sleep and the self-care conceptual model, a cross-sectional data analysis using parametric testing was conducted on the Health and Retirement Study wave 2016. Difficulty initiating sleep and early morning awakening, but not difficulty maintaining sleep were significantly associated with poorer cognitive performance in the bivariate and multivariate analysis. Our results are suggestive of different phenotypes of insomnia symptoms that may have different associations with cognition in persons with heart failure. Further research using objective measurements of insomnia symptoms and detailed neuropsychiatric testing of cognition is needed to confirm this conclusion.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Heart Failure, insomnia symptoms, sleep initiation and maintenance disorder}, issn = {1552-8456}, doi = {10.1177/0193945920988840}, author = {Rida Gharzeddine and Yu, Gary and Margaret M McCarthy and Victoria V Dickson} } @article {13508, title = {Childhood and adulthood traumatic events differentially associate with cognitive aging among Black and White elders in the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s \& Dementia}, volume = {17}, year = {2021}, pages = {e056419}, abstract = {Background Modifiable sociocontextual factors powerfully shape ADRD risk, and demonstrably contribute to well-established racial disparities in cognitive aging. Stressful experiences occurring across the lifespan associate with brain aging and poor cognitive outcomes. However, the importance of timing and even type of stressor remains understudied. We examined relationships between childhood and adulthood traumatic events and cognition among non-Hispanic Black and White older adults in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Method The sample included non-demented adults (N=5,725) aged 65+ with lifetime stress data and complete cognitive testing at the 2006/08, 2010/12, and/or 2014/16 waves. Trauma measures included childhood (0-11), and adulthood (0-7) traumatic event counts. Outcomes included global cognition, immediate recall, and delayed recall (Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status). Each exposure-outcome pair was investigated in separate linear mixed effect models including baseline trauma count, a quadratic trauma term to test for non-linear relationships, and subject-specific random intercept. Omnibus Likelihood Ratio Tests (LRT) were conducted to determine if number of traumatic events associated overall with each cognitive outcome. The sample was stratified by race before analysis. Result Black participants (N=651) were younger and reported less formal education than White participants (N=5,074). Number of traumatic events in adulthood did not vary by race, but Black participants reported slightly fewer childhood traumas (Table 1) than Whites. Among Whites, childhood traumas associated with poorer global cognition scores but traumas in adulthood showed very modest positive associations across cognitive domains. Among Black participants, no association between childhood trauma and later-life cognition was observed. A significant non-linear term for traumatic events indicated cross-domain cognitive detriment associated with high exposure to adulthood trauma (Table 2; Figure 1). Conclusion Average exposure to traumas (eg., physical abuse, life-threatening illness) was low, and in both Black and White older adults, some limited exposure to traumatic events during adulthood predicted modest cognitive benefit. Black HRS participants reporting many traumatic events during adulthood, but not childhood, showed dysfunction in global cognition and recall. Findings highlight importance of adverse events across the full life course, potential threshold effects and co-occuring chronic stress conditions, and a need to identify resources that buffer impacts of trauma on biology and personal environment.}, keywords = {Black adults, childhood trauma, Cognition, Racial Disparities}, isbn = {1552-5260}, doi = {10.1002/alz.056419}, author = {Zuelsdorff, Megan and Sonnega, Amanda and Byrd, DeAnnah R and Norton, Derek and Deng, Xinyue and Turner, Robert} } @article {11719, title = {Cognition in context: Pathways and compound risk in a sample of US non-Hispanic whites.}, journal = {Social Science \& Medicine}, volume = {283}, year = {2021}, pages = {114183}, abstract = {

The population of individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia is growing rapidly, necessitating etiological investigation. It is clear that individual differences in cognition later in life have both genetic and multi-level environmental correlates. Despite significant recent progress in cellular and molecular research, the exact mechanisms linking genes, brains, and cognition remain elusive. In relation to cognition, it is unlikely that genetic and environmental risk factors function in a vacuum, but rather interact and cluster together. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether aspects of individual socioeconomic status (SES) explain the cognitive genotype-phenotype association, and whether neighborhood SES modifies the effects of genes and individual SES on cognitive ability. Using data from non-Hispanic White participants in the 2016 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a national sample of United States adults, we examined links between a polygenic score for general cognition and performance-based cognitive functioning. In a series of weighted linear regressions and formal tests of mediation, we observed a significant genotype-phenotype association that was partially attenuated after including individual education to the baseline model, although little reductions were observed for household wealth or census tract-level percent poverty. These findings suggest that genetic risk for poor cognition is partially explained by education, and this pathway is not modified by poverty-level of the neighborhood.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Education, Neighborhoods, polygenic score, Poverty, Wealth}, issn = {1873-5347}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114183}, author = {Jennifer W Robinette and Jason D Boardman} } @article {Tang2021, title = {Cognitive abilities, self-efficacy, and financial behavior}, journal = {Journal of Economic Psychology}, volume = {87}, year = {2021}, pages = {102447}, abstract = {This paper investigates the effect of cognitive abilities on financial behavior among older adults. Using the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, I find that cognitive abilities significantly affect financial behavior through two channels: ability and self-efficacy. People with higher cognition scores achieve better financial outcomes. This positive association is especially strong in tasks having high demand of cognitive abilities, which confirms the ability channel of the cognitive ability effect. In addition, there is evidence for the self-efficacy channel as a secondary source of cognitive influence. Lower cognitive abilities decrease people{\textquoteright}s sense of self-efficacy, which, in turn, significantly decreases financial management efficiency. The findings have important policy implications, specifically that more effort is needed to assist the growing older population through the cognitive aging process and that noncognitive skills, as a secondary source of influence, also warrant attention. {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author}, keywords = {Cognition, Personal finance, Self-efficacy}, doi = {10.1016/j.joep.2021.102447}, author = {Tang, N.} } @article {11586, title = {Cognitive abilities, self-efficacy, and financial behavior}, year = {2021}, institution = {TIAA Institute}, keywords = {Cognition, financial behavior, Self-efficacy}, url = {https://www.tiaainstitute.org/sites/default/files/presentations/2021-04/TIAA\%20Institute_Cognitive\%20abilities_TI_Tang_April\%202021_0.pdf}, author = {Tang, Ning} } @article {su13042361, title = {Cognitive Functioning: An Underlying Mechanism of Age and Gender Differences in Self-Assessed Risk Tolerance among an Aging Population}, journal = {Sustainability}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, pages = {2361}, abstract = {Attitude toward risk plays a vital role in an individual{\textquoteright}s financial decision-making and well-being. Past studies have found significant association of age and gender with risk tolerance. However, studies on the factors affecting the underlying mechanism are scant. The purpose of this research is to test whether cognitive functioning mediates the association between age, gender, and self-assessed risk tolerance. Using the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, path analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model. Results revealed a negative direct association between age and risk tolerance. Moreover, the study also found a lower level of risk tolerance in women. A bootstrap-based confidence interval revealed that a significant portion of the relationship between age and risk tolerance was mediated by cognition. However, the gender difference in risk tolerance was not explained by cognition. Financial planning practitioners and policymakers should understand the contribution of cognitive functioning toward the difference in risk tolerance in older populations and implement strategies to reinforce cognitive functioning to mitigate the adversity of a low level of risk tolerance.}, keywords = {Age, Cognition, gender, mediation, Risk tolerance}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su13042361}, author = {Sharma, Muna and Chatterjee, Swarn} } @article {11578, title = {Cognitive functioning mediates the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and computer use behavior in late adulthood: Evidence from two longitudinal studies}, journal = {Computers in Human Behavior}, volume = {121}, year = {2021}, pages = {106807}, abstract = {Although information and communication technologies have become an integral part of contemporary societies, substantial proportions of the older population remain distant from these digital tools. This stresses the importance of identifying age-specific factors that facilitate or prevent technology adoption among older age groups. Despite being powerful determinants of behavior and health in late adulthood, little is known about the role of stereotypical perceptions about age and aging in the behavioral engagement with technological devices. Across two longitudinal studies, we examined the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and computer use behavior, as well as the mediating role of cognitive functioning. Study 1 was based on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 3404). Study 2 was based on the 2014 and 2017 waves of the German Ageing Survey (n = 4871). Both studies revealed that more positive self-perceptions of aging were associated with more frequent computer use behavior. Moreover, this relationship was partially mediated by cognitive functioning. This suggests that perceptions about their aging experience can influence how individuals behave towards computer technology by impacting important predictors of use behavior. Interventions promoting positive self-perceptions of aging may thus contribute to the digital inclusion of middle-aged and older adults.}, keywords = {Ageism, Cognition, self-perceptions of aging, Stereotype embodiment, Technology}, isbn = {0747-5632}, doi = {10.1016/j.chb.2021.106807}, author = {Mariano, Jo{\~a}o and Marques, Sibila and Ramos, Miguel R. and de Vries, Hein} } @mastersthesis {11727, title = {Comparison of Functional and Cognitive Capacity Among Cancer Survivors and Cancer-free Individuals in an Older US population}, year = {2021}, school = {Johns Hopkins University}, address = {Baltimore, MD}, abstract = {Background The global population is aging rapidly, and cancer is one of the major health concerns of an aging population. Older cancer survivors can be challenged by the toxicities associated with cancer and its treatment in addition to the normal declines in functional and cognitive capacities due to aging. However, we only have limited data on whether older cancer survivors have worse functional and cognitive capacity profiles than their cancer-free counterparts. Method For this study, 7,459 participants from Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and completed functional capacity questionnaire between Feb 2016 to April 2018 were included, among which 1,238 are cancer survivors, and the rest are cancer-free. Answers from biennial HRS questionnaires were used for exposure and outcome ascertainment. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to estimate the risk ratio (RR) for the association between cancer history and prevalence of functional and cognitive limitation. Stratified analysis by race/ethnicity was performed to explore potential race/ethnic group differences. Sensitivity analyses excluding demented participants were performed to evaluate the reliability of the primary analyses. Results A significant positive association was observed between cancer history and any disability in basic ADLs (adjusted Risk Ratio = 1.09, 95\% CI (1.01, 1.18). A significant positive association was observed between cancer history and any disability in IADLs (adjusted Risk Ratio = 1.11 (1.02, 1.22). Cognitive capacity did not differ significantly between cancer survivors and cancer-free participants. Low educational level, depressive symptoms within 12-month, and dementia history may also contribute to poor functional and cognitive capacities. Stratified analyses showed that non-Hispanic white has similar results to the analytic population. Because of group size, other race/ethnic groups do not show statistically significant associations, but the point estimate directions are similar to the analytic population except for gender. Sensitivity analysis results were similar to that of the primary analysis. Conclusion Older U.S. individuals with cancer history have reduced functional capacities but not cognitive capacity compared to older U.S. individuals without cancer history. More research is needed to study these differences and how to improve older cancer survivors{\textquoteright} functional capacity, therefore optimizing health in elderly cancer survivors.}, keywords = {Cancer Survivors, cancer-free, Cognition}, url = {http://jhir.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/64163}, author = {Chen, Xueyu} } @article {11490, title = {Cumulative Genetic Risk and APOE ε4 Are Independently Associated With Dementia Status in a Multiethnic, Population-Based Cohort}, journal = {Neurology Genetics}, volume = {7}, year = {2021}, pages = {e576}, abstract = {

Objective: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common and costly neurodegenerative disorder. A large proportion of AD risk is heritable, and many genetic risk factors have been identified. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that cumulative genetic risk of known AD markers contributed to odds of dementia in a population-based sample.

Methods: In the US population-based Health and Retirement Study (waves 1995-2014), we evaluated the role of cumulative genetic risk of AD, with and without the alleles, on dementia status (dementia, cognitive impairment without dementia, borderline cognitive impairment without dementia, and cognitively normal). We used logistic regression, accounting for demographic covariates and genetic principal components, and analyses were stratified by European and African genetic ancestry.

Results: In the European ancestry sample (n = 8,399), both AD polygenic score excluding the genetic region (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10; 95\% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.20) and the presence of any alleles (OR = 2.42; 95\% CI: 1.99-2.95) were associated with the odds of dementia relative to normal cognition in a mutually adjusted model. In the African ancestry sample (n = 1,605), the presence of any alleles was associated with 1.77 (95\% CI: 1.20-2.61) times higher odds of dementia, whereas the AD polygenic score excluding the genetic region was not significantly associated with the odds of dementia relative to normal cognition 1.06 (95\% CI: 0.97-1.30).

Conclusions: Cumulative genetic risk of AD and are both independent predictors of dementia in European ancestry. This study provides important insight into the polygenic nature of dementia and demonstrates the utility of polygenic scores in dementia research.

}, keywords = {Aging, Alzheimer disease, Cognition, genetic risk}, issn = {2376-7839}, doi = {10.1212/NXG.0000000000000576}, author = {Kelly M Bakulski and Vadari, Harita S and Jessica Faul and Steven G Heeringa and Sharon L R Kardia and Kenneth M. Langa and Jennifer A. Smith and Jennifer J Manly and Colter Mitchell and Benke, Kelly S and Erin B Ware} } @article {11416, title = {The dynamic association between body mass index and cognition from midlife through late-life, and the effect of sex and genetic influences}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, pages = {7206}, abstract = {Body mass index (BMI) is associated with cognitive abilities, but the nature of the relationship remains largely unexplored. We aimed to investigate the bidirectional relationship from midlife through late-life, while considering sex differences and genetic predisposition to higher BMI. We used data from 23,892 individuals of European ancestry from the Health and Retirement Study, with longitudinal data on BMI and three established cognitive indices: mental status, episodic memory, and their sum, called total cognition. To investigate the dynamic relationship between BMI and cognitive abilities, we applied dual change score models of change from age 50 through 89, with a breakpoint at age 65 or 70. Models were further stratified by sex and genetic predisposition to higher BMI using tertiles of a polygenic score for BMI (PGSBMI). We demonstrated bidirectional effects between BMI and all three cognitive indices, with higher BMI contributing to steeper decline in cognitive abilities in both midlife and late-life, and higher cognitive abilities contributing to less decline in BMI in late-life.\&nbsp;The effects of BMI on change in cognitive abilities were more evident in men compared to women, and among those in the lowest tertile of the PGSBMI compared to those in the highest tertile, while the effects of cognition on BMI were similar across groups. In conclusion, these findings highlight a reciprocal relationship between BMI and cognitive abilities, indicating that the negative effects of a higher BMI persist from midlife through late-life, and that weight-loss in late-life may be driven by cognitive decline.}, keywords = {Cognition, Epidemiology, Genetics, longitudinal, Obesity}, isbn = {2693-5015}, doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-186197/v1}, author = {Ida Karlsson and Margaret Gatz and Thalida E. Arpawong and Anna K. Dahl Aslan and Chandra A Reynolds} } @article {11453, title = {Education Differences in the Adverse Impact of PM2.5 on Incident Cognitive Impairment Among U.S. Older Adults.}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease}, volume = {79}, year = {2021}, pages = {615-625}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Air pollution is linked to worse cognitive function in older adults, but whether differences in this relationship exist by education, a key risk factor for cognitive decline, remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the association between fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and incident cognitive impairment varies by level of education in two cohorts assessed a decade apart.

METHODS: We used data on adults ages 60 and older from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS) linked with tract-level annual average PM2.5. We used mixed-effects logistic regression models to examine education differences in the association between PM2.5 and incident cognitive impairment in two cohorts: 2004 (n = 9,970) and 2014 (n = 9,185). Cognitive impairment was determined with tests of memory and processing speed for self-respondents and proxy and interviewer assessments of cognitive functioning in non-self-respondents.

RESULTS: PM2.5 was unrelated to incident cognitive impairment among those with 13 or more years of education, but the probability of impairment increased with greater concentrations of PM2.5 among those with 8 or fewer years of education. The interaction between education and PM2.5 was only found in 2004, possibly because PM2.5 concentrations were much lower in 2014.

CONCLUSION: Education is a key determinant of cognitive decline and impairment, and in higher pollution contexts may serve as a protective factor against the harms of air pollution on the aging brain. Additionally, because air pollution is ubiquitous, and particularly harmful to vulnerable populations, even small improvements in air quality may have large impacts on population health.

}, keywords = {Aging, Air Pollution, Cognition, Dementia, Education, Modifiable risk factors}, issn = {1875-8908}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-200765}, author = {Jennifer A Ailshire and Katrina M Walsemann} } @article {11675, title = {The Effect of Childhood Socioeconomic Position and Social Mobility on Cognitive Function and Change Among Older Adults: A Comparison Between the United States and England.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B }, volume = {76}, year = {2021}, pages = {S51-S63}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and cognitive function in later life within nationally representative samples of older adults in the United States and England, investigate whether these effects are mediated by later-life SEP, and determine whether social mobility from childhood to adulthood affects cognitive function and decline.

METHOD: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA), we examined the relationships between measures of SEP, cognitive performance and decline using individual growth curve models.

RESULTS: High childhood SEP was associated with higher cognitive performance at baseline in both cohorts and did not affect the rate of decline. This benefit dissipated after adjusting for education and adult wealth in the United States. Respondents with low childhood SEP, above median education, and high adult SEP had better cognitive performance at baseline than respondents with a similar childhood background and less upward mobility in both countries.

DISCUSSION: These findings emphasize the impact of childhood SEP on cognitive trajectories among older adults. Upward mobility may partially compensate for disadvantage early in life but does not protect against cognitive decline.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Cross-national comparison, Early origins of health, Education, ELSA, Life course analysis}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbaa138}, author = {Jessica Faul and Erin B Ware and Mohammed U Kabeto and Fisher, Jonah and Kenneth M. Langa} } @article {11393, title = {Employment may slow memory decline for women}, journal = {Featured Research}, year = {2021}, publisher = {National Institute on Aging}, address = {Washington, D.C.}, abstract = {Working in the paid labor workforce may have cognitive benefits later in life for U.S. women. For a study supported in part by NIA, researchers looked at the influence of social, employment, and gender-related factors on memory decline with implications for dementia risk. Their findings, recently published in Neurology, show that women in the workforce during early adulthood and midlife experienced slower rates of memory decline than those who had not worked for pay.}, keywords = {Cognition, Employment, women}, url = {https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/employment-may-slow-memory-decline-women}, author = {National Institute on Aging} } @article {11749, title = {The epidemiology of social isolation and loneliness among older adults during the last years of life.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, volume = {69}, year = {2021}, pages = {3081-3091}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Social isolation and loneliness are critical to the health of older adults, but they have not been well-described at the end of life.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and correlates of social isolation and loneliness among older adults in the last years of life.

DESIGN: Nationally representative, cross-sectional survey.

SETTING: Health and Retirement Study, 2006-2016 data.

PARTICIPANTS: Adults age > 50 interviewed once in the last 4 years of life (n~=~3613).

MEASUREMENTS: We defined social isolation using a 15-item scale measuring household contacts, social network interaction, and community engagement, and frequent loneliness using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine their adjusted prevalence by time prior-to-death and by subgroups of interest.

RESULTS: Approximately 19\% experienced social isolation, 18\% loneliness, and 5\% both in the last 4 years of life (correlation~=~0.11). The adjusted prevalence of social isolation was higher for individuals nearer to death (4 years: 18\% vs 0-3 months: 27\%, p~=~0.05) and there was no significant change in loneliness (4 years: 19\% vs 0-3 months: 23\%, p~=~0.13). Risk factors for both isolation and loneliness included (p < 0.01): low net-worth (Isolation: 34\% vs 14\%; Loneliness: 29\% vs 13\%), hearing impairment (Isolation: 26\% vs 20\%; Loneliness: 26\% vs 17\%), and difficulty preparing meals (Isolation: 27\% vs 19\%; Loneliness: 29\% vs 15\%). Factors associated with loneliness, but not social isolation, included being female, pain, incontinence, and cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS: Social isolation and loneliness are common at the end of life, affecting 1 in 4 older adults, but few experience both. Rates were higher for older adults who were poor and experienced functional or sensory impairments. Results can inform clinical efforts to identify and address end-of-life psychosocial suffering and health policies which prioritize social needs at the end of life.

}, keywords = {Cognition, end of life, Loneliness, Palliative care, social isolation}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.17366}, author = {Ashwin A Kotwal and Irena Cenzer and Linda J. Waite and Kenneth E Covinsky and Perissinotto, Carla M and W John Boscardin and Louise C Hawkley and Dale, William and Smith, Alexander K} } @article {12047, title = {Gender Modifies the Association of Cognition With Age-Related Hearing Impairment in the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Frontiers in Public Health}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, pages = {2072}, abstract = {Introduction: Despite growing recognition of hearing loss as a risk factor for late life cognitive disorders, sex and gender analysis of this association has been limited. Elucidating this is one means to advocate for holistic medicine by considering the psychosocial attributes of people. With a composite Gender Score (GS), we aimed to assess this among aging participants (50+) from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) cohort. Methods: The GS was derived from gender-related variables in HRS by factor analyses and logistic regression, ranging from 0 (toward masculinity) to 100 (toward femininity). GS tertiles were also used to indicate three gender types (GS tertile 1: lower GS indicates masculinity; GS tertile 2: middle GS indicates androgyny; GS tertile 3: higher GS indicates femininity). Univariate followed by multiple logistic regressions were used to estimate the Odds Ratio (OR) and 95\% confidence intervals (CI) of cognitive impairment (assessed by adapted Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status) from hearing acuity, as well as to explore the interactions of sex and gender with hearing acuity. The risk of cognitive impairment among hearing-impaired participants was assessed using multivariable models including sex and gender as exposure variables. Results: Five variables (taking risks, loneliness, housework, drinking, and depression) were retained to compute the GS for each participant. The distribution of GS between sexes partly overlapped. After adjusting for confounding factors, the OR for cognitive impairment associated with hearing impairment was significantly higher (OR = 1.65, 95\% CI: 1.26, 2.15), and this association was not modified by female sex (OR = 0.77, 95\% CI: 0.46, 1.27), but by androgynous gender (OR = 0.44, 95\% CI: 0.24, 0.81). In the multivariable models for participants with hearing impairment, androgynous and feminine gender, as opposed to female sex, was associated with lower odds of cognitive impairment (OR of GS tertile 2 = 0.59, 95\% CI: 0.41, 0.84; OR of GS tertile 3 = 0.60, 95\% CI: 0.41, 0.87; OR of female sex = 0.78, 95\% CI: 0.57, 1.08). Conclusions: Hearing impairment was associated with cognitive impairment among older people, and this association may be attenuated by a more feminine GS.}, keywords = {Cognition, gender, Hearing impairment}, issn = {2296-2565}, doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2021.751828}, author = {Yuan, Jing and Sang, Shuping and Pham, Jessica and Kong, Wei-Jia} } @article { ISI:000550762400001, title = {How Do Older Adults Recruited Using MTurk Differ From Those in a National Probability Sample?}, journal = {International Journal of Aging \& Human Development}, volume = {93}, year = {2021}, pages = {700-721}, abstract = {A growing number of studies within the field of gerontology have included samples recruited from Amazon{\textquoteright}s Mechanical Turk (MTurk), an online crowdsourcing portal. While some research has examined how younger adult participants recruited through other means may differ from those recruited using MTurk, little work has addressed this question with older adults specifically. In the present study, we examined how older adults recruited via MTurk might differ from those recruited via a national probability sample, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), on a battery of outcomes related to health and cognition. Using a Latin-square design, we examined the relationship between recruitment time, remuneration amount, and measures of cognitive functioning. We found substantial differences between our MTurk sample and the participants within the HRS, most notably within measures of verbal fluency and analogical reasoning. Additionally, remuneration amount was related to differences in time to complete recruitment, particularly at the lowest remuneration level, where recruitment completion required between 138 and 485 additional hours. While the general consensus has been that MTurk samples are a reasonable proxy for the larger population, this work suggests that researchers should be wary of overgeneralizing research conducted with older adults recruited through this portal.}, keywords = {Cognition, depression, feasibility, MTurk, online participants}, issn = {0091-4150}, doi = {10.1177/0091415020940197}, author = {Ogletree, Aaron M. and Katz, Benjamin} } @article {11606, title = {Insomnia Symptoms and Subsequent Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: Are Depressive Symptoms and Vascular Disease Mediators?}, journal = {Sleep}, volume = {44}, year = {2021}, pages = {A212 - A212}, abstract = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are growing public health concerns, and poor sleep may represent a modifiable risk factor. However, there is limited research on insomnia as a predictor of subsequent performance in different cognitive domains and mechanisms that might underlie domain-specific associations. The current study examined: (1) which insomnia symptoms predicted performance across five cognitive domains 14 years later, and (2) whether depressive symptoms and/or vascular diseases mediated these associations.Participants included 2,496 adults aged 51+ in the Health and Retirement Study. Insomnia symptoms in 2002 (i.e., {\textquotedblleft}baseline{\textquotedblright}) were quantified by four self-reported items on frequency of trouble falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, early awakenings, and feeling rested upon awakening. Cognition was assessed in 2016 as part of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol and operationalized with five factor scores corresponding to episodic memory, executive function, language, visuoconstruction, and processing speed. Multiple regressions examined associations between baseline insomnia symptoms and subsequent cognitive performance, controlling for sociodemographics and baseline global cognitive performance. Mediation models tested whether associations were explained by self-reported depressive symptoms and/or vascular diseases (i.e., hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and/or stroke) in 2014, controlling for baseline values.Only trouble falling asleep in 2002 was associated with cognition in 2016. Specifically, more frequent trouble falling asleep predicted poorer episodic memory, executive function, language and processing speed performance, but not visuoconstruction. These associations were mediated by depressive symptoms and vascular diseases in 2014 for all domains except episodic memory; only depressive symptoms mediated the association involving memory. After accounting for these mediators, direct effects of trouble falling asleep remained for episodic memory, executive function and language, but not processing speed.Difficulty with sleep initiation may be more consequential for later-life cognition than other insomnia symptoms. Depressive symptoms and vascular diseases may partially drive these associations. We speculate that sleep-onset insomnia could mean less total sleep, immune dysfunction, or endocrine effects that worsen mood, vascular health, and cognition. Remaining associations indicate that additional research is needed to characterize other mechanisms through which sleep initiation problems could contribute to later impairments in frontal and temporal cognitive systems, which are implicated early in ADRD.Support (if any):}, keywords = {Cognition, Depressive symptoms, insomnia, vascular disease}, isbn = {0161-8105}, doi = {10.1093/sleep/zsab072.535}, author = {Afsara B. Zaheed and Adam P Spira and Ronald D Chervin and Laura B Zahodne} } @article {11750, title = {The {\textquoteleft}Loneliness Epidemic{\textquoteright} Among The Elderly May Not Be What It Seems}, journal = {Retirement}, year = {2021}, publisher = {Forbes}, address = {Jersey City, New Jersey }, abstract = {{\textquotedblleft}Loneliness and social isolation in older adults are serious public health risks affecting a significant number of people in the United States and putting them at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions.{\textquotedblright}}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, Loneliness, social isolation}, url = {https://www.forbes.com/sites/ebauer/2021/07/15/the-loneliness-epidemic-among-the-elderly-may-not-be-what-it-seems/?sh=2e0a78d01b54}, author = {Bauer, Elizabeth} } @article {11735, title = {Loneliness mediates the relationships between perceived neighborhood characteristics and cognition in middle-aged and older adults.}, journal = {International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {1858-1866}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine whether loneliness mediates these associations between perceived neighborhood characteristics and cognition among middle-aged and older adults.

METHODS: Data from wave 10 (2010-2012) to wave 13 (2016-2017) of the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed. Perceived neighborhood characteristics were self-reported. Loneliness was measured by Revised University of California Los Angeles (R-UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Cognition was evaluated by the modified version of Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Baron and Kenny{\textquoteright}s causal steps and multiple linear regression models based on Karlson/Holm/Breen (KHB) method were used to examine the mediating effect.

RESULTS: At baseline, 15,142 participants had no cognitive impairment, and 11,413 individuals were finally included in our analysis after 6-year follow-up. Multiple linear regression models suggested that lower perceived neighborhood physical disorder (β~=~0.073, p~=~0.033) and greater perceived neighborhood safety (β~=~0.350, p~=~0.009) were associated with better cognition. KHB test identified the significant mediating effect of loneliness on the relationships between perceived neighborhood physical disorder (β~=~0.011, p~=~0.016) and perceived neighborhood safety (β~=~0.023, p~=~0.026) and cognition.

CONCLUSIONS: Perceived neighborhood characteristics are associated with cognition among middle-aged and older American adults. Loneliness mediated associations between perceived neighborhood physical disorder and perceived neighborhood safety and cognition.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Loneliness, mediating effect, Perceived neighborhood characteristics}, issn = {1099-1166}, doi = {10.1002/gps.5595}, author = {Yu, Xiaohui and Yang, Jiulong and Yin, Zhenhua and Jiang, Wenjie and Zhang, Dongfeng} } @article {11778, title = {Longitudinal associations between C-reactive protein and cognitive performance in normative cognitive ageing and dementia.}, journal = {Age and Ageing}, volume = {50}, year = {2021}, pages = {2199-2205}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: systemic inflammation appears to play an important role in the pathogenesis and expression of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and other dementias. Previous research has found that elevated levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with poorer cognitive functioning and increased risk for dementia. However, most studies are limited by single CRP measurements, which fail to capture long-term inflammatory exposures or dynamic changes in inflammation and cognition which may occur across repeated measurements.

METHODS: using data from 3,563 older adults aged 65-101 from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined bivariate changes in CRP and cognition measured repeatedly over a 10-year follow-up. Bivariate multilevel models estimated the effect of time-varying CRP on cognition among cognitively healthy older adults and in a subset of 427 participants who reported incident dementia onset during the follow-up period.

RESULTS: in cognitively healthy participants, CRP was associated with lower level of cognitive functioning, but not rate of change over time. This effect was significant in participants under 80~years of age (b = -0.09, standard error (SE) = 0.05, P = 0.04), but not in older participants. In participants with incident dementia, those with higher CRP experienced smaller rates of cognitive decline, leading up to dementia diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS: elevated levels of CRP predict poorer cognition and increased dementia risk in cognitively healthy adults under the age of 80. Conversely, increased CRP may confer protective effects on cognition in the prodromal stage of dementia.

}, keywords = {Biomarkers, bivariate growth model, Cognition, Dementia, Inflammation}, issn = {1468-2834}, doi = {10.1093/ageing/afab152}, author = {Nathan A Lewis and Knight, Jamie E} } @article {10953, title = {A New Look at Cohort Trend and Underlying Mechanisms in Cognitive Functioning}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, volume = {76}, year = {2021}, pages = {1652-1663}, abstract = {The prevalence of dementia in the United States seems to have declined over the last few decades. We investigate trends and their underlying mechanisms in cognitive functioning (CF) across seven decades of birth cohorts from the Greatest Generation to Baby Boomers.Data come from 30,191 participants of the 1996-2014 Health and Retirement Study. CF is measured as a summary score on a 35-point cognitive battery of items. We use generalized linear models to examine the trends in CF and explanatory variables across birth cohorts. Then Karlson-Holm-Breen decomposition method is used to evaluate the contribution of each explanatory variable to the trend of CF.CF has been improving from the Greatest Generation to Late Children of Depression and War Babies, but then significantly declines since the Early-Baby Boomers and continues into Mid-Baby Boomers. This pattern is observed universally across genders, race/ethnicities, education groups, occupations, income and wealth quartiles. The worsening CF among Baby Boomers does not originate from childhood conditions, adult education, or occupation. It can be attributed to lower household wealth, lower likelihood of marriage, higher levels of loneliness, depression and psychiatric problems, and more cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., obesity, physical inactivity, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and heart disease).The worsening CF among Baby Boomers may potentially reverse past favorable trends in dementia as they reach older ages and cognitive impairment becomes more common if no effective interventions and policy responses are in place.}, keywords = {Aging, Cognition, Obesity}, isbn = {1079-5014}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa107}, author = {Hui Zheng} } @article {12106, title = {Oral Conditions, Oral Health Related Quality of Life and Cognitive Function: Preliminary Results from the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Advances in Geriatric Medicine and Research}, volume = {3}, year = {2021}, pages = {e210020}, abstract = {Background: Growing evidence suggests that cognitive functioning is influenced by oral health status. This study examines the association between the status or condition of the mouth as measured by self-report (OH), oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and dental care utilization on cognitive function. Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. Setting: United States Health and Retirement Study (2018). Participants: Community-dwelling adults above 50 years of age (N = 1268; Mean age (SD) 67.14 {\textpm} 10.54 years). Measurements: Self-reported condition of mouth and teeth, number of teeth and denture use were used to determine the OH. OHRQoL was assessed as a composite score using self-reported pain or distress due to gums or teeth, difficulty to relax, avoiding eating certain foods, or socializing due to oral health issues. Validated cognitive score cut-offs were used: (i) (>=12) representing normal cognition (ii) (6{\textendash}11) {\textquotedblleft}cognitive impairment, not demented{\textquotedblright} (CIND), and (iii) (<6) dementia. Results: We found that participants with worse OHRQoL had 0.15 units lower global cognitive scores (β = -0.15, SE = 0.03, p = < 0.0001). Compared to those with dementia, participants in normal and CIND categories had greater odds of better OH (ORNormal = 1.76, (95\%CI: 1.09{\textendash}2.84); ORCIND = 2.86, (95\%CI: 1.60{\textendash}5.09)). Furthermore, participants in the CIND category had greater odds of using dentures compared to participants with dementia (ORCIND = 2.71, (95\%CI: 1.49{\textendash}4.93)). We did not find any statistically significant association between tooth loss or dental utilization and dementia. Conclusions: This study provides valuable preliminary insights into the potential association between OH and OHRQoL and cognitive function. If further validated, this method may allow dental and cognitive triage for follow-up assessments in community dwelling adults who may have limited access to care.}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, Oral Health, oral health related quality of life}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.20900/agmr20210020}, author = {Joshi, Prajakta and Kaufman, Laura B. and Cabral, Howard} } @article {12066, title = {Protective and Exacerbating Cognition and Attribution Factors From the Cognitive Discrepancy Theory of Loneliness}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {5}, year = {2021}, pages = {40}, abstract = {According to the cognitive discrepancy theory, although the discrepancy between actual and desired social resources may result in loneliness, Perlman and Peplau (1998) suggested that cognitive processing and attributional style also impact the interpretation of social information. Previous empirical research investigating predictors of loneliness have not assessed a wide range of cognition and attribution factors, so this study filled this gap by examining how protective (optimism, sense of mastery, and purpose in life) and exacerbating (depression, control constraints, negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA), and experiences of age-based discrimination) factors influence and moderate the experience of loneliness cross-sectionally and longitudinally using a sample of 3,345 Americans aged 50 years and older from the 2008 and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Optimism (βs = -.15, -.13), mastery (βs = -.08, -.07), purpose in life (βs = -.19, -.18), depression (βs = .22,.14), control constraints (βs = .18, .17), negative SPA (βs = .13, .14), and experiences of ageism (βs = .07, .06) were significantly related to loneliness cross-sectionally and longitudinally, respectively. Optimism buffered the negative impact of poor functional social resources (e.g., low social support) on loneliness cross-sectionally while control constraints, negative SPA, and experiencing ageism exacerbated the relationship between low functional social resources and loneliness cross-sectionally. None of the protective or exacerbating factors modulated the relationship between functional social resources and loneliness longitudinally. These findings have important implications for the development of interventions that target loneliness. Targeting maladaptive cognitions may be particularly effective in reducing loneliness.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive discrepancy theory}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igab046.150}, author = {Minahan, Jillian} } @article {10862, title = {The Role of Polygenic Score and Cognitive Activity in Cognitive Functioning among Older Adults}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {61}, year = {2021}, pages = {319-329}, abstract = {This study explored whether the intensity of cognitive activities could moderate the relationship between a genetic predisposition for developing Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) and cognitive functioning among older adults in the U.S. Further, we examined whether the same moderating effects were dependent on different measures of cognition.We used a dataset from the 2000-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey. Our sample included 3,793 individuals aged 50 or older. We used the polygenic score (PGS) for AD as a genetic trait for cognitive functioning. Reading, listening to music, using a computer, playing cards/games/solving puzzles, singing/playing musical instruments, and creating art and crafts were included as cognitive activities, and TV viewing as passive activities. We used total cognition, fluid intelligence, and crystallized intelligence as proxies for cognitive functioning. Growth-curve models were conducted.After controlling for covariates, we found that reading books, using a computer, and playing cards/games/solving puzzles had a positive effect on cognitive functioning. An additional hour spent reading books moderated the negative effect of AD PGS on cognition. The measure of fluid, when compared with crystallized intelligence, appeared to drive these results.Reading could be a protective factor against cognitive decline among older adults who are genetically predisposed to developing AD. Implications for individuals, caregivers, clinicians, and policymakers are suggested. Furthermore, the onset of AD in those at a greater genetic risk may be delayed with this intervention.}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Cognition, Cognitively Stimulating Activity, Genetics}, isbn = {0016-9013}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gnaa073}, author = {Su Hyun Shin and Park, Soohyun and Wright, Cheryl and D{\textquoteright}astous, Valerie Anne and Kim, Giyeon} } @article {11592, title = {She Bought a Truck on eBay, Then Forgot It. A Dementia Diagnosis Came Later.}, journal = {The New York Times}, year = {2021}, publisher = {New York Times}, address = {New York, New York}, abstract = {Impulsive purchases, out-of-control spending: These behaviors can be early signs of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease or other cognitive decline.}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Cognition, Dementia}, url = {https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/business/alzheimers-dementia-personal-finance.html}, author = {Andrews, Michelle} } @mastersthesis {11884, title = {SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS AMONG ADULTS AGED 50 YEARS AND OLDER IN THE UNITED STATES: AN ANALYSIS OF THE COGNITIVE DISCREPANCY THEORY}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2021}, school = {Fordham University}, address = {New York, NY}, keywords = {Cognition, Loneliness, social isolation}, url = {https://www.proquest.com/docview/2572634137?pq-origsite=gscholar\&fromopenview=true}, author = {Jillian M. Minahan Zucchetto} } @conference {11852, title = {Statistical Significance of Hyperparameter Tuning for Varying Levels of Class Imbalance}, booktitle = {26th ISSAT International Conference on Reliability and Quality in Design, RQD 2021}, year = {2021}, month = {08/2021}, abstract = {Researchers experimenting with classification tasks for Machine Learning have a choice to use optimized or default values for their algorithms{\textquoteright} hyperparameters. Our contribution is to conduct experiments with balanced and imbalanced datasets to show hyperparameter tuning has a significant, positive impact on classification results regardless of class ratio. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate whether hyperparameter tuning has a statistically significant impact on the classification of balanced and imbalanced datasets derived from the Health and Retirement Study.We conduct a series of experiments with three classifiers, and five datasets. The classifiers are well-known, widely used classifiers in Machine Learning research. The datasets are based on a survey on cognition in human subjects. Three of the datasets are balanced, and two of them are imbalanced. We perform Analysis of Variance and Tukey{\textquoteright}s Honestly Significant Difference tests to determine the effect of hyperparameter tuning. Our results show that, regardless of class imbalance, using optimized hyperparameter values yields better results in a statistically significant sense.}, keywords = {Class imbalance, Cognition, Logistic Regression, Machine learning, Random forest}, isbn = {978-099105769-6}, author = {Hancock, J. and Khoshgoftaar, T.M. and Landset, S.} } @article {10999, title = {Subjective age and informant-rated cognition and function: A prospective study.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {338-343}, abstract = {

The present study examined whether subjective age is related to informant-rated cognition. Participants were adults ( = 2,337, mean age = 69.84 years, = 7.45) from the Health and Retirement Study who provided subjective age and demographic factors in 2008/2010 and informant-rated cognition in 2016 as part of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol. An older subjective age was associated with informant reports of steeper cognitive decline, worse cognitive function, lower ability, and loss of ability to do everyday activities. The present study indicates that subjective age predicts cognitive function in everyday life as observed by knowledgeable informants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Cognition, HCAP, Subjective age}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000566}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2021110616, title = {Subjective age and multiple cognitive domains in two longitudinal samples}, journal = {Journal of Psychosomatic Research}, volume = {150}, year = {2021}, pages = {110616}, abstract = {Objective Subjective age is consistently related to memory performance and global cognitive function among older adults. The present study examines whether subjective age is prospectively related to specific domains of cognitive function. Method Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2549, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 69.66, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 7.36) and the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2499, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 46.24, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 11.25). In both samples, subjective age, depressive symptoms, chronic conditions, and demographic factors were assessed at baseline. Four domains of cognition were assessed 8{\^A} years later in the HRS and almost 20{\^A} years later in the MIDUS: episodic memory, speed-attention-executive, verbal fluency, and numeric reasoning. HRS also assessed visuospatial ability. Results Regression analysis revealed that an older subjective age was related to worse performance in the domains of episodic memory and speed-attention-executive in both samples. The effect size for the difference between a younger and an older subjective age was d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.14 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.24 (HRS) for episodic memory and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.33 (HRS) for speed-attention-executive. Feeling older was related to lower verbal fluency in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.30) but not in MIDUS, whereas no association was found with numeric reasoning in either sample. An older subjective age was related to lower visuospatial ability in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25). Conclusion Subjective age is prospectively related to performance in different cognitive domains. The associations between subjective age and both episodic memory and speed-attention-executive functions were replicable and robust over up to 20{\^A} years of follow-up.}, keywords = {Adulthood, Cognition, Executive function, Memory, numeric reasoning, Subjective age, verbal fluency, Visuospatial ability}, issn = {0022-3999}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110616}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11640, title = {Subjective age, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functioning across five domains.}, journal = {Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology}, volume = {43}, year = {2021}, pages = {310-323}, abstract = {

: Younger subjective age predicts better episodic memory and executive functioning performance independent of chronological age. This study examined whether subjective age is associated with performance in five cognitive domains, quantified the extent to which these relationships are mediated by depressive symptoms, and tested whether these associations are moderated by chronological age. Participants in this cross-sectional study included 993 adults aged 65 and older from the Health and Retirement Study{\textquoteright}s 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol. Moderated mediation models estimated direct and indirect effects of subjective age on factor scores representing episodic memory, executive functioning, language, visuoconstruction, and speed through depressive symptoms and tested whether associations differed according to chronological age. Depressive symptoms explained 21-32\% of the associations between subjective age and language, speed, episodic memory, and executive functioning. Chronological age moderated the indirect effect involving language, such that depressive symptoms were more strongly related to worse language performance at older chronological ages. After accounting for indirect effects, direct effects of younger subjective age remained for language and speed domains. This study extends research on the cognitive correlates of subjective age and demonstrates that depressive symptoms partly mediate these relationships. Subjective age may bemost strongly associated with language among individuals at older chronological ages not because they are more sensitive to the negative mental health impact of feeling older than they are but because they may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of depressive symptoms on language ability. Additional longitudinal research is needed to determine whether links between subjective age and cognition are causal versus predictive.

}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive aging, Depressive symptoms, HCAP, Subjective age}, issn = {1744-411X}, doi = {10.1080/13803395.2021.1926436}, author = {Morris, Emily P and Afsara B. Zaheed and Sharifian, Neika and Sol, Ketlyne and A Zarina Kraal and Laura B Zahodne} } @mastersthesis {11836, title = {THREE ESSAYS ON THE ECONOMICS OF THE ELDERLY}, volume = {Ph.D. }, year = {2021}, school = {The State University of New York at Binghamton}, abstract = {The following three essays cover topics on the economics of aging. In the first paper, I estimate the effect of pre-retirement cognitive ability on retirement behavior using the Health and Retirement Study. I find that cognitive ability delays retirement by extending labor force participation past the age of 65. I also find evidence that cognitive ability increases the propensity to delay Social Security benefits. These findings suggest that cognitive ability has a protective effect on labor force attachment and delays transition into retirement. The second paper uses a novel data set from China to study how instituting a pension program can influence individual cognition. Collaborating with Plamen Nikolov, we find that introducing pension benefits has a negative effect on the cognitive functioning among the elderly. The largest effect size was on the delayed recall test, which is a significant predictor of the onset of dementia. We also find suggestive evidence that the program has a larger impact among women. This chapter shows that retirement plays a significant role in explaining cognitive decline at older ages. The third paper is a collaboration with Hwan-sik Choi. In this chapter we study the role of noncognitive ability, focusing on Conscientiousness, in wealth accumulation and its indirect effect through the health status channel. Conscientiousness is associated with an increase in total net wealth. The indirect effect through health status is positive and a substantial portion of the total effect of Conscientiousness. We explore novel instruments for health status using polygenic scores and obtain similar results to the OLS results: Conscientiousness plays an important role in wealth accumulation and a fundamental factor behind the health effect on wealth accumulation.}, keywords = {Cognition, Retirement}, url = {https://www.proquest.com/openview/a43ca4958ca58c90c118cd2334119879/1?pq-origsite=gscholar\&cbl=18750\&diss=y}, author = {Adelman, Alan} } @article {11234, title = {Trends in Relative Incidence and Prevalence of Dementia Across Non-Hispanic Black and White Individuals in the United States, 2000-2016}, journal = {JAMA Neurology}, volume = {78}, year = {2021}, pages = {275-284}, abstract = {In the US, dementia risk is higher in non-Hispanic Black individuals than in non-Hispanic White individuals. To evaluate progress toward reducing such disparities, tracking secular trends in racial disparities in dementia prevalence is essential.To examine whether relative racial disparities in dementia prevalence or incidence have changed in the US from 2000 to 2016.The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a nationally representative study of adults 50 years or older. New participants are recruited every 6 years, and study visits occur biennially. Approximately 17 000 to 22 000 respondents have been surveyed at each wave since 2000, achieving response rates of 81\% to 89\%. Data for this cohort study were obtained from non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black participants aged 70 years and older from the 2000 to 2016 waves. For analyses of secular trends in racial disparities in dementia prevalence, each HRS wave was considered separately (range of participants meeting eligibility criteria in each wave, 6322-7579). For analyses of secular trends in racial disparities in dementia incidence, 7 subcohorts were created (range of participants meeting eligibility criteria in each subcohort, 5322-5961) following up people without dementia for 4 years from subcohort baseline visits in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Data were analyzed from October 2019 to August 2020.Race based on self-response to closed-ended survey questions.Dementia status was determined using 3 algorithms with similar sensitivity and specificity across non-Hispanic White and Black participants. Disparities were characterized using ratio measures.In this study, the mean age and percentage of male participants eligible for inclusion in analyses of racial disparities in dementia prevalence increased over time among non-Hispanic White participants (from 78.2 years and 40\% in 2000 to 78.7 years and 44\% in 2016) but remained steady in non-Hispanic Black participants during the same period (from 78.0 years and 37\% in 2000 to 77.9 years and 38\% in 2016). Prevalence ratios comparing Black and White participants ranged from approximately 1.5 to 1.9 across algorithms and years, whereas hazard ratios ranged from approximately 1.4 to 1.8. Although results suggest stable or declining dementia risk overall, there was no evidence suggesting change in relative racial disparities in dementia prevalence or incidence during follow-up.This study did not find evidence to suggest that the ratio of dementia risk across Black and White individuals changed in the US between 2000 and 2016. Additional efforts to identify and mitigate the source of these disparities is warranted.}, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, Health Disparities, Neurology}, isbn = {2168-6149}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.4471}, author = {Melinda C Power and Bennett, Erin E. and Robert W. Turner and Dowling, N. Maritza and Ciarleglio, Adam and M. Maria Glymour and Kan Z Gianattasio} } @article {11909, title = {USC studies show that clean air matters for a healthy brain}, journal = {Health}, number = {10/7/21}, year = {2021}, publisher = {USC News}, abstract = {Researchers say their studies on air pollution and cognitive decline {\textemdash} one involving humans and one with mice {\textemdash} provide evidence that cleaner air may reduce risk for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s and other dementias. }, keywords = {Air quality, Cognition, Education}, url = {https://news.usc.edu/192884/clean-air-brain-health-alzheimers-pollution-usc-research/}, author = {Miller, Jenesse} } @article {11327, title = {Age of Migration and Cognitive Life Expectancies Among Older Latinos: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, pages = {574}, abstract = {This study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2014) to estimate Sullivan-based life tables of cognitively intact, cognitively impaired/no dementia (CIND), and dementia life expectancies by nativity, age of migration, and sex for older Latinos residing in the United States. Results show foreign-born Latinos, regardless of age of migration or sex, spend a greater number of years after age 50 with CIND compared to U.S.-born Latinos. Furthermore, we document an advantage in total life expectancy and cognitively intact life expectancy among mid-life immigrant men relative to their U.S.-born counterparts. The robust relationship between nativity, age of migration, and cognitive health suggests that the foreign-born may place particularly serious burdens on families and the government. This issue merits special attention in the development of community-based long-term care programs to appropriately target the specific needs of different subgroups of older Latinos who are entering into their last decades of life.}, keywords = {Cognition, Latinos/Hispanics, Life Expectancy}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1904}, author = {Marc Garcia} } @article {11335, title = {The Association Between Diabetes and Cognition Among Older Hispanics in the United States and Mexicans in Mexico}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, pages = {159}, abstract = {The objective is to assess if the effect of diabetes on cognition differs by race/ethnicity in the U.S. and how this association differs between older Hispanics in the U.S. and older Mexicans in Mexico. Data comes from a sample of older adults 50 and older with direct interviews from the 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N=17,810) and the Mexican Health and Aging Study (N=13,270). Cognition was measured as a total cognition score. OLS regressions were used to test the association between diabetes and cognition by race/ethnicity in the U.S. and among older Mexicans in Mexico. Results showed that Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) had the highest cognition scores in the U.S., followed by Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks (NHB). Mean cognition score of older Mexicans was higher than for NHB and Hispanics in the U.S. but lower than NHWs. The prevalence of diabetes was highest among Hispanics (32.3\%), followed by NHB (30.6\%) and NHW (19.9\%). The prevalence of diabetes in Mexico was like those NHW in the U.S. (19.9\%). In the U.S., the effect of being NHB and Hispanic (compared to white) on cognition was equivalent to having 5.3 and 2.4 fewer years of education, respectively. However, the effect of diabetes on cognition did not differ by race/ethnicity. The final analysis will include a direct comparison between Hispanics in the U.S. and a matched sample of older adults in Mexico with similar sex and age to test differences in the effect of diabetes on cognition between these two samples.}, keywords = {Cognition, Diabetes, Latinos/Hispanics, MHAS}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igaa057.517}, author = {Jaqueline C Avila and Rebeca Wong and Ternent, Rafael Samper} } @article {10.1001/jamasurg.2020.0091, title = {Association of Functional, Cognitive, and Psychological Measures With 1-Year Mortality in Patients Undergoing Major Surgery}, journal = {JAMA Surgery}, year = {2020}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {More older adults are undergoing major surgery despite the greater risk of postoperative mortality. Although measures, such as functional, cognitive, and psychological status, are known to be crucial components of health in older persons, they are not often used in assessing the risk of adverse postoperative outcomes in older adults.To determine the association between measures of physical, cognitive, and psychological function and 1-year mortality in older adults after major surgery.Retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study of participants 66 years or older who were enrolled in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study and underwent 1 of 3 types of major surgery.Major surgery, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, coronary artery bypass graft, and colectomy.Our outcome was mortality within 1 year of major surgery. Our primary associated factors included functional, cognitive, and psychological factors: dependence in activities of daily living (ADL), dependence in instrumental ADL, inability to walk several blocks, cognitive status, and presence of depression. We adjusted for other demographic and clinical predictors.Of 1341 participants, the mean (SD) participant age was 76 (6) years, 737 (55\%) were women, 99 (7\%) underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, 686 (51\%) coronary artery bypass graft, and 556 (42\%) colectomy; 223 (17\%) died within 1 year of their operation. After adjusting for age, comorbidity burden, surgical type, sex, race/ethnicity, wealth, income, and education, the following measures were significantly associated with 1-year mortality: more than 1 ADL dependence (29\% vs 13\%; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.76; P = .001), more than 1 instrumental ADL dependence (21\% vs 14\%; aHR, 1.32; P = .05), the inability to walk several blocks (17\% vs 11\%; aHR, 1.64; P = .01), dementia (21\% vs 12\%; aHR, 1.91; P = .03), and depression (19\% vs 12\%; aHR, 1.72; P = .01). The risk of 1-year mortality increased within the increasing risk factors present (0 factors: 10.0\%; 1 factor: 16.2\%; 2 factors: 27.8\%).In this older adult cohort, 223 participants (17\%) who underwent major surgery died within 1 year and poor function, cognition, and psychological well-being were significantly associated with mortality. Measures in function, cognition, and psychological well-being need to be incorporated into the preoperative assessment to enhance surgical decision-making and patient counseling.}, keywords = {Cognition, Mortality, Surgery}, issn = {2168-6254}, doi = {10.1001/jamasurg.2020.0091}, url = {https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2762522}, author = {Victoria L. Tang and Jing, Bocheng and W John Boscardin and Ngo, Sarah and Silvestrini, Molly and Finlayson, Emily and Kenneth E Covinsky} } @article {10869, title = {Association of Low to Moderate Alcohol Drinking With Cognitive Functions From Middle to Older Age Among US Adults}, journal = {JAMA Network Open}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Studies examining the association of low to moderate drinking with various cognitive functions have yielded mixed findings.To investigate whether associations exist between low to moderate alcohol drinking and cognitive function trajectories or rates of change in cognitive function from middle age to older age among US adults.A prospective cohort study of participants drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of US adults, with mean (SD) follow-up of 9.1 (3.1) years. In total, 19 887 participants who had their cognitive functions measured in the HRS starting in 1996 through 2008 and who had participated in at least 3 biennial surveys were included. The data analysis was conducted from June to November 2019.Alcohol consumption and aging.Trajectories and annual rates of change for the cognitive domains of mental status, word recall, and vocabulary and for the total cognitive score, which was the sum of the mental status and word recall scores. Participants were clustered into 2 cognitive function trajectories for each cognition measure assessed based on their scores at baseline and through at least 3 biennial surveys: a consistently low trajectory (representing low cognitive scores throughout the study period) and a consistently high trajectory (representing high cognitive scores throughout the study period).The mean (SD) age of 19 887 participants was 61.8 (10.2) years, and the majority of the HRS participants were women (11 943 [60.1\%]) and of white race/ethnicity (16 950 [85.2\%]). Low to moderate drinking (\<8 drinks per week for women and \<15 drinks per week for men) was significantly associated with a consistently high cognitive function trajectory and a lower rate of cognitive decline. Compared with never drinkers, low to moderate drinkers were less likely to have a consistently low trajectory for total cognitive function (odds ratio [OR], 0.66; 95\% CI, 0.59-0.74), mental status (OR, 0.71; 95\% CI, 0.63-0.81), word recall (OR, 0.74; 95\% CI, 0.69-0.80), and vocabulary (OR, 0.64; 95\% CI, 0.56-0.74) (all P \< .001). In addition, low to moderate drinking was associated with decreased annual rates of total cognitive function decline (β coefficient, 0.04; 95\% CI, 0.02-0.07; P = .002), mental status (β coefficient, 0.02; 95\% CI, 0.01-0.03; P = .002), word recall (β coefficient, 0.02; 95\% CI, 0.01-0.04; P = .01), and vocabulary (β coefficient, 0.01; 95\% CI, 0.00-0.03; P = .08). A significant racial/ethnic difference was observed for trajectories of mental status (P = .02 for interaction), in which low to moderate drinking was associated with lower odds of having a consistently low trajectory for white participants (OR, 0.65; 95\% CI, 0.56-0.75) but not for black participants (OR, 1.02; 95\% CI, 0.74-1.39). Finally, the dosage of alcohol consumed had a U-shaped association with all cognitive function domains for all participants, with an optimal dose of 10 to 14 drinks per week.These findings suggested that low to moderate alcohol drinking was associated with better global cognition scores, and these associations appeared stronger for white participants than for black participants. Studies examining the mechanisms underlying the association between alcohol drinking and cognition in middle-aged or older adults are needed.}, keywords = {Aging, Cognition, moderate alcohol drinking}, isbn = {2574-3805}, doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.7922}, author = {Zhang, Ruiyuan and Shen, Luqi and Toni Miles and Shen, Ye and Cordero, Jose and Qi, Yanling and Liang, Lirong and Li, Changwei} } @article {11214, title = {Association of work-family experience with mid- and late-life memory decline in US women.}, journal = {Neurology}, volume = {95}, year = {2020}, pages = {e3072-e3080}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that lifecourse patterns of employment, marriage, and childrearing influence later-life rate of memory decline among women, we examined the relationship of work-family experiences between ages 16 and 50 years and memory decline after age 55 years among U.S. women.

METHODS: Participants were women ages >=55 years in the Health and Retirement Study. Participants reported employment, marital, and parenthood statuses between ages 16 and 50 years. Sequence analysis was used to group women with similar work-family life histories; we identified 5 profiles characterized by similar timing and transitions of combined work, marital, and parenthood statuses. Memory performance was assessed biennially 1995-2016. We estimated associations between work-family profiles and later-life memory decline with linear mixed-effects models adjusted for practice effects, baseline age, race/ethnicity, birth region, childhood socioeconomic status, and educational attainment.

RESULTS: There were 6,189 study participants (n = 488 working non-mothers, n = 4,326 working married mothers, n = 530 working single mothers, n = 319 non-working single mothers, n = 526 non-working married mothers). Mean baseline age was 57.2 years; average follow-up was 12.3 years. Between ages 55 and 60, memory scores were similar across work-family profiles. After age 60, average rate of memory decline was 50\% greater among women whose work-family profiles did not include working for pay post-childbearing, compared with those who were working mothers.

CONCLUSIONS: Women who worked for pay in early adulthood and midlife experienced slower rates of later-life memory decline, regardless of marital and parenthood status, suggesting participation in the paid labor force may protect against later-life memory decline.

}, keywords = {Cognition, women, work-family interference}, issn = {1526-632X}, doi = {10.1212/WNL.0000000000010989}, author = {Elizabeth R Mayeda and Mobley, Taylor M and Weiss, Robert E and Audrey R Murchland and Lisa F Berkman and Erika L. Sabbath} } @article {10982, title = {Baby boomers face greater cognitive decline than previous generations}, year = {2020}, publisher = {Medical News Today}, address = {Brighton, UK}, abstract = {According to a new study, baby boomers lose more cognitive function than people of previous generations, reversing a recent trend.}, keywords = {Baby Boomers, Cognition}, url = {https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/baby-boomers-face-greater-cognitive-decline-than-previous-generations$\#$Cognitive-testing}, author = {Berman, Robby} } @article {11157, title = {The bidirectional relationship between physical health and memory.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

Individuals typically experience changes in physical health and cognitive ability across the life span. Although these constructs dynamically relate to one another, the temporal ordering of dynamic changes in physical health and cognitive ability is not well-established. Therefore, we examined the temporal ordering of the dynamic, bidirectional relationship between physical health and memory across ages 50-87 with Bivariate Dual Change Score Models (BDCSM). Employing a model-comparison approach, we tested whether inclusion of specific directional coupling parameters resulted in a meaningful improvement in model fit, controlling for education, gender, and race. The current sample included 9,103 individuals who participated in Waves 4-11 (1998-2012) of the Health and Retirement Study. Results indicated that both memory and physical health declined across ages 50-87. Furthermore, level of memory at a given time point was positively associated with subsequent change in physical health, meaning higher memory was linked to less decline in physical health by the subsequent time point. The opposite effect, namely physical health predicting memory, was much weaker. Age differences were also evident in the bidirectional coupling model, indicating that old-old individuals (i.e., ages 75-87) exhibited a much stronger coupling effect from memory to change in physical health than younger individuals (i.e., ages 50-74). In conclusion, memory buffers decline in physical health across mid-to-later life, and this effect is especially strong at older ages. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Cognition, Physical Health}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000579}, author = {Nelson, Niccole A and Jacobucci, Ross and Kevin J. Grimm and Elizabeth Zelinski} } @article {10681, title = {Cardiovascular Disease and Cumulative Incidence of Cognitive Impairment: Longitudinal Findings from The Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {DocWire News}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Despite previous research suggesting that cardiovascular disease (CVD) accelerates cognitive decline, a study presented at the ACC.20 World Congress of Cardiology found no increased risk of cognitive impairment among patients with CVD. }, keywords = {Cardiovascular disease, Cognition}, url = {https://www.docwirenews.com/conference-coverage/acc20/cardiovascular-disease-cognitive-impairment/} } @article {11143, title = {Cognition and Take-up of the Medicare Savings Programs.}, journal = {JAMA Internal Medicine}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 Oct 12}, abstract = {The Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) are limited Medicaid benefits that reduce out-of-pocket costs in Medicare Parts A and B for individuals with low income and assets. Despite the substantial financial assistance the MSPs offer, fewer than one-half of eligible individuals are enrolled. The complexity of the application and reattestation process for the MSPs, which requires individuals to provide detailed documentation of their income and assets at least annually, has been identified as one explanation for the low take-up of these benefits.2 Individuals with cognitive impairments, such as dementia, which 6.5 million elderly Americans experience, may face particular challenges navigating the MSP benefit. Prior research identified poor cognition as a contributor to the low take-up of insurance benefits other than the MSPs. In this study, we examined the association between cognition and MSP enrollment among elderly Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for these programs. We also examined enrollment in the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), a separate program that provides premium and cost-sharing assistance in Medicare Part D that Medicare beneficiaries automatically receive if they are enrolled in an MSP.}, keywords = {Cognition, health care policy, Medicare}, issn = {2168-6114}, doi = {10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2783}, author = {Roberts, Eric T and Brian E McGarry and Glynn, Alexandra} } @conference {11003, title = {Cognitive Ability, Cognitive Aging, and Debt Accumulation}, booktitle = {Retirement and Disability Research Consortium 22nd Annual Meeting }, year = {2020}, publisher = {Retirement and Disability Research Consortium}, organization = {Retirement and Disability Research Consortium}, address = {Virtual}, abstract = {While a large literature has examined savings behavior and accumulation among older adults, relatively little research has explored older adults{\textquoteright} debt behaviors and outcomes. Recent work by Lusardi, Mitchell, and Oggero (2020) shows that older adults from recent generations tend to hold more debt than their predecessors, particularly mortgage debt, and correspondingly face greater financial insecurity near retirement age. While documenting such trends is an important first step, developing policy interventions to counteract them requires identifying the underlying drivers of the observed surge in debt burdens among recent older adults. One potential candidate is the increasing complexity of financial products targeted to consumers in the past few decades (C{\'e}l{\'e}rier and Vallee, 2017), particularly among mortgage products (Amromin et al., 2018). Figure 1 documents that originations of complex mortgages with zero or negative amortization surged in the early 2000s and subsequently reduced sharply after the financial crisis. Consumers from later cohorts may have difficulty appropriately selecting among and using these increasingly complicated instruments (Brown et al., 2017; Hastings and Mitchell, 2018). This may be particularly true for individuals with low cognitive ability and older individuals experiencing cognitive decline. As the financial landscape has become progressively more complex, the rise in debt burdens may be concentrated on those who are less cognitively able, raising concerns about the economic security of individuals who may not be adequately equipped to navigate the system.}, keywords = {Cognition, Debt, Mortgages}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-RDRC-Meeting-Booklet.pdf$\#$page=96}, author = {Marco Angrisani and Burke, Jeremy and Arie Kapteyn} } @article {11008, title = {Cognitive Function and Cardiometabolic-Inflammatory Risk Factors Among Older Indians and Americans.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, volume = {68 }, year = {2020}, pages = {S36-S44}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how cardiometabolic-inflammatory risk factors are related to cognition among older adults in India and the United States.

DESIGN: The Longitudinal Aging Study in India-Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI-DAD) and the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS-HCAP) in the United States conducted an in-depth assessment of cognition, using protocols designed for international comparison.

SETTING: Cognitive tests were conducted in hospital or household settings in India and in household settings in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS: Respondents aged 60 years and older from LASI-DAD (N = 1,865) and respondents aged 65 years and older from HRS-HCAP (N = 2,111) who provided venous blood specimen.

MEASUREMENTS: We used total composite scores from the common cognitive tests administered. Cardiovascular risk was indicated by systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (proBNP), and homocysteine. Metabolic risk was measured by body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lipoprotein (a) (only in India). Inflammatory risk was indicted by white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, albumin, and uric acid (only in India).

RESULTS: The distribution of both total cognition scores and of cardiometabolic risk factors differed significantly between India and the United States. In both countries, lower cognition was associated with older age, lower education, elevated homocysteine, elevated proBNP, and lower albumin levels. The associations between HbA1c levels and cognitive measures were statistically significant in both countries, but in the opposite direction, with a coefficient of 1.5 (P < .001) in India and -2.4 (P < .001) in the United States for one percentage increase in absolute HbA1c value.

CONCLUSION: Cardiometabolic-inflammatory biomarkers are associated with cognitive functional levels in each country, but the relationships may vary across countries. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S36-S44, 2020.

}, keywords = {cardiometabolic risk, Cognition, HCAP, LASI-DAD}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.16734}, author = {Hu, Peifeng and Jinkook Lee and Beaumaster, Sidney and Jung K Kim and Dey, Sharmistha and David R Weir and Eileen M. Crimmins} } @article {jindra_li_tsang_bauermeister_gallacher_2020, title = {Depression and memory function {\textendash} evidence from cross-lagged panel models with unit fixed effects in ELSA and HRS}, journal = {Psychological Medicine}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Background Individuals with depression are often found to perform worse on cognitive tests and to have an increased risk of dementia. The causes and the direction of these associations are however not well understood. We looked at two specific hypotheses, the aetiological risk factor hypothesis and the reverse causality hypothesis. Method We analysed observational data from two cohorts, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and Health and Retirement Study (HRS), using cross-lagged panel models with unit fixed effects. Each model was run once with depression and repeated with cognition as the dependent variable and the other variable as the main explanatory variable. All models were estimated separately for contemporaneous effects and lagged effects up to 8 years in the past. We contrasted the results with models making the random effects assumption. Results Evidence from the fixed effects models is mixed. We find no evidence for the reverse causality hypothesis in ELSA and HRS. While there is no evidence for the aetiological risk factors hypothesis in ELSA, results from HRS indicate some effects. Conclusion Our findings suggest that current levels of cognitive function do not influence future levels of depression. Results in HRS provide some evidence that current levels of depressive symptoms influence future cognition.}, keywords = {Cognition, cross-lagged panel models, depression, ELSA, fixed effects}, doi = {10.1017/S0033291720003037}, author = {Jindra, Christoph and Li, Chenlu and Tsang, Ruby S. M. and Bauermeister, Sarah and Gallacher, John} } @article {zuniga_bishop_turner_2020, title = {Dietary lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with working memory in an older population}, journal = {Public Health Nutrition}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the association between dietary lutein and zeaxanthin (L + Z) intake and immediate word recall (IWR) and delayed word recall (DWR), and to identify the major contributors to dietary L + Z intake in a recent and representative sample of the older US population. Design: In this cross-sectional analysis, multivariate path analytic models estimated the association between L + Z consumption and cognitive performance while adjusting for covariates. Setting: Observations were drawn from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel study of older US adults, and the 2013 Health Care and Nutrition Study, which assessed dietary intake via FFQ in a subsample of respondents. Participants: The analytic sample included 6390 respondents aged >=50 years. Results: L + Z intake was 2{\textperiodcentered}44 {\textpm} 2{\textperiodcentered}32 mg/d on average, and L + Z intake differed significantly across quartiles (P < 0{\textperiodcentered}001). For example, average L + Z intake in Q1 was 0{\textperiodcentered}74 {\textpm} 0{\textperiodcentered}23 mg/d and in Q4 was 5{\textperiodcentered}46 {\textpm} 2{\textperiodcentered}88 mg/d. In covariate adjusted models, older adults in the highest quartiles of L + Z intake had significantly greater IWR and DWR scores than those in the lowest quartile. Leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, dark yellow vegetables, fish and seafood, legumes, eggs and fruit were significant and meaningful predictors of dietary L + Z intake. Conclusion: A high consumption of vegetables, fish and seafood, legumes, eggs and fruit is associated with a higher intake of L + Z and greater word recall among older adults.}, keywords = {Carotenoid, Cognition, Episodic Memory, Lutein, Memory, Older adult, Zeaxanthin}, doi = {10.1017/S1368980019005020}, author = {Krystle E Zuniga and Nicholas J Bishop and Turner, Alexandria S} } @article {CASANOVA2019100226, title = {Gender Differences in Cognitive Function among Older Mexican Immigrants}, journal = {The Journal of the Economics of Ageing}, volume = {16}, year = {2020}, abstract = {This paper uses data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) to study the cognitive function of Mexican-born older adults residing in the United States (Mexican immigrants). We find that, once differences in socioeconomic factors are accounted for, the cognitive function of male Mexican immigrants is statistically indistinguishable from that of male non-Hispanic (NH) whites, but the cognitive scores of female Mexican immigrants remain significantly below those of their NH white counterparts. We explore four potential hypotheses that may explain the cognition gap for female Mexican immigrants. Namely, we investigate whether the relative incidence of risk factors for dementia, when compared to NH whites, is higher for female than for male Mexican immigrants (the {\textquotedblleft}risk factor hypothesis{\textquotedblright}); whether the mortality rate of male Mexican immigrants with low cognition is higher, relative to their white counterparts, than that of female Mexican immigrants (the {\textquotedblleft}survival bias hypothesis{\textquotedblright}); whether female Mexican immigrants are less positively selected than their male counterparts in terms of predisposition to cognitive decline when compared with either the non-migrant Mexican population or the population of return migrants (the {\textquotedblleft}differential selection hypothesis{\textquotedblright}); and whether male immigrants are better acculturated to life in the United States than female immigrants (the {\textquotedblleft}acculturation hypothesis). We find no support for the risk-factor, survival, or acculturation hypotheses but we find evidence suggesting that the differential selection hypothesis may explain part of the female cognitive gap. Our results imply that older Mexican females currently residing in the U.S. may be at elevated risk for dementia and should be targeted by campaigns aimed at preventing or diagnosing the condition.}, keywords = {Cognition, Gender Differences, MHAS, Older Adults}, issn = {2212-828X}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeoa.2019.100226}, author = {Maria Casanova and Emma Aguila} } @article {11224, title = {Gender Differences in the Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Episodic Memory among Older Adults}, journal = {LOGOS: A Journal of Undergraduate Research}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, pages = {97-113}, abstract = {Though research has shown that socioeconomic status influences memory in later life, there is a paucity of research on how gender may shape the relationship between socioeconomic status and memory declines associated with advancing age. This study draws on data from the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 8,614) and estimates a series of OLS regression models to examine how memory is impacted by income and education, two commonly used indicators of socioeconomic status. Moreover, this study examines how these direct effects are moderated by gender. Results indicate that women display better memory at older ages than men, while higher income and education are both associated with better memory. Additionally, we find evidence that gender moderates the relationship between education and memory such that men benefit more from education than women. There was no significant gender difference in the effect of income on memory. We end with a discussion of study strengths and limitations as well as directions for future research.}, keywords = {Cognition, Education, gender, socioeconomic status}, url = {https://www.missouristate.edu/Assets/honorslogos/LOGOS_Vol_13.pdf$\#$page=82}, author = {Perkins, Austin and Kyler J. Sherman-Wilkins} } @article {10661, title = {Genetic and Educational Correlates of Religious Belief}, journal = {Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology}, volume = {6}, year = {2020}, pages = {119 - 136}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {Objectives This study queried associations of an education-related genetic score with religious belief, and their mediation by the educational process. Methods Data were from the Health and Retirement Study, nationally representative of U.S. adults over 50. Belief in God as well as in a divine plan for one{\textquoteright}s life was examined. Analysis was through linear growth models. Results Negative genetic associations were found with baseline between-person variation in both belief outcomes but not within-person change in them. Counterfactually defined mediation analysis suggested partial routing of these influences through educational attainment. Direct genetic effects{\textemdash}arguably indicating propensities for reflection and analytic thought{\textemdash}were also observed. Conclusions Religious belief seems modestly influenced by genetic correlates of education. Patterns are consistent with effects on life course divergences in belief{\textemdash}possibly through both socialization and innate cognitive traits{\textemdash}but not on late life change in this outcome. Given established linkages of religion with health as well as with a range of cultural and political factors, results highlight the need for genome wide studies directly examining the genetic roots of belief.}, keywords = {Cognition, Pleiotropy, Polygenic, Religious belief, socialization}, isbn = {2198-7335}, doi = {10.1007/s40750-020-00131-7}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs40750-020-00131-7$\#$citeas}, author = {Aniruddha Das} } @article {12130, title = {Genome-wide association study of cognitive function in diverse Hispanics/Latinos: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.}, journal = {Translational Psychiatry}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, pages = {245}, abstract = {

Cognitive function such as reasoning, attention, memory, and language is strongly correlated with brain aging. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics/Latinos have a higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. The genetic determinants of cognitive function have not been widely explored in this diverse and admixed population. We conducted a genome-wide association analysis of cognitive function in up to 7600 middle aged and older Hispanics/Latinos (mean = 55 years) from the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Four cognitive measures were examined: the Brief Spanish English Verbal Learning Test (B-SEVLT), the Word Fluency Test (WFT), the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), the Six-Item Screener (SIS). Four novel loci were identified: one for B-SEVLT at 4p14, two for WFT at 3p14.1 and 6p21.32, and one for DSST at 10p13. These loci implicate genes highly expressed in brain and previously connected to neurological diseases (UBE2K, FRMD4B, the HLA gene complex). By applying tissue-specific gene expression prediction models to our genotype data, additional genes highly expressed in brain showed suggestive associations with cognitive measures possibly indicating novel biological mechanisms, including IFT122 in the hippocampus for SIS, SNX31 in the basal ganglia for B-SEVLT, RPS6KB2 in the frontal cortex for WFT, and CSPG5 in the hypothalamus for DSST. These findings provide new information about the genetic determinants of cognitive function in this unique population. In addition, we derived a measure of general cognitive function based on these cognitive tests and generated genome-wide association summary results, providing a resource to the research community for comparison, replication, and meta-analysis in future genetic studies in Hispanics/Latinos.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, Genome-Wide Association Study, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological tests, Public Health, Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes}, issn = {2158-3188}, doi = {10.1038/s41398-020-00930-2}, author = {Jian, Xueqiu and Sofer, Tamar and Wassim Tarraf and Bressler, Jan and Jessica Faul and Zhao, Wei and Scott M Ratliff and Lamar, Melissa and Lenore J Launer and Laurie, Cathy C and Schneiderman, Neil and David R Weir and Wright, Clinton B and Kristine Yaffe and Zeng, Donglin and DeCarli, Charles and Thomas H Mosley and Smith, Jennifer A and Hector M Gonz{\'a}lez and Myriam Fornage} } @article {10355, title = {The Health and Retirement Study Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol Project: Study Design and Methods}, journal = {Neuroepidemiology}, year = {2020}, month = {2019}, abstract = {Introduction: The Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) Project is a substudy within the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), an ongoing nationally representative panel study of about 20,000 adults aged 51 or older in the United States. The HCAP is part of an international research collaboration funded by the National Institute on Aging to better measure and identify cognitive impairment and dementia in representative population-based samples of older adults, in the context of ongoing longitudinal studies of aging in high-, middle-, and low-income countries around the world. Methods: The HCAP cognitive test battery was designed to measure a range of key cognitive domains affected by cognitive aging (including attention, memory, executive function, language, and visuospatial function) and to allow harmonization and comparisons to other studies in the United States and around the world. The HCAP included a pair of in-person interviews, one with the target HRS respondent (a randomly selected HRS sample member, aged 65+) that lasted approximately 1 h and one with an informant nominated by the respondent that lasted approximately 20 min. The final HRS HCAP sample included 3,496 study subjects, representing a 79\% response rate among those invited to participate. Conclusion: Linking detailed HCAP cognitive assessments to the wealth of available longitudinal HRS data on cognition, health, biomarkers, genetics, health care utilization, informal care, and economic resources and behavior will provide unique and expanded opportunities to study cognitive impairment and dementia in a nationally representative US population-based sample. The fielding of similar HCAP projects in multiple countries around the world will provide additional opportunities to study international differences in the prevalence, incidence, and outcomes of dementia globally with comparable data. Like all HRS data, HCAP data are publicly available at no cost to researchers.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive assessment, study design}, isbn = {0251-5350}, doi = {10.1159/000503004}, author = {Kenneth M. Langa and Lindsay H Ryan and Ryan J McCammon and Richard N Jones and Jennifer J Manly and Deborah A Levine and Amanda Sonnega and Farron, M. and David R Weir} } @article {Kang:2020:1087-3244:159, title = {The Influence of Cognitive Impairment on Health Behaviors among Older Adults}, journal = {American Journal of Health Behavior}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, pages = {159-168}, abstract = {Objectives: Previous research on cognitive impairment and health behaviors has focused largely on how health behaviors affect cognition; rarely has it examined whether cognitive impairment affects health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of cognitive impairment on engagement in health behaviors among older adults. Methods: The study sample included 19,644 adults aged 50 or older from the Health and Retirement Study 1995-2012 surveys. We used mixed-effects logistic regression to analyze the influence of cognitive impairment, measured using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, on the engagement of health behaviors including physical activity, smoking, and drinking. Results: Cognitive impairment without dementia [CIND] (OR = .84, 95\% CI = .80-.89) and dementia (OR = .68, 95\% CI = .61-.75) were associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in regular vigorous physical activity during longitudinal follow-up, after adjusting for covariates. CIND or dementia was not significantly associated with the likelihood of smoking or alcohol consumption. Conclusions: CIND and dementia are risk factors for physical inactivity among older adults. Promotion of regular physical activity should be an essential component of health promotion programs for persons with cognitive impairment.}, keywords = {Cognition, health}, issn = {1087-3244}, doi = {doi:10.5993/AJHB.44.2.4}, url = {https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/png/ajhb/2020/00000044/00000002/art00004}, author = {Kang, Sung-wan and Xiang, Xiaoling} } @article {11164, title = {The Influence of the BDNFVal66Met Polymorphism on the Association of Regular Physical Activity With Cognition Among Individuals With Diabetes.}, journal = {Biological Research for Nursing}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is associated with cognitive dysfunction that comes with substantial lifetime consequences, such as interference with diabetes self-management and reduced quality of life. Although regular physical activity has been consistently shown to enhance cognitive function among healthy subjects, significant interpersonal differences in exercise-induced cognitive outcomes have been reported among (BDNF) Val/Val vs. Met carriers. However, the evidence on how the Val66Met variant influences the relationship between regular physical activity and cognition among individuals with diabetes is currently lacking.

METHODS: A total of 3,040 individuals with diabetes were included in this analysis using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Associations among moderate and vigorous physical activities (MVPA) and measures of cognitive function were evaluated using multivariable linear regression models within each stratum of the Val66Met genotypes.

RESULTS: MVPA was more strongly associated with total cognitive score, mental status, and words recall among Met/Met carriers, compared to Val/Val and Val/Met carriers.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provided preliminary findings on how variants may modulate the exercise-induced cognitive benefits among mid-aged and older adults with diabetes. Given the limitations of the current study, it is necessary for randomized controlled trials to stratify by genotypes to more conclusively determine whether Met carriers benefit more from increased physical activity. In addition, future research is needed to examine how the interplay of Val66Met variants, DNA methylation, and physical activity may have an impact on cognitive function among adults with diabetes.

}, keywords = {Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Cognition, Diabetes Mellitus, Exercise, Gene-Environment Interaction}, issn = {1552-4175}, doi = {10.1177/1099800420966648}, author = {Liu, Tingting and Canon, McKenzie D and Shen, Luqi and Marples, Benjamin A and Colton, Joseph P and Lo, Wen-Juo and Gray, Michelle and Li, Changwei} } @article {10926, title = {Interactive Effects of Chronic Health Conditions And Financial Hardship On Episodic Memory Among Older Blacks: Findings From The Health And Retirement Study}, journal = {Research in Human Development}, volume = {17}, year = {2020}, month = {2020/01/02}, pages = {41 - 56}, abstract = {Previous research links chronic health conditions and financial hardship to cognitive outcomes among older Blacks. However, few studies have explored the moderating effect of financial hardship on chronic disease burden and specific cognitive domains. This study examined whether financial hardship (as measured by difficulty paying monthly bills) modifies the impact of self-reported chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, stroke) on episodic memory among 871 older Blacks (50+ years) in the 2006 Health and Retirement Study . Financial hardship modified the association between chronic disease burden and episodic memory performance such that individuals who reported very little difficulty paying their monthly bills had significantly lower memory scores at high levels of disease burden compared to those reporting high financial difficulty after controlling for age, gender and education (F 2, 49 = 5.03, p = .010). This cross-sectional study suggests that both financial and physical wellbeing may have joint effects on cognitive health in older Blacks.}, keywords = {Chronic disease, Cognition, Financial hardship}, isbn = {1542-7609}, doi = {10.1080/15427609.2020.1746159}, author = {Byrd, DeAnnah R. and Gonzales, Ernest and Beatty Moody, Danielle L. and Gillian L Marshall and Laura B Zahodne and Roland J. Thorpe Jr. and Keith E Whitfield} } @mastersthesis {11427, title = {LIFECOURSE PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS, IMMUNE FUNCTION, INFECTION, AND COGNITIVE DECLINE \& DEMENTIA}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy}, year = {2020}, school = {The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill}, address = {Chapel Hill, NC}, abstract = {The over five million people in the U.S. living with dementia are at an elevated risk of other negative health outcomes due to a diminished ability to care for themselves, contributing significantly to healthcare costs. There is evidence that traumatic life events (TLE) influence laterlife cognitive function and decline through chronic activation of the HPA axis. One likely mechanism through which TLEs impact cognition is immune system alterations. Using data on 7,785 participants aged 65+ from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and 1,337 participants aged 60+ from the Sacramento Area Latino Study of Aging (SALSA), we investigated these relationships. In HRS, we estimated the association between TLEs and cognitive trajectories and incident dementia from 2006 to 2016. In SALSA, we estimated the associations between baseline immune biomarkers and cognitive outcomes over 10 years. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine these associations and potential interactions or effect measure modification. Stratified cumulative incidence functions were calculated to investigate risk of dementia. We found that TLEs were associated with a higher level of cognitive function and faster rate of decline but not with dementia incidence. The associations were strongest among those who experienced TLEs in late life and those with the lowest educational attainment. However, the type of TLE determined not only the strength but also the direction of the association. We also found that IL-6, TNF-alpha, and CMV IgG levels were associated with poorer cognitive function in SALSA, and the identified relationships were modified by educational attainment. Additionally, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and HSV-1 interacted with cortisol to alter the relationships with cognitive level and age. We did not find any statistically significant associations between exposures and dementia incidence. These findings suggest that TLEs may impact cognitive function and rate of cognitive decline in late life, timing of these events within the lifecourse is important, and these relationships are modified by educational attainment. Furthermore, elevated immune biomarkers may be indicative of lower cognitive function or accelerating decline in older populations. These relationships were modified by educational attainment, and cortisol may interact with immune cells to alter the associations with cognitive outcomes. }, keywords = {Cognition, Dementia, immune function, Stressors}, author = {Rebecca C Stebbins} } @article {10940, title = {More than Selection Effects: Volunteering is Associated with Benefits in Cognitive Functioning}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Volunteering is a lifestyle behavior that bolsters cognitive resilience. However, previous studies have not assessed the degree to which cognitive functioning is predictive of becoming a volunteer (i.e., selection into volunteering), and how this might contribute to superior cognitive performance observed among volunteers. The purpose of this brief report is to address the role of cognition-related selection into becoming a volunteer in the association between formal volunteering and two cognitive measures: (1) overall cognitive function, and (2) self-rated memory.The Health and Retirement Study was used to assess whether, net of cognitive selection into volunteering, formal volunteering is associated with cognitive function.Selection explained between 4.9\% and 29\% of the effect of volunteering on cognitive function (depending on the cognitive outcome and the level of volunteering). However, net of cognitive selection into volunteering, among all cognitive measures there are beneficial effects of formal volunteering on cognitive function.}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Cognition, Health Promotion, Volunteer activity}, isbn = {1079-5014}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa101}, author = {Ben Lennox Kail and Dawn C Carr} } @mastersthesis {11317, title = {Physical Activity Moderates the Relationship Between APOE4 Status and Working Memory: The Health and Retirement Study}, volume = {Bachelor of Science}, year = {2020}, school = {University of Central Florida}, address = {Orlando, FL}, abstract = {The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between physical activity and working memory decline among older adults with APOE4 status. The APOE4 allele is currently the strongest predictor of risk for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and other related dementias. The publicly available data from the Health and Retirement Study was used to complete this Retrospective Longitudinal study. Three hypotheses were explored. H$_{1}$: It is expected that the presence of the APOE4 allele will be associated with worse overall working memory performance and a steeper rate of decline in working memory over time. H$_{2}$: Meanwhile, it is expected that participants that partake in a higher physical activity level will have better overall working memory performance and less decline in working memory than participants that only perform low or no activity. H$_{3}$: A moderation effect of physical activity on the relationship between working memory and APOE4 status is expected. A two-way repeated measure ANOVA was performed. Results indicted main effects for physical activity and years of education on the digit span task. Additionally, it was found that vigorous activity mitigates ill-effects of APOE4 on working memory. A statistical significance was found for the interaction between APOE4 status and physical activity. Findings suggest that physical activity may be prioritized as a primary intervention method for older and middle-aged APOE4 carriers. }, keywords = {APoE4, Cognition, Physical activity}, url = {https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/835/$\#$:~:text=The\%20APOE4\%20allele\%20is\%20currently,disease\%20and\%20other\%20related\%20dementias.\&text=Additionally\%2C\%20it\%20was\%20found\%20that,APOE4\%20status\%20and\%20physical\%20activity.}, author = {El-Shafie, Dalia T.} } @article {10930, title = {Race/Ethnic Differences in Social Resources as Cognitive Risk and Protective Factors}, journal = {Research in Human Development}, volume = {17}, year = {2020}, pages = {57-77}, abstract = {Overall social network size, often the sum of common lifetime relationships, including children, family, and friends, has been linked to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer?s Disease. However, little research has examined the association between network size composition and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults in the context of race/ethnicity. We investigated the associations between the number of close children, family, and friends independently with executive function (EF) and memory across a subsample of non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White participants who completed the Health and Retirement Study Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (N = 2,395). We found that network size composition was more closely linked to EF than memory and that these associations varied by race/ethnicity. Specifically, the strongest associations existed between EF and quadratic estimates of the number of close children of non-Hispanic Black participants, and number of close family members for Hispanic participants. Among Black participants, a curvilinear relationship indicated that two close children were associated with greater EF, while a smaller or larger number of close children were associated with lower EF. On the other hand, among Hispanic participants, higher EF was associated with fewer (0?1) and greater (4-5+) numbers of family member contacts. Overall, these results indicate that examining children, family, and friends independently may be more useful than the common practice of aggregation of overall network size, especially in the context of race/ethnicity.}, keywords = {Cognition, HCAP, Race/ethnicity, social network}, isbn = {1542-7609}, doi = {10.1080/15427609.2020.1743809}, author = {Katz, Benjamin and Turney, Indira and Ji Hyun Lee and Amini, Reza and Kristine J. Ajrouch and Toni C Antonucci} } @article {11316, title = {Social Engagement and Cognitive Function of Older Adults in Mexico and the United States}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, pages = {560 - 561}, abstract = {Social engagement is linked to better cognition, but it is unclear if the social engagement of husbands and wives influences their own cognition as well as each other{\textquoteright}s cognition in two very different country contexts. Data on married couples come from the 2001 Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) and the 2000 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), with follow-up cognition measured in 2012. Structural equation models (SEM) were used to test the actor-partner interdependence model on the association of social engagement with cognition. In Mexico wives{\textquoteright} social engagement benefited their own cognition as well as their husbands{\textquoteright}, but husband{\textquoteright}s social engagement was unrelated to cognition. In the U.S. both wives{\textquoteright} and husbands{\textquoteright} social engagement benefited their own cognition, but not each other{\textquoteright}s. Results suggest asymmetric patterns of actor-partner interdependence in Mexico, possibly reflecting more traditional social roles of women and co-dependence within couples, but more independence within U.S. couples.}, keywords = {Cognition, Mexico, MHAS, social engagement}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1846}, author = {Bret Howrey and Jaqueline C Avila and Brian Downer and Rebeca Wong} } @article {10979, title = {VC-BART: Bayesian trees for varying coefficients}, year = {2020}, institution = {Cornell University}, address = {Ithaca, NY}, abstract = {Many studies have reported associations between later-life cognition and socioeconomic position in childhood, young adulthood, and mid-life. However, the vast majority of these studies are unable to quantify how these associations vary over time and with respect to several demographic factors. Varying coefficient (VC) models, which treat the covariate effects in a linear model as nonparametric functions of additional effect modifiers, offer an appealing way to overcome these limitations. Unfortunately, state-of-the-art VC modeling methods require computationally prohibitive parameter tuning or make restrictive assumptions about the functional form of the covariate effects. In response, we propose VCBART, which estimates the covariate effects in a VC model using Bayesian Additive Regression Trees. With simple default hyperparameter settings, VCBART outperforms existing methods in terms of covariate effect estimation and prediction. Using VCBART, we predict the cognitive trajectories of 4,167 subjects from the Health and Retirement Study using multiple measures of socioeconomic position and physical health. We find that socioeconomic position in childhood and young adulthood have small effects that do not vary with age. In contrast, the effects of measures of mid-life physical health tend to vary with respect to age, race, and marital status.}, keywords = {Cognition, Methodology, socioeconomics}, url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.06416}, author = {Deshpande, Sameer K. and Bai, Ray and Balocchi, Cecilia and Starling, Jennifer E. and Weiss, Jordan} } @article {11013, title = {When Culture Influences Genes: Positive Age Beliefs Amplify the Cognitive-Aging Benefit of APOE ϵ2}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Most studies of aging cognition have focused on risk factors for worse performance and on either genetic or environmental factors. In contrast, we examined whether two factors known to individually benefit aging cognition may interact to produce better cognition: environment-based positive age beliefs and the APOE ϵ2 gene.The sample consisted of 3,895 Health and Retirement Study participants who were 60 years or older at baseline and completed as many as 5 assessments of cognition over 8 years.As predicted, positive age beliefs amplified the cognitive benefit of APOE ϵ2. In contrast, negative age beliefs suppressed the cognitive benefit of APOE ϵ2. We also found that positive age beliefs contributed nearly 15 times more than APOE ϵ2 to better cognition.This study provides the first known evidence that self-perceptions can influence the impact of a gene on cognition. The results underscore the importance of combined psychosocial and biological approaches to understanding cognitive function in older adults.}, keywords = {age beliefs, APoE4, Cognition, gene, self-perceptions of aging}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa126}, author = {Becca R Levy and Martin D Slade and Robert H Pietrzak and Luigi Ferrucci} } @article {VANDERLEEUW2019103991, title = {The association between pain and prevalent and incident Motoric Cognitive Risk syndrome in older adults}, journal = {Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics}, year = {2019}, pages = {103991}, abstract = {Background The Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome (MCR) is a pre-dementia syndrome characterized by subjective cognitive complaints and slow gait in the absence of dementia and mobility disability. Worse cognitive and motoric function is associated with chronic pain in older adults. Our aim was to study the association between pain and prevalent and incident MCR in adults aged 65 years and older. Methods We analyzed the cross-sectional association between severity of pain and prevalent MCR in 3,244 older adults participating in the Health and Retirement Study (2008 wave) using logistic regression analysis adjusting for demographic, peripheral, central or biological risk factors. Additionally, we analyzed the longitudinal association between severity of pain and incident MCR in 362 participants in the Central Control of Mobility in Aging Study, using Cox regression analysis. Results The 155 Health and Retirement Study participants with severe pain had an increased risk of prevalent MCR (n = 249), compared to 2245 individuals without pain (adjusted for demographics OR: 2.78, 95\% CI:1.74-4.45). Over a mean follow-up of 3.01 years (SD 1.38), 29 individuals in the Central Control of Mobility in Aging Study developed incident MCR. Older adults with severe pain had over a five times increased risk of developing incident MCR, compared to those without pain even after adjusting for demographic variables (HR: 5.44, 95\% CI: 1.81-16.40). Conclusion Older adults with severe pain have a higher prevalence and incidence of MCR. These findings should be further explored to establish if pain is a potentially modifiable risk factor to prevent cognitive decline.}, keywords = {Aging, Cognition, Dementia, Epidemiology, Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome, pain}, issn = {0167-4943}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2019.103991}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167494319302341}, author = {Guusje van der Leeuw and Emmeline Ayers and Annette H. Blankenstein and Henri{\"e}tte E. van der Horst and Joe Verghese} } @proceedings {10404, title = {COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND SLEEP DIFFICULTIES OVER 10 YEARS IN A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF OLDER ADULTS}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {3}, year = {2019}, month = {2019/11/08}, pages = {S453 - S453}, abstract = {Prior studies suggest that sleep difficulties (e.g., trouble falling asleep) may be associated with cognitive impairment. We used a large, nationally representative longitudinal survey of adults over the age of 50 in the US to examine the relationship between sleep difficulties and cognitive functioning. Generalized estimation equation (GEE) linear regression models were used to analyze data from the 2004-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. We examined sleep difficulties and cognitive functioning within participants and across time (n=17,642). Sleep difficulty was measured as trouble falling asleep, nocturnal awakenings, and waking too early scored as 1= rarely/never, 2=sometimes, and 3=most of the time. A summary score indicated cognitive functioning (range 0-27). Models controlled for age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, chronic medical conditions, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). Compared to those with no sleep difficulties, those who reported difficulty falling asleep [{\textquotedblleft}sometimes{\textquotedblright} OR=0.83,95\%CI:0.71-0.96 and {\textquotedblleft}most of the time{\textquotedblright} OR=0.79,95\%CI: 0.64-0.98] and waking too early [{\textquotedblleft}most of the time{\textquotedblright} OR=0.79,95\%CI: 0.63-0.98] had worse cognitive functioning. Compared to those with no sleep difficulties, those who reported nocturnal awakenings [{\textquotedblleft}most of the time{\textquotedblright} OR=1.29,95\%CI:1.08-1.54] had higher cognitive functioning. Over time, lower cognitive function was more likely among those reporting difficulty falling asleep (OR=0.73,95\%CI:0.54-0.97), nocturnal awakenings (OR=0.77,95\%CI:0.61-0.97) and waking too early (OR=0.65,95\%CI: 0.47-0.88). In this nationally representative, longitudinal sample of older US adults, we found that over time lower cognitive function was more likely among those who reported difficulty falling asleep, nocturnal awakenings, and waking too early.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive impairment, Sleep}, isbn = {2399-5300}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6840199/}, author = {Robbins, Rebecca and Amanda Sonnega and Turner II, Robert W and Jean-Louis, Girardin and Kenneth M. Langa} } @article {13195, title = {Comparing Within- and Between-Family Polygenic Score Prediction.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {105}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 Aug 01}, pages = {351-363}, abstract = {

Polygenic scores are a popular tool for prediction of complex traits. However, prediction estimates in samples of unrelated participants can include effects of population stratification, assortative mating, and environmentally mediated parental genetic effects, a form of genotype-environment correlation (rGE). Comparing genome-wide polygenic score (GPS) predictions in unrelated individuals with predictions between siblings in a within-family design is a powerful approach to identify these different sources of prediction. Here, we compared within- to between-family GPS predictions of eight outcomes (anthropometric, cognitive, personality, and health) for eight corresponding GPSs. The outcomes were assessed in up to 2,366 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study from age 12 to age 21. To account for family clustering, we used mixed-effects modeling, simultaneously estimating within- and between-family effects for target- and cross-trait GPS prediction of the outcomes. There were three main findings: (1) DZ twin GPS differences predicted DZ differences in height, BMI, intelligence, educational achievement, and ADHD symptoms; (2) target and cross-trait analyses indicated that GPS prediction estimates for cognitive traits (intelligence and educational achievement) were on average 60\% greater between families than within families, but this was not the case for non-cognitive traits; and (3) much of this within- and between-family difference for cognitive traits disappeared after controlling for family socio-economic status (SES), suggesting that SES is a major source of between-family prediction through rGE mechanisms. These results provide insights into the patterns by which rGE contributes to GPS prediction, while ruling out confounding due to population stratification and assortative mating.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Child, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Diseases in Twins, Educational Status, Family, Female, genes, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genotype, Humans, Male, Multifactorial Inheritance, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Schizophrenia, Young Adult}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.06.006}, author = {Selzam, Saskia and Ritchie, Stuart J and Pingault, Jean-Baptiste and Reynolds, Chandra A and O{\textquoteright}Reilly, Paul F and Plomin, Robert} } @article {10461, title = {The Effects Video Gameplay on Memory and Need for Cognition in Adults and Older Adults}, journal = {Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting}, volume = {63}, year = {2019}, note = {doi: 10.1177/1071181319631482}, month = {2019/11/01}, pages = {1610 - 1614}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of video gameplay and biological sex on memory and the Need for Cognition in adults and aging adults. A sample of adults who played video games were identified from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The final poststrata sample included 242 respondents in the 2012 HRS wave. Of these respondents, 121 indicated engagement with video games (videogamers), and 121 were a match sample of non-videogamers on age, sex, and HRS cohort. Results revealed no difference in memory or the Need for Cognition between adults who played video games and those who did not play video games. There was an effect of biological sex on general memory performance. Implications of the results are further discussed.}, keywords = {Cognition, Memory, video games}, isbn = {2169-5067}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/1071181319631482}, author = {Parker, Jason A. and Barclay, Paul A. and Sims, Valerie K.} } @mastersthesis {10331, title = {Emergence of Disability in Late Life}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2019}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works; Last updated - 2019-10-07}, pages = {156}, school = {University of Pittsburgh}, type = {phd}, abstract = {In 2050, the life expectancy is anticipated to be 82 years in the United States. This increased in life expectancy has raised questions as to whether a longer period of old age guarantees a longer period of good health. As of now, the potential for a healthy late life is tempered by disability {\textendash} the loss of independence with activities of daily living (ADL). Disability looms as a personal, family, and public health crisis. Older adults with disability have low autonomy, require assistance from loved ones, and often require costly health care services. Effective interventions to prevent disability are critical to support wellness in late life. We identified gaps in existing non-pharmacological interventions for the prevention of disability, suggesting that 1) these interventions are associated with modest to moderate effect sizes and 2) the most robust interventions are complex and include multiple {\textquotedblleft}active ingredients.{\textquotedblright} However, the best combination of {\textquotedblleft}active ingredients{\textquotedblright} remains unclear, and the combinations may vary based on clinical indicators. To better understand these variations, we examined selected indicators of change in brain health (depressive symptoms, cognitive complaints) and their associations with patterns of everyday activities in at-risk older adults (i.e., with a recent diagnosis of a chronic condition). We learned that changes in these indicators of brain health accelerated disablement in older adults with a newly-diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus. We also learned that indicators of brain health influenced patterns of everyday activities in older adults at-risk for disability (i.e., self-reported changes in daily routines); depressive symptoms were associated with engagement in fewer instrumental ADL, and cognitive complaints were associated with engagement in fewer leisure activities. This information gives insight to the risk architecture contributing to the onset of disability, as well as potential clinical indicators that could be explored in future clinical trials. Age-related disability is {\textquotedblleft}a situation without precedent.{\textquotedblright} The information gleaned from this dissertation may inform 1) studies to examine the health consequences of everyday activities patterns; 2) the identification of factors that may elucidate the complex disablement; and 3) the structure, timing, and dosage of future interventions that aim to prevent disability in late life.}, keywords = {0212:Therapy, 0498:Occupational Therapy, Cognition, depression, Intervention, Occupational therapy, Prevention, Therapy}, isbn = {9781085724814}, url = {http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/36126/}, author = {Chao-Yi Wu} } @article {Sutin2019, title = {Five-factor model personality traits and cognitive function in five domains in older adulthood}, journal = {BMC Geriatrics}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {Dec}, pages = {343}, abstract = {Background Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits have been associated consistently with risk of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Less is known about how these traits are associated with functioning in specific domains of cognitive function in older adulthood. Methods Participants (N = 2865) were drawn from the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol sub-study of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Participants completed a battery of cognitive tasks that measured performance in five domains: Memory (eight tasks), speed-attention-executive (five tasks), visuospatial ability (three tasks), fluency (one task), and numeric reasoning (one task). Participants completed an FFM personality measure as part of the regular HRS assessment in either 2014 or 2016. Linear regression was used to examine the association between the traits and each cognitive task and composite scores for the five domains, controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education. We also tested whether the associations were moderated by these sociodemographic factors or mental status. Results Neuroticism was associated with worse performance on all of the cognitive tasks. Conscientiousness was associated with better performance across all five cognitive domains, although not necessarily with every task. Openness and Agreeableness were associated with better performance in all domains, except for numeric reasoning. Extraversion was associated with better speed-attention-executive and fluency. There was no robust evidence that the association between personality and cognition was moderated by sociodemographic characteristics or global cognitive function. Conclusions Personality traits have pervasive associations with functioning across five cognitive domains. Consistent with the literature on personality and risk of ADRD, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness were associated with cognitive performance in the expected direction in all domains. Extraversion was the only trait that showed domain-specific associations. The present research supports models of personality and health in the context of cognition and suggests that personality is associated with intermediate markers of cognitive health.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive function, five-factor model, Personality}, issn = {1471-2318}, doi = {10.1186/s12877-019-1362-1}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1362-1}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10389, title = {Home Environment, Living Alone, and Trajectories of Cognitive Function Among Older Adults With Functional Limitations}, journal = {Environment and Behavior}, year = {2019}, note = {doi: 10.1177/0013916519879772}, month = {2019/10/16}, pages = {0013916519879772}, abstract = {This study aimed to investigate the effects of Person-Environment Fit on trajectories of cognitive function. Data came from the Health Retirement Study (1998-2010), focusing on those aged 65 and above who had at least one limitation in activities of daily living. Using longitudinal mixed-effect modeling, we analyzed the effects of living in supportive home environments on trajectories of cognitive function over time. Disabled older individuals living alone were likely to experience a decline in cognitive function over time. However, the detrimental effects of living alone were moderated when the home was equipped with supportive features and accessibility. The findings reveal the importance of home modifications for socially and physically vulnerable elders.}, keywords = {Cognition, Functional limitations, home environment, Loneliness}, isbn = {0013-9165}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916519879772}, author = {So Jung Park and BoRin Kim and Amano, Takashi and Chen, Qingru} } @mastersthesis {https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/36153, title = {The impact of productive and leisure activities on cognitive health in later life}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy}, year = {2019}, month = {2019}, pages = {147}, school = {Boston University}, address = {Boston, MA}, abstract = {BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cognitive decline in old age brings challenges such as economic and caregiving burden, loss of independence, and other health consequences (Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Association, 2018). The productive aging literature has advanced a number of ideas about how to stay healthy in later life (Hooyman \& Kiyak, 2018; Morrow-Howell, Gonzales, Matz-Costa, \& Greenfield, 2015). However, existing literature has: tended to focus on productive and leisure activities during limited spans of time; not explored how the productive/leisure activity{\textendash}cognitive health relationship differs by the social determinants of health such as gender or race/ethnicity; and has not considered how these activities are collectively associated with cognition among older adults in the United States. Thus, using longitudinal data from a national cohort of older adults, this dissertation focuses on the following research questions: (1) Are the previous and ongoing cognitive, physical, and social complexities of work associated with cognitive health in later life? (2-a) Are the ongoing cognitive, physical, and social complexities of work and volunteering associated with cognitive health in later life? (2-b) Are the ongoing cognitive, physical, and social complexities of work, volunteering, and leisure activities associated with cognitive health in later life? For each question, the dissertation will explore whether associations vary by key social determinants of health. RESEARCH DESIGN: Using a nationally representative sample of older adults (51+) in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 2004{\textendash}2014), growth curve modeling is applied. The samples for research questions 1, 2-a, and 2-b include the following respondents, respectively: the Early Baby Boomer cohort, the HRS core survey respondents, and the HRS core respondents who provided information on leisure activity in the HRS Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS). CONTRIBUTIONS: Consistent with the Social Work Grand Challenge of advancing long and productive lives by focusing on cognitive aging, this study provides insight into cognitive aging research, interventions, and policy from a behavioral and social science perspective. Overall, this study adds to the discussion about policies and services to support older adults in maintaining active lifestyles and to promote healthy cognitive aging among older adults in the United States.}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive health, Leisure, Retirement}, url = {https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/36153}, author = {Lee, Yeonjung} } @article {11685, title = {The Influence of Cognitive Function on Balance, Mobility, and Falls in Older Cancer Survivors}, journal = {Rehabilitation Oncology}, volume = {37}, year = {2019}, pages = {77{\textendash}82}, abstract = {Introduction: Older cancer survivors fall more often, as disease-associated sequelae such as impaired cognitive function contribute to a higher falls risk. Cognitive dysfunction may contribute to falls and mobility; however, this relationship is not well described. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between cognitive function, gait speed, balance, and falls in older cancer survivors. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 573 older cancer survivors was conducted from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study wave. Groups were assigned on the basis of falls history: Falls (N = 222) or No Falls (N = 351). Groupwise comparisons on demographic, cognitive, and physical mobility variables were completed. Linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between cognitive function (recall, orientation, executive function), gait speed, tandem balance, and falls in the sample and by group. Results: Significant between-group differences existed in demographic, cognitive function, falls, and mobility variables. Falls were inversely associated with executive function (β = -0.18, P < .05). Delayed recall was linearly associated with tandem stance in the whole sample (β = 0.11, P < .05). Falls history was able to detect differing relationships between gait speed and each of the cognitive processes (β = 0.11-0.17 for fallers; β = 0.11-0.22 for nonfallers), indicating the underlying influence of cognition on mobility in cancer survivors. Discussion: Different cognitive processes influence falls, balance, and mobility in the older cancer survivor, especially those with a history of falling. Assessments of balance and falls should include screening more than orientation to detect cognitive impairments that impact mobility and falls.}, keywords = {balance, Cancer Survivors, Cognition, Falls, mobility}, doi = {10.1097/01.REO.0000000000000128}, author = {Blackwood, Jennifer} } @mastersthesis {10314, title = {Linking Communicative Interaction to Cognitive Functioning: Implications for Older Adults}, volume = {Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership}, year = {2019}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works; Last updated - 2019-09-19}, pages = {130}, school = {Pepperdine University}, type = {phd}, abstract = {As the percentage of older adults within the U.S. steadily increases, long-term care options are being impacted with growing numbers of seniors to provide for. The reality of these elevated numbers have sparked an interest in researchers to conduct studies on human development, plasticity in the brain, and training and intervention programs in search for ways to halt or lessen the cognitive and communicative decline, in older adults.As an alternative path to help older adults maintain quality of life, this study proposes to examine the link between communicative interaction and cognitive functioning to educate family members and healthcare providers on how communicative interactions and language influence cognition. Data (n = 3130) used in this study was retrieved from the University of Michigan{\textquoteright}s Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2014 for participants 65 years and older. Examination of the link between communicative interaction and cognition encompassed all factors of the learning process such as socio-emotional influences, environmental experiences, health and nutrition, and cognitive and physical development. Analysis of the study also included exploratory studies on social cognitive neuroscience and how brain training affects dementia.Findings in this study revealed that cognitive functioning declines with age, but rises with higher levels of education. Results also indicate that increased communicative interaction is significantly associated with improved cognitive functioning, when controlling for age, gender, and education. Considering other influential factors, determining the degree of association may require further investigation.}, keywords = {0351:Gerontology, 0493:Aging, 0516:Adult education, Adult education, Aging, Cognition, Communication, Communicative interaction, Dementia, Gerontology, Memory, Neuroscience}, isbn = {9781085631990}, url = {https://search.proquest.com/docview/2284211091?pq-origsite=gscholar}, author = {Denise Calhoun} } @article {10487, title = {Low grip strength linked to impaired cognition, memory loss in older Americans}, journal = {Michigan News}, year = {2019}, address = {Ann Arbor}, abstract = {For older Americans, poor handgrip may be a sign of impaired cognition and memory, a new study suggests. Researchers from the University of Michigan and North Dakota State University followed nearly 14,000 participants from the 2006 Health and Retirement Study, age 50 and older, for eight years. They found that every 5-kg reduction in handgrip strength was associated with 10\% greater odds for any cognitive impairment and 18\% greater odds for severe cognitive impairment. They assessed handgrip with a hand-held dynamometer, and cognitive function with a modified Mini-Mental State Examination, a widely used test among the elderly that includes tests of orientation, attention, memory, language and visual-spatial skills.}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive health, Grip strength, Memory}, url = {https://news.umich.edu/low-grip-strength-linked-to-impaired-cognition-memory-loss-in-older-americans/}, author = {Bailey, Laura} } @article {Clouston2019114, title = {Pattern Recognition to Identify Stroke in the Cognitive Profile: Secondary Analyses of a Prospective Cohort Study}, journal = {Cerebrovascular Diseases Extra}, year = {2019}, note = {cited By 0}, pages = {114-122}, abstract = {Background: Stroke can produce subtle changes in the brain that may produce symptoms that are too small to lead to a diagnosis. Noting that a lack of diagnosis may bias research estimates, the current study sought to examine the utility of pattern recognition relying on serial assessments of cognition to objectively identify stroke-like patterns of cognitive decline (pattern-detected stroke, p-stroke). Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using participants with no reported history of stroke in the Health and Retirement Study, a large (n = 16,113) epidemiological study of cognitive aging among respondents aged 50 years and older that measured episodic memory consistently biennially between 1996 and 2014. Analyses were limited to participants with at least 4 serial measures of episodic memory. Occurrence and date of p-stroke events were identified utilizing pattern recognition to identify stepwise declines in cognition consistent with stroke. Descriptive statistics included the percentage of the population with p-stroke, the mean change in episodic memory resulting in stroke-positive testing, and the mean time between p-stroke and first major diagnosed stroke. Statistical analyses comparing cases of p-stroke with reported major stroke relied on the area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC). Longitudinal modeling was utilized to examine rates of change in those with/without major stroke after adjusting for demographics. Results: The pattern recognition protocol identified 7,499 p-strokes that went unreported. On average, individuals with p-stroke declined in episodic memory by 1.986 (SD = 0.023) words at the inferred time of stroke. The resulting pattern recognition protocol was able to identify self-reported major stroke (AUC = 0.58, 95\% CI = 0.57-0.59, p < 0.001). In those with a reported major stroke, p-stroke events were detectable on average 4.963 (4.650-5.275) years (p < 0.001) before diagnosis was first reported. The incidence of p-stroke was 40.23/1,000 (95\% CI = 39.40-41.08) person-years. After adjusting for sex, age was associated with the incidence of p-stroke and major stroke at similar rates. Conclusions: This is the first study to propose utilizing pattern recognition to identify the incidence and timing of p-stroke. Further work is warranted examining the clinical utility of pattern recognition in identifying p-stroke in longitudinal cognitive profiles. {\textcopyright} 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.}, keywords = {Cognition, Stroke}, doi = {10.1159/000503002}, author = {Sean A. P. Clouston and Yun Zhang and Dylan M Smith} } @article {10442, title = {RACIAL-ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND DEPRESSION ON COGNITIVE TRAJECTORIES}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {3}, year = {2019}, pages = {S652-S652}, abstract = {Purpose of study: This study investigated (1) whether positive affect(PA), negative affect(NA), and depression are related to trajectories of cognitive functioning among older adults, (2) whether PA or NA could moderate the relationship between depression and cognitive trajectories, and (3) whether there are racial/ethnic differences in the relationships among PA, NA, depression and cognitive trajectories. Design and Methods: Growth-curve modeling was conducted using the sample of 10,289 individuals in the U.S. aged 50 or older from the 2006-2014 Health and Retirement Study. Racial/ethnic groups in this study were non-Hispanic Whites (NHW, n=8.009), African Americans (AA, n=1,428), Hispanics (n=611), and others (n=241). Results: After adjusting for covariates, PA showed positive effect, and depression had negative effect on cognitive functioning trajectories (p < .05, z = 8.76, 95\% CI= 0.27, 0.43; p < .05, z = -6.38, 95\% CI= -0.19, -0.10). Racial/ethnic minorities (i.e., AA, Hispanics, others) exhibited lower cognitive functioning over time compared to NHW. PA significantly moderated the effect of depression on cognitive trajectories (p < .05, z = - 8.04, 95\% CI = -0.19, -0.11), and the protective effect of PA against cognitive decline was pronounced for AA (p < .05, z = 2.75, 95\% CI = 0.10, 0.63). Conclusion: Findings suggest that PA may protect against cognitive decline in older adults, providing a buffer against the negative effect of depression or racial/ethnic minority status on cognitive trajectories. Potential intervention strategies are discussed to assist older adults in maintaining and improving PA to promote cognitive health.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive trajectories, depression, race, race-ethnicity}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igz038.2419}, author = {Park, Soohyun and Su Hyun Shin and Rebecca S Allen and Kim, Giyeon} } @article {10486, title = {Religious involvement may improve cognitive health}, journal = {Michigan News}, year = {2019}, address = {Ann Arbor}, abstract = {People over 50 who attend religious services and pray privately may notice better memory performance, a new study from the University of Michigan found. According to the study{\textquoteright}s findings, frequent religious service attendance and private prayer was linked to stronger cognitive health among blacks, Hispanics and whites. Previous research has shown religious involvement benefits physical and mental health of older minority adults.}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive health, Religion}, url = {https://news.umich.edu/religious-involvement-may-improve-cognitive-health/}, author = {Wadley, Jared} } @article {Sutin2019181, title = {Self-Reported Personality Traits and Informant-Rated Cognition: A 10-Year Prospective Study}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease}, volume = {72}, year = {2019}, note = {cited By 0}, pages = {181-190}, abstract = {Personality traits, such as higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness, are associated with risk of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and other dementias. A diagnosis of dementia relies, in part, on informant ratings of the individual{\textquoteright}s cognitive status. Here we examine whether self-reported personality traits are associated with four measures of informant-rated cognition up to a decade later. Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 2,536) completed a five-factor model measure of personality in 2006 or 2008. Informants completed the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), which included ratings of the participant{\textquoteright}s current cognitive functioning and change in cognitive function over the last decade assessed with the IQCODE, Blessed, 1066, and CSID. Controlling for characteristics of the participant, informant, and their relationship, higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness were associated consistently with worse informant-rated cognition. The association between Openness and better informant-rated cognition was due primarily to higher baseline cognitive function. Extraversion and Agreeableness were associated with better informant-rated cognition only among participants who were cognitively intact at follow-up. The present research suggests that knowledgeable informants are able to detect cognitive deficits associated with personality. {\textcopyright} 2019 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Aged, agreeableness, Article, Cognition, Conscientiousness, extraversion, Female, follow up, human, major clinical study, Male, neurosis, openness, Personality, priority journal, prospective study, Self Report}, issn = {13872877}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-190555}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31561364}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @mastersthesis {10257, title = {Social Engagement Among Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Conversion to Dementia}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {2019}, month = {05/2019}, pages = {131}, school = {Washington University in St. Louis}, address = {St. Louis, MO}, abstract = {Promoting social engagement is a promising approach to prevent or delay conversion from cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) to dementia. However, little is known about social engagement among people with CIND. This dissertation project aimed to improve understanding of social engagement among people with CIND by addressing gaps in the literature. It had three specific aims including: to describe and identify factors associated with heterogeneity of social engagement among older adults with CIND, to assess the association between heterogeneity of social engagement and conversion from CIND to dementia, and to investigate the relationship among heterogeneity of social engagement, other types of activity engagement, and conversion from CIND to dementia. Data from two waves (2010 and 2014) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used. The sample consisted of 1,227 people who were classified as having CIND in 2010. To identify the heterogeneity of social engagement, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was utilized. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between factors and patterns of social engagement. Using LCA, three groups were identified: Formal and informal social engagement group, Informal social engagement only group, and Low social engagement group. Some factors from four domains of WHO{\textquoteright}s ICF model were associated with probability of having certain patterns of social engagement. To assess the relationship between heterogeneity of social engagement and conversion from CIND to dementia, binary logistic regression was utilized. The result showed that people in the formal and informal social engagement group and informal social engagement only group had significantly lower probabilities of converting to dementia in four years. To investigate the relationship among different types of activity engagement and conversion from CIND to dementia, path analysis with structural equation model was utilized. The result revealed that the relationship between having the pattern of formal and informal social engagement and lower probability of converting to dementia in four years was mediated by having higher cognitive engagements. Findings suggest that social engagement is heterogeneous among people with CIND and there are some modifiable factors to promote social engagement among them. Results of this study also imply that promoting social engagement may be promising intervention to prevent or delay conversion from CIND to dementia. Findings further indicate that promoting social engagement may be more effective and efficient strategy since it promotes other activity engagements that may prevent or delay conversion from CIND to dementia.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive impairment, Dementia, social engagement}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.7936/53kh-ay12}, url = {https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/art_sci_etds/1845/}, author = {Amano, Takashi} } @article {McGrath2019, title = {Weakness and cognitive impairment are independently and jointly associated with functional decline in aging Americans}, journal = {Aging Clinical and Experimental Research}, year = {2019}, note = {cited By 0}, abstract = {Background: Discovering how certain health factors contribute to functional declines may help to promote successful aging. Aims: To determine the independent and joint associations of handgrip strength (HGS) and cognitive function with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and activities of daily living (ADL) disability decline in aging Americans. Methods: Data from 18,391 adults aged 50 years and over who participated in at least one wave of the 2006{\textendash}2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed. A hand-held dynamometer assessed HGS and cognitive functioning was examined with a modified version of the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status. IADL and ADL abilities were self-reported. Participants were stratified into four distinct groups based on their HGS and cognitive function status. Separate covariate-adjusted multilevel models were conducted for the analyses. Results: Participants who were weak, had a cognitive impairment, and had both weakness and a cognitive impairment had 1.70 (95\% confidence interval (CI) 1.57{\textendash}1.84), 1.97 (CI 1.74{\textendash}2.23), and 3.13 (CI 2.73{\textendash}3.59) greater odds for IADL disability decline, respectively, and 2.26 (CI 2.03{\textendash}2.51), 1.26 (CI 1.05{\textendash}1.51), and 4.48 (CI 3.72{\textendash}5.39) greater odds for ADL disability decline, respectively. Discussion: HGS and cognitive functioning were independently and jointly associated with IADL and ADL disability declines. Individuals with both weakness and cognitive impairment demonstrated substantially higher odds for functional decline than those with either risk factor alone. Conclusions: Including measures of both HGS and cognitive functioning in routine geriatric assessments may help to identify those at greatest risk for declining functional capacity. {\textcopyright} 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive impairment, Decline, functional health}, issn = {15940667}, doi = {10.1007/s40520-019-01351-y}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31520335}, author = {Ryan P McGrath and Brenda Vincent and Kyle J Hackney and Soham Al Snih and Graham, J. and Thomas, L. and Ehlers, D.K. and Brian C Clark} } @article {10.1093/geront/gny023, title = {Activity Patterns and Health Outcomes in Later Life: The Role of Nature of Engagement}, journal = {The Gerontologist}, volume = {59}, year = {2018}, month = {04}, pages = {698-708}, abstract = {The health benefit of activity participation at older ages is documented in the current literature. Many studies, however, only explored the health benefits of engaging in a few activities and did not examine mechanisms connecting activity participation to health. We investigated the pathway between activity and health by testing the mediation role of the nature of engagement (physical, cognitive, and social) on physical, mental, and cognitive health of older adults.We analyzed data of 6,044 older adults from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study linked with 2011 Consumption and Activity Mail Survey. We used latent class analysis to identify the patterns of participating in 33 activities as well as patterns of nature of engagement, and examined how these patterns were associated with cognition, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health in later life.Meaningful patterns of activity (high, medium, low, passive leisure, and working) and the nature of activity engagement (full, partial, and minimal) were identified. High and working groups, compared to the passive leisure group, showed better health and cognition outcomes. The nature of engagement mediated the relationship between activity patterns and health, especially for older adults who were either full or partially engaged.The nature of engagement may play a more important role than the activity itself in relation to health. Identifying the heterogeneity in activity engagement in later life is critical for tailoring interventions and designing programs that can improve the health of older adults.}, keywords = {Activity engagement, Cognition, depression, Self-rated health}, issn = {0016-9013}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gny023}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29659800}, author = {Chen, Yu-Chih and Putnam, Michelle and Lee, Yung Soo and Morrow-Howell, Nancy} } @mastersthesis {10341, title = {The Association of Computer Usage and Cognitive Function in Older Adults}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2018}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works; Last updated - 2018-07-11}, pages = {83}, school = {Palo Alto University}, type = {phd}, abstract = {Computers are a ubiquitous part of American culture. While older adults (65 years and over) are often among the last adopters of new technology (Pew Research Center, 2014), those who are more willing to utilize new technologies may be at a cognitive advantage over those who do not use them (Wright, 2000). This dissertation examines the cognitive functioning associated with computer use in older adults. It was hypothesized that due to the complex nature of computer usage, older adults who utilize a computer often, would have better preserved cognitive functioning than older adults who do not use the computer as often. This study utilized archival data from the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS) in a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional design. Adult participants (n = 274) 71 years or older with no dementia were included in the study. All participants and collaterals completed interviews and questionnaires regarding activities of daily living, demographic, and lifestyle information. All participants completed the Trail Making Test (TMT-A; TMT-B); Digit Span Forward (DSF) and Backward (DSB); and Symbol Digit Modalities Task (SDMT). To examine the relationship between computer use, cognitive flexibility, working memory, information processing and processing speed, a hierarchical multiple linear regression was used. Age, years of education, and sex were entered as covariates. TMT-A and DSF were entered as covariates in the models. TMT-B, DSB, or SDMT were entered as the dependent variables in three separate models. Age, years of education, sex, TMT-A, and DSF were all significantly associated with regular computer use in older adults without dementia (p < .01). However, only SDMT was significantly associated with regular computer use in cognitive normal older adults ( p = 0.013). These findings suggest that regular computer use was associated with information processing and processing speed, as measured by SDMT, in older adults without dementia. However, due to the cross-sectional design, causality cannot be determined. Thus, as reported by Kaye et al. (2014), it is possible that the older adults who used the computer regularly had higher cognitive function and were therefore more likely to continue using the computer than those with decreased cognitive functioning.}, keywords = {0351:Gerontology, 0633:Cognitive psychology, Cognition, Cognitive psychology, Computer use, Executive function, Gerontology, Older adult, Processing speed, Psychology, Social Sciences, Working memory}, isbn = {9780438025363}, url = {https://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2051806206?accountid=14667}, author = {Liou-Johnson,Victoria} } @mastersthesis {10259, title = {Care Receipt and Care Provision in Parent-Adult Child Relationships: Their Association with Older Adults{\textquoteright} Mental Health.}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2018}, month = {05/2018}, pages = {97}, school = {Florida State University}, address = {Tallahassee, FL}, abstract = {Unprecedented shifts in age structure has important implications for the number of people ages 65 and older living with disabilities and requiring long-term care. Further, health care trends, including the early discharge of hospital patients and the transition of Medicaid funds away from nursing home care to community-based care (Stillman and Black 2005), has resulted in increasing numbers of older adults relying on assistance from family, especially adult children (Freedman and Spillman 2014). While it is known that adult children play an instrumental role in caring for their aging parents, relatively little is known about how this arrangement impacts the well-being of the parent. Using data from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study, this dissertation examines care receipt and care provision among functionally limited older adults and their adult children, as well as their associations with mental health. Unlike previous research examining care (receipt and provision) between older adults and their adult children, this study pays greater attention to potential gender differences in the type of care given or received, as well as their associations with mental health. In my first analysis I use logistic regression analysis to examine how sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and health factors affect the likelihood of giving and receiving various types of care. Results examining care receipt revealed that parents who are most in need of care {\textendash} for example, women, race/ethnic minorities, and those with fewer socioeconomic resources and poorer health {\textendash} are also more likely to receive it from their adult children. Results examining care provision revealed that parents with greater socioeconomic resources were most likely to provide financial support to adult children, while women, non-Hispanic Blacks and non-married parents were more likely to provide delayed care provision, including a will/trust or life insurance benefit. In my second set of analyses address I use negative binomial regression to examine how care (receipt and provision) are associated with mental health. I also examine how associations between care (receipt and provision) and mental health vary by gender and by level of functional limitation. Results for care receipt reveal that receiving help with IADLs is associated with better mental health and that this association is stronger for women and for those with greater functional limitations. Results for care provision reveal that including a child in a will or as a life insurance beneficiary was associated with better mental health, on average. In contrast, providing financial support to adult children was associated with worse mental health for women and those with more functional limitations. This study underscores the importance of examining specific types of care received and given and highlights the importance of considering the gender of care recipients when examining the association between care and mental health.}, keywords = {adult care relationships, Cognition, Mental Health, parent-child relationships}, url = {http://fsu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fsu\%3A650274}, author = {Glasgow, Katherine Lynn} } @mastersthesis {10255, title = {Childhood and Adulthood Stress Exposures in Relation to Late-Life Cognitive Function: A Life Course Perspective.}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy}, year = {2018}, month = {03/2018}, pages = {397}, school = {University of Rochester}, address = {Monroe, NY}, abstract = {Background: Chronic stress exposures are believed to cause alterations in neurobiological systems as wells as structural atrophy in specific brain regions. Because of this dysregulation, stress exposures are associated with a wide range of health outcomes, in particular, cognitive function. Principles of life course epidemiology are needed to understand how stress exposures in different developmental periods are interrelated and how these processes may influence late-life cognitive function. Methods: Data from the publicly available 2008, 2010, and 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used to address Specific Aims 1 and 2. Participants who received the psychosocial lifetime questionnaire that included items on stress exposures will be identified. The HRS measured global cognitive function using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). Bivariate analyses will compare mean TICS scores and the distributions of potential confounders across stress exposures in childhood and adulthood. Subsequently, multivariable analyses including mixed-effects linear regression models and marginal structural equation models for mediation will be used to assess the relationships between childhood and adulthood stress exposures and late-life cognitive function. Specific Aim 3 imputed domain specific cognitive function scores for HRS participants applying data fusion that will use the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III as the donor file. Linear regression models evaluated the association between childhood stress exposures and late-life domain specific cognitive function and whether these relationships are modified by social support. Results: A total of 3,433 participants met inclusion criteria. Both childhood and adulthood stress exposures were associated with late-life cognitive function. Only the childhood (and not the adulthood or total score) was associated with late-life cognitive function. Death of a child mediated the relationship between the childhood cumulative score and late-life cognitive function. Conclusions: Childhood stress exposures, in particular they accumulate, have the most detrimental effect on late-life cognitive function. Future endeavors may apply results from this dissertation to investigate biological mechanisms that may explain etiologic pathways that link stress exposures to cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, keywords = {Childhood, Cognition, cognitive function, life course perspective, Stress}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/1802/33499} } @article {10335, title = {COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN OLDER ADULTS: A LIFE SPAN HEALTH PRODUCTION FUNCTION APPROACH}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {2}, year = {2018}, month = {11/2018}, pages = {178 - 178}, abstract = {Life-course theory postulates that our ultimate health outcomes are, in part, a response to an accumulation of advantages and disadvantages that begin early in life. Using 2012 Health and Retirement Study data on 9,221 older adults, we quantify how childhood factors contribute to {\textquotedblleft}cognitive achievement{\textquotedblright}, directly and indirectly through their effects on mediating adult outcomes. We estimate {\textquotedblleft}cognitive achievement{\textquotedblright} as the output of a production function, produced by childhood health and socioeconomic-status, adult socioeconomic achievements, health habits and pertinent demographics, adopting simultaneous equations mediation model to quantify the direct and indirect effects of childhood factors. We find that favorable childhood conditions significantly improve cognitive achievement, both directly and indirectly, mediated through education, income, and wealth. Our findings complement available research by showing that cognitive achievement is a function of childhood, adult and later-life factors. The pathways from childhood factors to cognitive achievement, however, could be more complex than previously reported.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive functioning, Functional approach, lifespan approach}, isbn = {2399-5300}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6229832/}, author = {Nasim B Ferdows} } @mastersthesis {10264, title = {Functional and Cognitive Status and Medication Complexity in Older Adults: The Health and Retirement Study}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2018}, month = {05/2018}, pages = {112}, school = {Virginia Commonwealth University}, address = {Richmond, VA}, abstract = {Introduction: Older adults have high prevalence of chronic illnesses that lead to have complex medication regimens. They are also more likely to have cognitive and functional impairments. Both cognitive/functional impairments and medication regimen complexity increase the risk of medication non-adherence. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between prescription medication regimen complexity and cognitive/functional status at baseline and after two years, and to assess how changes in cognitive/functional status are associated with changes in medication regimen complexity. Methods: This study used nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults from the Health and Retirement Study, followed over a two-year period. The exposures examined were cognitive status, and two types of functional status (Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). The association between cognitive/functional status and medication regimen complexity was examined at baseline and after two years. Similar models were used to examine the relationship between cognitive/functional impairment and sub-components of complexity, and to assess how changes in cognitive/functional impairment were associated with changes in medication complexity over two years. Results:Impairment in ADLs were associated with higher medication complexity at baseline (p=0.0029) and after two years (p=0.0243). Impairments in IADLs were associated with higher regimen complexity at baseline only (p=0.0130). Stratifying by depression status, IADL impairment was found to predict higher complexity at both time points, but only in participants without depression. Cognitive impairment was associated with lower medication regimen complexity at baseline (p Conclusion: ADL impairment was strongly associated with higher medication complexity. IADL impairment showed some association with higher medication complexity, but this relationship may vary according to depression status and requires further investigation. Recognition of these impairments may offer health care providers the opportunity to intervene by re-assessing medication regimens for patients with functional impairments. Cognitive impairment was associated with lower medication complexity. Changes in cognitive or functional were not associated with changes in complexity. Further study is needed to investigate this relationship over a longer period of time.}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Status, Medication, Medication Complexity, Older Adults}, url = {https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5355/}, author = {Duaa Bafail} } @article {RePEc:wyi:wpaper:002390, title = {Occupational Retirement and Social Security Reform: the Roles of Physical and Cognitive Health}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Under skill-biased technical change, jobs are becoming less physically demanding whereas require increasing cognitive abilities. However, existing research does not pay sufficient attention on the role of cognitive health in older people{\textquoteright}s labor supply, nor to the occupation-dependent labor supply effects of physical and cognitive health. This paper reveals several facts about the heterogeneity of physical and cognitive health, as well as their relationship with older people{\textquoteright}s labor supply across occupations. Based on these facts, this paper proposes and estimates a dynamic programming structural model of individual retirement and saving decisions. The model allows labor supply effects of physical and cognitive health to differ across occupations via four channels respectively: disutility of working, wage, medical expenditure and life expectancy . I estimate the model with the U.S. Health and Retirement Study data by Indirect Inference. The counterfactual experiments suggest cognitive health has little retirement effect for manual workers. However, for clerical workers, the effect is almost as large as the one of physical health. The counterfactual experiment also reveals the mechanisms through which physical and cognitive health affects labor supply respectively. Finally, this paper quantifies the distributional effects of proposed Social Security changes on retirement, benefits and welfare across occupations.}, keywords = {Cognition, Retirement, Social Security}, url = {https://ideas.repec.org/p/wyi/wpaper/002390.html}, author = {Jiayi Wen} } @article {12139, title = {Study of 300,486 individuals identifies 148 independent genetic loci influencing general cognitive function.}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, pages = {2098}, abstract = {

General cognitive function is a prominent and relatively stable human trait that is associated with many important life outcomes. We combine cognitive and genetic data from the CHARGE and COGENT consortia, and UK Biobank (total N = 300,486; age 16-102) and find 148 genome-wide significant independent loci (P < 5 {\texttimes} 10) associated with general cognitive function. Within the novel genetic loci are variants associated with neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, physical and psychiatric illnesses, and brain structure. Gene-based analyses find 709 genes associated with general cognitive function. Expression levels across the cortex are associated with general cognitive function. Using polygenic scores, up to 4.3\% of variance in general cognitive function is predicted in independent samples. We detect significant genetic overlap between general cognitive function, reaction time, and many health variables including eyesight, hypertension, and longevity. In conclusion we identify novel genetic loci and pathways contributing to the heritability of general cognitive function.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Genetic Loci, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Mental Disorders, Middle Aged, Multifactorial Inheritance, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Reaction Time, Young Adult}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-04362-x}, author = {Gail Davies and Lam, Max and Sarah E Harris and Joey W Trampush and Luciano, Michelle and W David Hill and Hagenaars, Saskia P and Ritchie, Stuart J and Riccardo E Marioni and Fawns-Ritchie, Chloe and David C Liewald and Okely, Judith A and Ahola-Olli, Ari V and Barnes, Catriona L K and Bertram, Lars and Joshua C. Bis and Katherine E Burdick and Christoforou, Andrea and DeRosse, Pamela and Djurovic, Srdjan and Espeseth, Thomas and Giakoumaki, Stella and Giddaluru, Sudheer and Gustavson, Daniel E and Caroline Hayward and Edith Hofer and Ikram, M Arfan and Karlsson, Robert and Knowles, Emma and Lahti, Jari and Leber, Markus and Li, Shuo and Mather, Karen A and Melle, Ingrid and Morris, Derek and Christopher J Oldmeadow and Palviainen, Teemu and Payton, Antony and Pazoki, Raha and Katja E Petrovic and Chandra A Reynolds and Sargurupremraj, Muralidharan and Scholz, Markus and Smith, Jennifer A and Smith, Albert V and Terzikhan, Natalie and Thalamuthu, Anbupalam and Trompet, Stella and Sven J van der Lee and Erin B Ware and Windham, B Gwen and Margaret J Wright and Yang, Jingyun and Yu, Jin and Ames, David and Amin, Najaf and Amouyel, Philippe and Andreassen, Ole A and Armstrong, Nicola J and Assareh, Amelia A and John R. Attia and Attix, Deborah and Avramopoulos, Dimitrios and David A Bennett and B{\"o}hmer, Anne C and Patricia A. Boyle and Brodaty, Henry and Campbell, Harry and Tyrone D. Cannon and Elizabeth T. Cirulli and Congdon, Eliza and Conley, Emily Drabant and Corley, Janie and Cox, Simon R and Dale, Anders M and Dehghan, Abbas and Danielle M. Dick and Dickinson, Dwight and Johan G Eriksson and Evangelou, Evangelos and Jessica Faul and Ford, Ian and Nelson A. Freimer and Gao, He and Giegling, Ina and Gillespie, Nathan A and Gordon, Scott D and Gottesman, Rebecca F and Michael E Griswold and Gudnason, Vilmundur and Tamara B Harris and Hartmann, Annette M and Hatzimanolis, Alex and Gerardo Heiss and Holliday, Elizabeth G and Joshi, Peter K and K{\"a}h{\"o}nen, Mika and Sharon L R Kardia and Ida Karlsson and Kleineidam, Luca and David S Knopman and Kochan, Nicole A and Konte, Bettina and Kwok, John B and Stephanie Le Hellard and Lee, Teresa and Lehtim{\"a}ki, Terho and Li, Shu-Chen and Lill, Christina M and Liu, Tian and Koini, Marisa and London, Edythe and Longstreth, Will T and Lopez, Oscar L and Loukola, Anu and Luck, Tobias and Astri J Lundervold and Lundquist, Anders and Lyytik{\"a}inen, Leo-Pekka and Nicholas G Martin and Grant W Montgomery and Murray, Alison D and Anna C Need and Noordam, Raymond and Nyberg, Lars and William E R Ollier and Papenberg, Goran and Pattie, Alison and Polasek, Ozren and Russell A Poldrack and Psaty, Bruce M and Reppermund, Simone and Steffi G Riedel-Heller and Rose, Richard J and Rotter, Jerome I and Roussos, Panos and Rovio, Suvi P and Saba, Yasaman and Fred W Sabb and Sachdev, Perminder S and Satizabal, Claudia L and Schmid, Matthias and Rodney J Scott and Matthew A Scult and Simino, Jeannette and Slagboom, P Eline and Smyrnis, Nikolaos and Soumar{\'e}, A{\"\i}cha and Nikos C Stefanis and Stott, David J and Richard E Straub and Sundet, Kjetil and Taylor, Adele M and Kent D Taylor and Tzoulaki, Ioanna and Tzourio, Christophe and Andr{\'e} G Uitterlinden and Vitart, Veronique and Aristotle N Voineskos and Kaprio, Jaakko and Wagner, Michael and Wagner, Holger and Weinhold, Leonie and Wen, K Hoyan and Elisabeth Widen and Yang, Qiong and Zhao, Wei and Hieab H Adams and Dan E Arking and Robert M Bilder and Bitsios, Panos and Boerwinkle, Eric and Chiba-Falek, Ornit and Corvin, Aiden and Philip L de Jager and Debette, St{\'e}phanie and Donohoe, Gary and Elliott, Paul and Fitzpatrick, Annette L and Gill, Michael and David C. Glahn and H{\"a}gg, Sara and Narelle K Hansell and Ahmad R Hariri and Ikram, M Kamran and Jukema, J Wouter and Vuoksimaa, Eero and Matthew C Keller and Kremen, William S and Lenore J Launer and Lindenberger, Ulman and Aarno Palotie and Nancy L Pedersen and Pendleton, Neil and David J Porteous and Katri R{\"a}ikk{\"o}nen and Olli T Raitakari and Ramirez, Alfredo and Reinvang, Ivar and Rudan, Igor and Schmidt, Reinhold and Schmidt, Helena and Peter W Schofield and Peter R Schofield and John M Starr and Vidar M Steen and Trollor, Julian N and Turner, Steven T and Cornelia M van Duijn and Villringer, Arno and Daniel R Weinberger and David R Weir and James F Wilson and Anil K. Malhotra and McIntosh, Andrew M and Gale, Catharine R and Seshadri, Sudha and Thomas H Mosley and Bressler, Jan and Lencz, Todd and Ian J Deary} } @mastersthesis {11405, title = {Changing minds: A study of cognitive change disparities and their social determinants among older adults in the health and retirement study, 1998{\textendash}2012.}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy}, year = {2017}, school = {Pennsylvania State University}, address = {State College, PA}, abstract = {Despite the rapidly growing literature on cognitive functioning trajectories, sociologists and social demographers have been largely removed from the research on age-related cognitive change. Indeed, research on cognitive decline tends to be dominated by biological psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists. Given the important insights that the sociological and demographic perspective can provide to understanding cognitive aging processes{\textemdash}particularly with regards to the social determinants of cognitive aging and how the patterns of change vary across social locations (e.g. race, gender, socioeconomic status){\textemdash}it is imperative for a social demographic analysis to be applied when examining cognitive aging. This dissertation aims to describe and explain sociodemographic variations in trajectories of age-related cognitive decline. Using data from the nationally representative longitudinal Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and drawing on the life course perspective, reserve theory, intersectionality theory, and differential exposure/susceptibility perspectives, this study uses an integrated person-centered/variablecentered methodological approach to examine both patterns of cognitive decline across social locations as well as said patterns{\textquoteright} social determinants. Broadly, this study has three main aims. First, this study aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the various trajectories of agerelated cognitive decline by estimating and examining distinct classes of cognitive aging trajectories using general growth mixture modeling with latent trajectory classes (GGMM-LTC). Further, this study seeks to ascertain whether the cognitive aging disparities follow an age-asleveler, persistent inequality, or cumulative (dis)advantage pattern. Additionally, I examine whether active or passive reserve processes underlie changes in cognitive performance with advancing age. Building on the previous identification of distinct classes of cognitive decline, the second aim of this study is to examine patterns of cognitive aging across social locations by applying intersectionality theory. Lastly, the third aim is to employ differential exposure and differential susceptibility hypotheses to explain racial and gender differences in cognitive aging patterns. Findings addressing the first aim indicate that distinct classes for both episodic memory and mental status exist, and that membership in classes is stratified by race, gender, socioeconomic status, health, and early life adversity. Additionally, support for the age-as leveler, persistent inequality, and cumulative (dis)advantage patterns were found depending on the groups compared and the cognitive domain examined. It was also found that the cognitive reserve process plays out in the mental status domain. Findings related to the second aim of this study indicate that gender and levels of education influence cognitive trajectory class membership for blacks and whites in both episodic memory and mental status domains. More specifically, whites and respondents with higher levels of education are more likely to belong in episodic memory and mental status classes with higher levels of initial functioning. Further, I find evidence for the multiplicative effects of gender and education for episodic memory among whites and for mental status among both whites and blacks thus providing support for the intersectionality perspective. Lastly, findings related to the third aim show that race and gender are both significant predictors of episodic memory and mental status trajectory class membership. Blacks and men are more likely to belong in episodic memory trajectory classes characterized by low initial function with more rapid declines than their white and female counterparts. For mental status, blacks and women are more likely to be in lower initial functioning classes, but are advantaged with regards to rate of decline. Additionally, findings provide little evidence for the notion that early life adversity attenuates the relationship between race and/or gender and cognitive decline trajectory class membership, thereby no support for the differential exposure hypothesis was found. Lastly, lack of statistically significant interactions between both race and gender and early life adversity indicates that there is no support for the differential susceptibility hypothesis. Overall, findings herein show that the social patterning and determinants of cognitive decline in the U.S. are complex, varying with the groups being compared as well as the cognitive domain in question. Moreover, this dissertation provides an argument that researchers in the area of cognitive decline would benefit greatly from an intersectionality approach. This dissertation concludes with the placement of current findings within the existing literature, a detailing of policy implications, a discussion of study limitations, and the outlining of planned future research in the area of cognitive decline and ideas for better cognitive functioning assessment in the population. }, keywords = {Cognition, Disparities}, url = {https://search.proquest.com/openview/fa6ce296a12971a3e2321e8b0bf3a2aa/1?pq-origsite=gscholar\&cbl=18750\&diss=y}, author = {Kyler J. Sherman-Wilkins} } @article {8828, title = {Neighborhood age structure and cognitive function in a nationally-representative sample of older adults in the U.S.}, journal = {Soc Sci Med}, volume = {174}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 02}, pages = {149-158}, abstract = {

Recent evidence suggests that living in a neighborhood with a greater percentage of older adults is associated with better individual health, including lower depression, better self-rated health, and a decreased risk of overall mortality. However, much of the work to date suffers from four limitations. First, none of the U.S.-based studies examine the association at the national level. Second, no studies have examined three important hypothesized mechanisms - neighborhood socioeconomic status and neighborhood social and physical characteristics - which are significantly correlated with both neighborhood age structure and health. Third, no U.S. study has longitudinally examined cognitive health trajectories. We build on this literature by examining nine years of nationally-representative data from the Health and Retirement Study (2002-2010) on men and women aged 51 and over linked with Census data to examine the relationship between the percentage of adults 65 and older in a neighborhood and individual cognitive health trajectories. Our results indicate that living in a neighborhood with a greater percentage of older adults is related to better individual cognition at baseline but we did not find any significant association with cognitive decline. We also explored potential mediators including neighborhood socioeconomic status, perceived neighborhood cohesion and perceived neighborhood physical disorder. We did not find evidence that neighborhood socioeconomic status explains this relationship; however, there is suggestive evidence that perceived cohesion and disorder may explain some of the association between age structure and cognition. Although more work is needed to identify the precise mechanisms, this work may suggest a potential contextual target for public health interventions to prevent cognitive impairment.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Female, Health Status, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Residence Characteristics, Social Support, Socioeconomic factors, United States}, issn = {1873-5347}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.12.005}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277953616306669http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0277953616306669?httpAccept=text/plainhttp://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0277953616306669?httpAccept=text/xml}, author = {Esther M Friedman and Regina A Shih and Mary E Slaughter and Margaret M Weden and Kathleen A. Cagney} } @article {10777, title = {Cognitive Impairment and Social Security{\textquoteright}s Representative Payee Program}, number = {WP$\#$2016-12}, year = {2016}, institution = {Center for Retirement Research at Boston College}, abstract = {Social Security{\textquoteright}s Representative Payee Program allows one individual to receive benefits on behalf of a retiree or disabled person who is incapable of managing them. In the case of retirees with cognitive impairment, the program could help prevent fraud by ensuring that Social Security benefits are immediately turned over to a capable individual. This paper seeks to answer three questions about the Representative Payee Program and its relationship to cognitive impairment. First, what share of individuals with cognitive impairment use a representative payee? Second, if individuals with cognitive impairment are not using a payee, what are they doing instead? Finally, is it possible to identify recipients with cognitive impairment who have no help managing their finances (through a representative payee or otherwise), a situation that makes them especially vulnerable to fraud?}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Ability, Social Security}, url = {https://crr.bc.edu/working-papers/cognitive-impairment-and-social-securitys-representative-payee-program/}, author = {Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher and Belbase, Anek} } @article {8542, title = {Lagged Associations of Metropolitan Statistical Area- and State-Level Income Inequality with Cognitive Function: The Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {2016}, pages = {e0157327}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Much variation in individual-level cognitive function in late life remains unexplained, with little exploration of area-level/contextual factors to date. Income inequality is a contextual factor that may plausibly influence cognitive function.

METHODS: In a nationally-representative cohort of older Americans from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined state- and metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-level income inequality as predictors of individual-level cognitive function measured by the 27-point Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) scale. We modeled latency periods of 8-20 years, and controlled for state-/metropolitan statistical area (MSA)-level and individual-level factors.

RESULTS: Higher MSA-level income inequality predicted lower cognitive function 16-18 years later. Using a 16-year lag, living in a MSA in the highest income inequality quartile predicted a 0.9-point lower TICS-m score (β = -0.86; 95\% CI = -1.41, -0.31), roughly equivalent to the magnitude associated with five years of aging. We observed no associations for state-level income inequality. The findings were robust to sensitivity analyses using propensity score methods.

CONCLUSIONS: Among older Americans, MSA-level income inequality appears to influence cognitive function nearly two decades later. Policies reducing income inequality levels within cities may help address the growing burden of declining cognitive function among older populations within the United States.

}, keywords = {Cities, Cognition, Female, health, Humans, Income, Interviews as Topic, Linear Models, Male, Middle Aged, Multivariate Analysis, Residence Characteristics, Retirement, Socioeconomic factors, Statistics as Topic, Telephone, United States}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0157327}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157327}, author = {Kim, Daniel and Griffin, Beth Ann and Mohammed U Kabeto and Jos{\'e} J Escarce and Kenneth M. Langa and Regina A Shih}, editor = {M. Maria Glymour} } @article {8476, title = {The Paradox of Leisure in Later Life.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {71}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Jan}, pages = {106-11}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Numerous studies have shown that involvement in leisure activity has a significant impact on older adults{\textquoteright} physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. This study explores whether the association between leisure involvement and well-being in later life changes over time.

METHOD: Data were drawn from the first 4 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Growth curve models were applied to examine whether leisure moderated change in quality of life (QoL) over time among 7,875 retirees aged 60 and older.

RESULTS: Findings indicated that the association between leisure and QoL increased with time, as nonactive respondents displayed a decline in QoL over time, whereas those with high levels of leisure involvement showed an increase. Findings remained significant after controlling for sociodemographics, health, and cognitive functioning.

DISCUSSION: Results indicated that the significance of leisure to well-being increases throughout the later life course, and that leisure may act as a resource for resilience in old age. They also pointed out a paradoxical situation in which the older seniors, who may benefit from leisure involvement more than their younger peers, are precisely the ones who face the greater number of constraints to beneficial use of leisure.

}, keywords = {Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Aging, Cognition, Europe, Female, Health Status Disparities, Humans, Leisure activities, Male, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Resilience, Psychological, Retirement, Socioeconomic factors, Surveys and Questionnaires}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbu143}, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25315158}, author = {Nimrod, Galit and Amit Shrira} } @article {8481, title = {Racial and ethnic differences in cognitive function among older adults in the USA.}, journal = {International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {31}, year = {2016}, pages = {1004-1012}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Examine differences in cognition between Hispanic, non-Hispanic black (NHB), and non-Hispanic white (NHW) older adults in the United States.

DATA/METHODS: The final sample includes 18 982 participants aged 51 or older who received a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status during the 2010 Health and Retirement Study follow-up. Ordinary least squares will be used to examine differences in overall cognition according to race/ethnicity.

RESULTS: Hispanics and NHB had lower cognition than NHW for all age groups (51-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+). Hispanics had higher cognition than NHB for all age groups but these differences were all within one point. The lower cognition among NHB compared to NHW remained significant after controlling for age, gender, and education, whereas the differences in cognition between Hispanics and NHW were no longer significant after controlling for these covariates. Cognitive scores increased with greater educational attainment for all race/ethnic groups, but Hispanics exhibited the least benefit.

DISCUSSION: Our results highlight the role of education in race/ethnic differences in cognitive function during old age. Education seems beneficial for cognition in old age for all race/ethnic groups, but Hispanics appear to receive a lower benefit compared to other race/ethnic groups. Further research is needed on the racial and ethnic differences in the pathways of the benefits of educational attainment for late-life cognitive function. Copyright {\textcopyright} 2016 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {African Americans, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Ethnic Groups, European Continental Ancestry Group, Female, Hispanic Americans, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, United States}, issn = {1099-1166}, doi = {10.1002/gps.4410}, author = {D{\'\i}az-Venegas, Carlos and Brian Downer and Kenneth M. Langa and Rebeca Wong} } @article {6460, title = {Racial/Ethnic Differences in Trajectories of Cognitive Function in Older Adults.}, journal = {J Aging Health}, volume = {28}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Dec}, pages = {1382-1402}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to (a) examine racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of cognitive function and (b) evaluate the role of education and health behaviors (physical activity [PA] and smoking) as mediators of racial/ethnic differences in the rate of decline in cognitive function in older adults.

METHOD: Data for this study came from the Health and Retirement Study ( n = 3,424). Hierarchical linear models were used to define the trajectory of cognitive function between 2002 and 2008. Participants were classified based on PA as non-vigorously active, intermittent vigorously active, and consistently vigorously active.

RESULTS: After adding education, the Hispanic{\textquoteright}s and Black{\textquoteright}s disparities in cognitive performance were slightly attenuated (Hispanics, β = -1.049, p < .001; Blacks, β = -3.397, p < .001) but were still different from Whites. Smoking was not associated with the cognition intercept or rate of decline.

DISCUSSION: We found education had a partial mediating effect on racial differences in levels of cognition but not on the rate of change over time.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black People, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Female, Health Behavior, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Male, White People}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264315620589}, url = {http://jah.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/12/29/0898264315620589.abstract}, author = {Elizabeth Vasquez and Anda Botoseneanu and Joan M. Bennett and Benjamin A Shaw} } @article {8287, title = {Antidepressant Use and Cognitive Decline: The Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Am J Med}, volume = {128}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Jul}, pages = {739-46}, publisher = {128}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Depression is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, but whether treatment for depression with antidepressants reduces the risk for cognitive decline is unclear. We assessed the association between antidepressant use and cognitive decline over 6 years.

METHODS: Participants were 3714 adults aged 50 years or more who were enrolled in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study and had self-reported antidepressant use. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Cognitive function was assessed at 4 time points (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010) using a validated 27-point scale. Change in cognitive function over the 6-year follow-up period was examined using linear growth models, adjusted for demographics, depressive symptoms, comorbidities, functional limitations, and antidepressant anticholinergic activity load.

RESULTS: At baseline, cognitive function did not differ significantly between the 445 (12.1\%) participants taking antidepressants and those not taking antidepressants (mean, 14.9\%; 95\% confidence interval, 14.3-15.4 vs mean, 15.1\%; 95\% confidence interval, 14.9-15.3). During the 6-year follow up period, cognition declined in both users and nonusers of antidepressants, ranging from -1.4 change in mean score in those with high depressive symptoms and taking antidepressants to -0.5 change in mean score in those with high depressive symptoms and not taking antidepressants. In adjusted models, cognition declined in people taking antidepressants at the same rate as those not taking antidepressants. Results remained consistent across different levels of baseline cognitive function, age, and duration of antidepressant use (prolonged vs short-term).

CONCLUSIONS: Antidepressant use did not modify the course of 6-year cognitive change in this nationally representative sample.

}, keywords = {Age Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antidepressive Agents, Cognition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depressive Disorder, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Geriatric Assessment, Humans, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Risk Assessment, Sex Distribution, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States}, issn = {1555-7162}, doi = {10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.01.007}, author = {Jane S Saczynski and Allison B Rosen and Ryan J McCammon and Zivin, Kara and Susan E. Andrade and Kenneth M. Langa and Sandeep Vijan and Paul A Pirraglia and Becky A. Briesacher} } @article {8294, title = {Becoming centenarians: disease and functioning trajectories of older US Adults as they survive to 100.}, journal = {J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci}, volume = {70}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Feb}, pages = {193-201}, publisher = {70}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the health and functioning of individuals who become centenarians in the years prior to reaching age 100. We examined long-term trajectories of disease, disability, and cognitive function in a sample of U.S. centenarians to determine how their aging experience differs from their nonsurviving cohort counterparts, and if there is heterogeneity in the aging experience of centenarians.

METHODS: Data are from the 1993-2010 waves of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. Among those who had the potential to become centenarians, we identified 1,045 respondents who died before reaching age 100 and 96 who survived to their 100th birthday. Respondents, or their proxies, reported on diagnosis of six major diseases (hypertension, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes), limitations in activities of daily living, and cognitive function.

RESULTS: As they age to 100, centenarians are generally healthier than nonsurviving members of their cohort, and a number of individuals who become centenarians reach 100 with no self-reported diseases or functional impairments. About 23\% of centenarians reached age 100 with no major chronic disease and approximately the same number had no disability (18\%). Over half (55\%) reached 100 without cognitive impairment. Disease and functioning trajectories of centenarians differ by sex, education, and marital status.

CONCLUSIONS: While some centenarians have poor health and functioning upon reaching age 100, others are able to achieve exceptional longevity in relatively good health and without loss of functioning. This study underscores the importance of examining variation in the growing centenarian population.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Chronic disease, Cognition, Disability Evaluation, Educational Status, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Longevity, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Marital Status, Prospective Studies, Sex Factors, United States}, issn = {1758-535X}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/glu124}, url = {http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/70/2/193.abstract}, author = {Jennifer A Ailshire and Hiram Beltr{\'a}n-S{\'a}nchez and Eileen M. Crimmins} } @article {8297, title = {Genetic contributions to variation in general cognitive function: a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in the CHARGE consortium (N=53949).}, journal = {Mol Psychiatry}, volume = {20}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 0 0}, month = {2015 Feb}, pages = {183-92}, publisher = {20}, abstract = {

General cognitive function is substantially heritable across the human life course from adolescence to old age. We investigated the genetic contribution to variation in this important, health- and well-being-related trait in middle-aged and older adults. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of 31 cohorts (N=53,949) in which the participants had undertaken multiple, diverse cognitive tests. A general cognitive function phenotype was tested for, and created in each cohort by principal component analysis. We report 13 genome-wide significant single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associations in three genomic regions, 6q16.1, 14q12 and 19q13.32 (best SNP and closest gene, respectively: rs10457441, P=3.93 {\texttimes} 10(-9), MIR2113; rs17522122, P=2.55 {\texttimes} 10(-8), AKAP6; rs10119, P=5.67 {\texttimes} 10(-9), APOE/TOMM40). We report one gene-based significant association with the HMGN1 gene located on chromosome 21 (P=1 {\texttimes} 10(-6)). These genes have previously been associated with neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Meta-analysis results are consistent with a polygenic model of inheritance. To estimate SNP-based heritability, the genome-wide complex trait analysis procedure was applied to two large cohorts, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (N=6617) and the Health and Retirement Study (N=5976). The proportion of phenotypic variation accounted for by all genotyped common SNPs was 29\% (s.e.=5\%) and 28\% (s.e.=7\%), respectively. Using polygenic prediction analysis, ~1.2\% of the variance in general cognitive function was predicted in the Generation Scotland cohort (N=5487; P=1.5 {\texttimes} 10(-17)). In hypothesis-driven tests, there was significant association between general cognitive function and four genes previously associated with Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease: TOMM40, APOE, ABCG1 and MEF2C.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Atherosclerosis, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cohort Studies, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, HMGN1 Protein, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological tests, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Scotland}, issn = {1476-5578}, doi = {10.1038/mp.2014.188}, author = {Gail Davies and Armstrong, N. and Joshua C. Bis and Bressler, J. and Chouraki, V. and Giddaluru, S. and Edith Hofer and Carla A Ibrahim-Verbaas and Kirin, M. and J. Lahti and Sven J van der Lee and Stephanie Le Hellard and Tian Liu and Riccardo E Marioni and Christopher J Oldmeadow and Postmus, I. and Albert Vernon Smith} } @article {8277, title = {Harmonizing Measures of Cognitive Performance Across International Surveys of Aging Using Item Response Theory.}, journal = {J Aging Health}, volume = {27}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Dec}, pages = {1392-414}, publisher = {27}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To harmonize measures of cognitive performance using item response theory (IRT) across two international aging studies.

METHOD: Data for persons >=65 years from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 9,471) and the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA, N = 5,444). Cognitive performance measures varied (HRS fielded 25, ELSA 13); 9 were in common. Measurement precision was examined for IRT scores based on (a) common items, (b) common items adjusted for differential item functioning (DIF), and (c) DIF-adjusted all items.

RESULTS: Three common items (day of date, immediate word recall, and delayed word recall) demonstrated DIF by survey. Adding survey-specific items improved precision but mainly for HRS respondents at lower cognitive levels.

DISCUSSION: IRT offers a feasible strategy for harmonizing cognitive performance measures across other surveys and for other multi-item constructs of interest in studies of aging. Practical implications depend on sample distribution and the difficulty mix of in-common and survey-specific items.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Female, Humans, Internationality, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Psychological Theory, Reproducibility of Results, Surveys and Questionnaires, United Kingdom, United States}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264315583054}, author = {Kitty S. Chan and Alden L Gross and Liliana E Pezzin and Jason Brandt and Judith D Kasper} } @article {NBERw21484, title = {The Impact of Social Security Income on Cognitive Function at Older Ages}, journal = {American Journal of Health Economics}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Prior literature has documented a positive association between income and cognitive function at older ages, however, the extent to which this association represents causal effects is unknown. In this study, we use an exogenous change in Social Security income due to amendments to the Social Security Act in the 1970s to identify the causal impact of Social Security income on cognitive function of elderly individuals. We find that higher benefits led to significant improvements in cognitive function and that these improvements in cognition were clinically meaningful. Our results suggest that interventions even at advanced ages can slow the rate of decline in cognitive function.}, keywords = {Cognition, cognitive function, Social Security, Social Security Benefits}, doi = {10.3386/w21484}, url = {http://www.nber.org/papers/w21484}, author = {Padmaja Ayyagari and Frisvold, David} } @article {8316, title = {Improving the validity of activity of daily living dependency risk assessment.}, journal = {J Appl Gerontol}, volume = {34}, year = {2015}, note = {Times Cited: 1 0 1}, month = {2015 Apr}, pages = {329-42}, publisher = {34}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Efforts to prevent activity of daily living (ADL) dependency may be improved through models that assess older adults{\textquoteright} dependency risk. We evaluated whether cognition and gait speed measures improve the predictive validity of interview-based models.

METHOD: Participants were 8,095 self-respondents in the 2006 Health and Retirement Survey who were aged 65 years or over and independent in five ADLs. Incident ADL dependency was determined from the 2008 interview. Models were developed using random 2/3rd cohorts and validated in the remaining 1/3rd.

RESULTS: Compared to a c-statistic of 0.79 in the best interview model, the model including cognitive measures had c-statistics of 0.82 and 0.80 while the best fitting gait speed model had c-statistics of 0.83 and 0.79 in the development and validation cohorts, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Two relatively brief models, one that requires an in-person assessment and one that does not, had excellent validity for predicting incident ADL dependency but did not significantly improve the predictive validity of the best fitting interview-based models.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Female, Gait, Geriatric Assessment, Humans, Independent Living, Interviews as Topic, Male, Quality Improvement, Reproducibility of Results, Risk Assessment}, issn = {1552-4523}, doi = {10.1177/0733464812471894}, author = {Daniel O. Clark and Timothy E. Stump and Tu, Wanzhu and Douglas K Miller} } @article {8254, title = {Perceived discrimination and physical, cognitive, and emotional health in older~adulthood.}, journal = {Am J Geriatr Psychiatry}, volume = {23}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Feb}, pages = {171-9}, publisher = {23}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether perceived discrimination based on multiple personal characteristics is associated with physical, emotional, and cognitive health concurrently, prospectively, and with change in health over time among older adults.

DESIGN: Longitudinal.

SETTING: Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

PARTICIPANTS: Participants (N~= 7,622) who completed the Leave-Behind Questionnaire as part of the 2006 HRS assessment (mean age 67 years); participants (N~= 6,450) completed the same health measures again in~2010.

MEASUREMENTS: Participants rated their everyday experience with discrimination and attributed those experiences to eight personal characteristics: race, ancestry, sex, age, weight, physical disability, appearance, and sexual orientation. At both the 2006 and 2010 assessments, participants completed measures of physical health (subjective health, disease burden), emotional health (life satisfaction, loneliness), and cognitive health (memory, mental status).

RESULTS: Discrimination based on age, weight, physical disability, and appearance was associated with poor subjective health, greater disease burden, lower life satisfaction, and greater loneliness at both assessments and with declines in health across the four years. Discrimination based on race, ancestry, sex, and sexual orientation was associated with greater loneliness at both time points, but not with change over time. Discrimination was mostly unrelated to cognitive health.

CONCLUSIONS: The detrimental effect of discrimination on physical and emotional health is not limited to young adulthood but continues to contribute to health and well-being in old age. These effects were driven primarily by discrimination based on personal characteristics that change over time (e.g., age, weight) rather than discrimination based on more stable characteristics (e.g., race, sex).

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, Female, Health Status, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Health, Prejudice, Social Perception}, issn = {1545-7214}, doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2014.03.007}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Carretta, H. and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10656, title = {Common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance identified using the proxy-phenotype method.}, journal = {Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A}, volume = {111}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Sep 23}, pages = {13790-4}, abstract = {

We identify common genetic variants associated with cognitive performance using a two-stage approach, which we call the proxy-phenotype method. First, we conduct a genome-wide association study of educational attainment in a large sample (n = 106,736), which produces a set of 69 education-associated SNPs. Second, using independent samples (n = 24,189), we measure the association of these education-associated SNPs with cognitive performance. Three SNPs (rs1487441, rs7923609, and rs2721173) are significantly associated with cognitive performance after correction for multiple hypothesis testing. In an independent sample of older Americans (n = 8,652), we also show that a polygenic score derived from the education-associated SNPs is associated with memory and absence of dementia. Convergent evidence from a set of bioinformatics analyses implicates four specific genes (KNCMA1, NRXN1, POU2F3, and SCRT). All of these genes are associated with a particular neurotransmitter pathway involved in synaptic plasticity, the main cellular mechanism for learning and memory.

}, keywords = {Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal, Cognition, Female, Humans, Learning, Male, Memory, Multifactorial Inheritance, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Neuronal Plasticity, Octamer Transcription Factors, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Synaptic Transmission}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1404623111}, author = {Cornelius A Rietveld and T{\~o}nu Esko and Gail Davies and Pers, Tune H and Turley, Patrick and Benyamin, Beben and Chabris, Christopher F and Emilsson, Valur and Andrew D Johnson and Lee, James J and Christiaan de Leeuw and Riccardo E Marioni and Sarah E Medland and Michael B Miller and Rostapshova, Olga and Sven J van der Lee and Anna A E Vinkhuyzen and Amin, Najaf and Dalton C Conley and Derringer, Jaime and Cornelia M van Duijn and Fehrmann, Rudolf and Lude L Franke and Edward L Glaeser and Narelle K Hansell and Caroline Hayward and Iacono, William G and Carla A Ibrahim-Verbaas and Vincent Jaddoe and Karjalainen, Juha and David I Laibson and Paul Lichtenstein and David C Liewald and Patrik K E Magnusson and Nicholas G Martin and McGue, Matt and McMahon, George and Nancy L Pedersen and Pinker, Steven and David J Porteous and Posthuma, Danielle and Fernando Rivadeneira and Smith, Blair H and John M Starr and Henning Tiemeier and Nicholas J Timpson and Trzaskowski, Maciej and Andr{\'e} G Uitterlinden and Verhulst, Frank C and Mary E Ward and Margaret J Wright and George Davey Smith and Ian J Deary and Johannesson, Magnus and Plomin, Robert and Peter M Visscher and Daniel J. Benjamin and Cesarini, David and Philipp D Koellinger} } @article {8086, title = {Fine particulate matter air pollution and cognitive function among older US adults.}, journal = {Am J Epidemiol}, volume = {180}, year = {2014}, note = {Ailshire, Jennifer A Crimmins, Eileen M eng K99 AG039528/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ K99AG039528/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ P30 AG017265/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ P30AG17265/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ R00 AG039528/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ R21 AG045625/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ T32 AG000037/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ T32AG0037/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ U01 AG009740/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ U01AG009740/AG/NIA NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural 2014/06/27 06:00 Am J Epidemiol. 2014 Aug 15;180(4):359-66. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwu155. Epub 2014 Jun 24.}, month = {2014 Aug 15}, pages = {359-66}, publisher = {180}, abstract = {

Existing research on the adverse health effects of exposure to pollution has devoted relatively little attention to the potential impact of ambient air pollution on cognitive function in older adults. We examined the cross-sectional association between residential concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) and cognitive function in older adults. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we analyzed data from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study, a large, nationally representative sample of US adults aged 50 years or older. We linked participant data with 2000 US Census tract data and 2004 census tract-level annual average PM2.5 concentrations. Older adults living in areas with higher PM2.5 concentrations had worse cognitive function (β = -0.26, 95\% confidence interval: -0.47, -0.05) even after adjustment for community- and individual-level social and economic characteristics. Results suggest that the association is strongest for the episodic memory component of cognitive function. This study adds to a growing body of research highlighting the importance of air pollution to cognitive function in older adults. Improving air quality in large metropolitan areas, where much of the aging US population resides, may be an important mechanism for reducing age-related cognitive decline.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Inhalation Exposure, Male, Memory, Episodic, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological tests, Particulate Matter, Socioeconomic factors, United States, Urban Population}, issn = {1476-6256}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwu155}, url = {http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/06/24/aje.kwu155.abstract}, author = {Jennifer A Ailshire and Eileen M. Crimmins} } @article {8126, title = {Functional disability and cognitive impairment after hospitalization for myocardial infarction and stroke.}, journal = {Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes}, volume = {7}, year = {2014}, note = {Times Cited: 1 0 1}, month = {2014 Nov}, pages = {863-71}, publisher = {7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: We assessed the acute and long-term effect of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke on postevent functional disability and cognition while controlling for survivors{\textquoteright} changes in functioning over the years before the event.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Among participants in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study with linked Medicare data (1998-2010), we determined within-person changes in functional limitations (basic and instrumental activities of daily living) and cognitive impairment after hospitalization for stroke (n=432) and MI (n=450), controlling for premorbid functioning using fixed-effects regression. In persons without baseline impairments, an acute MI yielded a mean acute increase of 0.41 functional limitations (95\% confidence interval [CI], 0.18-0.63) with a linear increase of 0.14 limitations/year in the following decade. These increases were 0.65 limitations (95\% CI, 0.07-1.23) and 0.27 limitations/year afterward for those with mild-to-moderate impairment at baseline. Stroke resulted in an acute increase of 2.07 (95\% CI, 1.51-2.63) limitations because of the acute event and an increase of 0.15 limitations/year afterward for those unimpaired at baseline. There were 2.65 new limitations (95\% CI, 1.86-3.44) and 0.19/year afterward for those with baseline mild-to-moderate impairment. Stroke hospitalization was associated with greater odds of moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment (odds ratio, 3.86; 95\% CI, 2.10-7.11) at the time of the event, after adjustment for premorbid cognition but MI hospitalization was not.

CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based cohort, most MI and stroke hospitalizations were associated with significant increases in functional disability at the time of the event and in the decade afterward. Survivors of MI and stroke warrant screening for functional disability over the long-term.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Disability Evaluation, Disabled Persons, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hospitalization, Humans, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction, Odds Ratio, Retrospective Studies, Stroke, Time Factors, United States}, issn = {1941-7705}, doi = {10.1161/HCQ.0000000000000008}, author = {Deborah A Levine and Dimitry S Davydow and Catherine L Hough and Kenneth M. Langa and Mary A M Rogers and Theodore J Iwashyna} } @article {8622, title = {Genetic susceptibility to accelerated cognitive decline in the US Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Neurobiol Aging}, volume = {35}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jun}, pages = {1512.e11-8}, abstract = {

Age-related cognitive decline is a major public health concern facing a large segment of the US population. To identify genetic risk factors related to cognitive decline, we used nationally representative longitudinal data from the US Health and Retirement Study to conduct genome-wide association studies with 5765 participants of European ancestry, and 890 participants of African ancestry. Mixed effects models were used to derive cognitive decline phenotypes from data on repeated cognitive assessments and to perform single nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability estimation. We found 2 independent associations among European-Americans in the 19q13.32 region: rs769449 (APOE intron; p = 3.1 {\texttimes} 10(-20)) and rs115881343 (TOMM40 intron; p = 6.6 {\texttimes} 10(-11)). rs769449 was also associated with cognitive decline among African-Americans (p = 0.005), but rs115881343 was not. Cross-sectional cognitive function showed moderate heritability (15\%-32\%) across several age strata (50-59, 60-69, 70-79 years), but the cognitive decline heritability estimate was low (\~{}5\%). These results indicate that despite multiple association signals for cognitive decline in the 19q13.32 region, inter-individual variation is likely influenced substantially by environmental factors.

}, keywords = {African Americans, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Gene-Environment Interaction, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genetic Variation, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Male, Membrane Transport Proteins, Middle Aged, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Risk Factors, United States}, issn = {1558-1497}, doi = {10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.12.021}, author = {Zhang, Chenan and Brandon L Pierce} } @article {8022, title = {Mental work demands, retirement, and longitudinal trajectories of cognitive functioning.}, journal = {J Occup Health Psychol}, volume = {19}, year = {2014}, note = {Export Date: 21 April 2014 Source: Scopus Article in Press}, month = {2014 Apr}, pages = {231-42}, publisher = {19}, abstract = {

Age-related changes in cognitive abilities are well-documented, and a very important indicator of health, functioning, and decline in later life. However, less is known about the course of cognitive functioning before and after retirement and specifically whether job characteristics during one{\textquoteright}s time of employment (i.e., higher vs. lower levels of mental work demands) moderate how cognition changes both before and after the transition to retirement. We used data from n = 4,182 (50\% women) individuals in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel study in the United States, across an 18 year time span (1992-2010). Data were linked to the O*NET occupation codes to gather information about mental job demands to examine whether job characteristics during one{\textquoteright}s time of employment moderates level and rate of change in cognitive functioning (episodic memory and mental status) both before and after retirement. Results indicated that working in an occupation characterized by higher levels of mental demands was associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning before retirement, and a slower rate of cognitive decline after retirement. We controlled for a number of important covariates, including socioeconomic (education and income), demographic, and health variables. Our discussion focuses on pathways through which job characteristics may be associated with the course of cognitive functioning in relation to the important transition of retirement. Implications for job design as well as retirement are offered.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Employment, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Retirement, Stress, Psychological}, issn = {1939-1307}, doi = {10.1037/a0035724}, url = {http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84896104239andpartnerID=40andmd5=8a0c0422ba5b68927fdc926a3e8a25b4}, author = {Gwenith G Fisher and Stachowski, Alicia and Frank J Infurna and Jessica Faul and James Grosch and Lois E Tetrick} } @article {7830, title = {Cognition and take-up of subsidized drug benefits by Medicare beneficiaries.}, journal = {JAMA Intern Med}, volume = {173}, year = {2013}, note = {Copyright - Copyright American Medical Association Jun 24, 2013 Last updated - 2013-07-12 SubjectsTermNotLitGenreText - United States--US}, month = {2013 Jun 24}, pages = {1100-7}, publisher = {173}, abstract = {

IMPORTANCE: Take-up of the Medicare Part D low-income subsidy (LIS) by eligible beneficiaries has been low despite the attractive drug coverage it offers at no cost to beneficiaries and outreach efforts by the Social Security Administration.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of beneficiaries{\textquoteright} cognitive abilities in explaining this puzzle.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Analysis of survey data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study.

PARTICIPANTS: Elderly Medicare beneficiaries who were likely eligible for the LIS, excluding Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income recipients who automatically receive the subsidy without applying.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Using survey assessments of overall cognition and numeracy from 2006 to 2010, we examined how cognitive abilities were associated with self-reported Part D enrollment, awareness of the LIS, and application for the LIS. We also compared out-of-pocket drug spending and premium costs between LIS-eligible beneficiaries who did and did not report receipt of the LIS. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, household income and assets, health status, and presence of chronic conditions.

RESULTS: Compared with LIS-eligible beneficiaries in the top quartile of overall cognition, those in the bottom quartile were significantly less likely to report Part D enrollment (adjusted rate, 63.5\% vs 52.0\%; P = .002), LIS awareness (58.3\% vs 33.3\%; P = .001), and LIS application (25.5\% vs 12.7\%; P < .001). Lower numeracy was also associated with lower rates of Part D enrollment (P = .03) and LIS application (P = .002). Reported receipt of the LIS was associated with significantly lower annual out-of-pocket drug spending (adjusted mean difference, -$256; P = .02) and premium costs (-$273; P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among Medicare beneficiaries likely eligible for the Part D LIS, poorer cognition and numeracy were associated with lower reported take-up. Current educational and outreach efforts encouraging LIS applications may not be sufficient for beneficiaries with limited abilities to process and respond to information. Additional policies may be needed to extend the financial protection conferred by the LIS to all eligible seniors.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Comprehension, Cost Sharing, Eligibility Determination, Health Care Surveys, Humans, Medicare, Medicare Part D, Poverty, United States}, issn = {2168-6114}, doi = {10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.845}, author = {Ifedayo Kuye and Richard G Frank and J. Michael McWilliams} } @article {Willis2013TheCD, title = {The Cognitive Demands of Work and the Length of Working Life: The Case of Computerization}, number = {WP 13-015}, year = {2013}, institution = {Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research}, abstract = {This paper focuses on impact of computerization on the work and retirement decisions of the cohort of 51-61 year old individuals who entered the Health and Retirement Study in 1992 and have been followed for next 18 years through 2010. I use data on cognition and detailed occupations in the HRS linked to a measure of occupational computerization from the O*NET data assembled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Beginning with Autor et al. (2003), the labor economics literature suggests that advances in computers substitute for the tasks done by many middle-skilled workers and complement those done by high-skilled individuals. Advances in computer technology tend, therefore, to lower the productivity of the middle-skilled and raise the productivity of the high skilled. Older workers face a decision of whether to invest in keeping up with new technology, shifting to another occupation or exiting from full time work into partial or full retirement. I find strong evidence that women and many men retired earlier if they are in computer-intensive occupations while, for other men it appears that computerization does not have a significant effect on retirement. Higher cognition and being in a high wage occupation appears to partially offset retirement incentives of computerization.}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognitive Demand, Computerization, Work}, url = {https://siepr.stanford.edu/research/publications/cognitive-demands-work-and-length-working-life-case-computerization}, author = {Robert J. Willis} } @article {8620, title = {GWAS of 126,559 individuals identifies genetic variants associated with educational attainment.}, journal = {Science}, volume = {340}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Jun 21}, pages = {1467-71}, abstract = {

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of educational attainment was conducted in a discovery sample of 101,069 individuals and a replication sample of 25,490. Three independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are genome-wide significant (rs9320913, rs11584700, rs4851266), and all three replicate. Estimated effects sizes are small (coefficient of determination R(2) ≈ 0.02\%), approximately 1 month of schooling per allele. A linear polygenic score from all measured SNPs accounts for ≈2\% of the variance in both educational attainment and cognitive function. Genes in the region of the loci have previously been associated with health, cognitive, and central nervous system phenotypes, and bioinformatics analyses suggest the involvement of the anterior caudate nucleus. These findings provide promising candidate SNPs for follow-up work, and our effect size estimates can anchor power analyses in social-science genetics.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Educational Status, Endophenotypes, Female, Genetic Loci, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Male, Multifactorial Inheritance, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1095-9203}, doi = {10.1126/science.1235488}, author = {Cornelius A Rietveld and Sarah E Medland and Derringer, Jaime and Yang, Jian and T{\~o}nu Esko and Martin, Nicolas W and Westra, Harm-Jan and Shakhbazov, Konstantin and Abdel Abdellaoui and Agrawal, Arpana and Albrecht, Eva and Alizadeh, Behrooz Z and Amin, Najaf and Barnard, John and Baumeister, Sebastian E and Benke, Kelly S and Bielak, Lawrence F and Boatman, Jeffrey A and Patricia A. Boyle and Gail Davies and Christiaan de Leeuw and Eklund, Niina and Daniel S Evans and Rudolf Ferhmann and Fischer, Krista and Gieger, Christian and Gjessing, H{\r a}kon K and H{\"a}gg, Sara and Harris, Jennifer R and Caroline Hayward and Holzapfel, Christina and Carla A Ibrahim-Verbaas and Ingelsson, Erik and Jacobsson, Bo and Joshi, Peter K and Jugessur, Astanand and Marika A Kaakinen and Kanoni, Stavroula and Karjalainen, Juha and Kolcic, Ivana and Kristiansson, Kati and Kutalik, Zolt{\'a}n and J. Lahti and Lee, Sang H and Lin, Peng and Penelope A Lind and Yongmei Liu and Kurt Lohman and Loitfelder, Marisa and McMahon, George and Vidal, Pedro Marques and Osorio Meirelles and Lili Milani and Myhre, Ronny and Nuotio, Marja-Liisa and Christopher J Oldmeadow and Katja E Petrovic and Wouter J Peyrot and Polasek, Ozren and Quaye, Lydia and Reinmaa, Eva and Rice, John P and Rizzi, Thais S and Schmidt, Helena and Schmidt, Reinhold and Albert Vernon Smith and Jennifer A Smith and Toshiko Tanaka and Antonio Terracciano and van der Loos, Matthijs J H M and Vitart, Veronique and V{\"o}lzke, Henry and J{\"u}rgen Wellmann and Lei Yu and Wei Zhao and Allik, J{\"u}ri and John R. Attia and Bandinelli, Stefania and Bastardot, Fran{\c c}ois and Jonathan P. Beauchamp and David A Bennett and Klaus Berger and Laura Bierut and Dorret I Boomsma and B{\"u}ltmann, Ute and Campbell, Harry and Chabris, Christopher F and Cherkas, Lynn and Chung, Mina K and Francesco Cucca and de Andrade, Mariza and Philip L de Jager and De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel and Ian J Deary and George Dedoussis and Deloukas, Panos and Dimitriou, Maria and Gu{\dh}ny Eir{\'\i}ksd{\'o}ttir and Elderson, Martin F and Johan G Eriksson and Jessica Faul and Luigi Ferrucci and Melissa E Garcia and Gr{\"o}nberg, Henrik and Gu{\dh}nason, Vilmundur and Hall, Per and Harris, Juliette M and Tamara B Harris and Nicholas D Hastie and Andrew C Heath and Dena G Hernandez and Hoffmann, Wolfgang and Hofman, Adriaan and Holle, Rolf and Holliday, Elizabeth G and Jouke-Jan Hottenga and Iacono, William G and Illig, Thomas and J{\"a}rvelin, Marjo-Riitta and K{\"a}h{\"o}nen, Mika and Kaprio, Jaakko and Kirkpatrick, Robert M and Kowgier, Matthew and Latvala, Antti and Lenore J Launer and Lawlor, Debbie A and Lehtim{\"a}ki, Terho and Li, Jingmei and Paul Lichtenstein and Lichtner, Peter and David C Liewald and Pamela A F Madden and Patrik K E Magnusson and M{\"a}kinen, Tomi E and Masala, Marco and McGue, Matt and Andres Metspalu and Mielck, Andreas and Michael B Miller and Grant W Montgomery and Mukherjee, Sutapa and Nyholt, Dale R and Ben A Oostra and Palmer, Lyle J and Aarno Palotie and Brenda W J H Penninx and Markus Perola and Peyser, Patricia A and Preisig, Martin and Katri R{\"a}ikk{\"o}nen and Olli T Raitakari and Realo, Anu and Ring, Susan M and Ripatti, Samuli and Fernando Rivadeneira and Rudan, Igor and Rustichini, Aldo and Veikko Salomaa and Sarin, Antti-Pekka and Schlessinger, David and Rodney J Scott and Snieder, Harold and St Pourcain, Beate and John M Starr and Sul, Jae Hoon and Surakka, Ida and Svento, Rauli and Teumer, Alexander and Henning Tiemeier and van Rooij, Frank J A and Van Wagoner, David R and Vartiainen, Erkki and Viikari, Jorma and Vollenweider, Peter and Vonk, Judith M and Waeber, G{\'e}rard and David R Weir and Wichmann, H-Erich and Elisabeth Widen and Gonneke Willemsen and James F Wilson and Alan F Wright and Dalton C Conley and Davey-Smith, George and Lude L Franke and Groenen, Patrick J F and Hofman, Albert and Johannesson, Magnus and Sharon L R Kardia and Krueger, Robert F and David I Laibson and Nicholas G Martin and Meyer, Michelle N and Posthuma, Danielle and A. Roy Thurik and Nicholas J Timpson and Andr{\'e} G Uitterlinden and Cornelia M van Duijn and Peter M Visscher and Daniel J. Benjamin and Cesarini, David and Philipp D Koellinger} } @article {7684, title = {The effect of retirement on cognitive functioning.}, journal = {Health Econ}, volume = {21}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Aug}, pages = {913-27}, publisher = {21}, abstract = {

Cognitive impairment has emerged as a major driver of disability in old age, with profound effects on individual well-being and decision making at older ages. In the light of policies aimed at postponing retirement ages, an important question is whether continued labour supply helps to maintain high levels of cognition at older ages. We use data of older men from the US Health and Retirement Study to estimate the effect of continued labour market participation at older ages on later-life cognition. As retirement itself is likely to depend on cognitive functioning and may thus be endogenous, we use offers of early retirement windows as instruments for retirement in econometric models for later-life cognitive functioning. These offers of early retirement are legally required to be nondiscriminatory and thus, inter alia, unrelated to cognitive functioning. At the same time, these offers of early retirement options are significant predictors of retirement. Although the simple ordinary least squares estimates show a negative relationship between retirement duration and various measures of cognitive functioning, instrumental variable estimates suggest that these associations may not be causal effects. Specifically, we find no clear relationship between retirement duration and later-life cognition for white-collar workers and, if anything, a positive relationship for blue-collar workers.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Aging, Cognition, Decision making, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Recall, Middle Aged, Occupations, Retirement, Socioeconomic factors, Time Factors}, issn = {1099-1050}, doi = {10.1002/hec.1771}, author = {Norma B Coe and von Gaudecker, Hans-Martin and Maarten Lindeboom and J{\"u}rgen Maurer} } @article {7721, title = {An examination of healthy aging across a conceptual continuum: prevalence estimates, demographic patterns, and validity.}, journal = {J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci}, volume = {67}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Jun}, pages = {783-9}, publisher = {67}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Although the notion of healthy aging has gained wide acceptance in gerontology, measuring the phenomenon is challenging. Guided by a prominent conceptualization of healthy aging, we examined how shifting from a more to less stringent definition of healthy aging influences prevalence estimates, demographic patterns, and validity.

METHODS: Data are from adults aged 65 years and older who participated in the Health and Retirement Study. We examined four operational definitions of healthy aging. For each, we calculated prevalence estimates and examined the odds of healthy aging by age, education, gender, and race-ethnicity in 2006. We also examined the association between healthy aging and both self-rated health and death.

RESULTS: Across definitions, the prevalence of healthy aging ranged from 3.3\% to 35.5\%. For all definitions, those classified as experiencing healthy aging had lower odds of fair or poor self-rated health and death over an 8-year period. The odds of being classified as "healthy" were lower among those of advanced age, those with less education, and women than for their corresponding counterparts across all definitions.

CONCLUSIONS: Moving across the conceptual continuum--from a more to less rigid definition of healthy aging--markedly increases the measured prevalence of healthy aging. Importantly, results suggest that all examined definitions identified a subgroup of older adults who had substantially lower odds of reporting fair or poor health and dying over an 8-year period, providing evidence of the validity of our definitions. Conceptualizations that emphasize symptomatic disease and functional health may be particularly useful for public health purposes.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Female, health, Humans, Male, Odds Ratio, Prevalence, Reproducibility of Results}, issn = {1758-535X}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/glr234}, author = {Sara J McLaughlin and Alan M Jette and Cathleen M. Connell} } @article {7699, title = {Gender differences in the link between excessive drinking and domain-specific cognitive functioning among older adults.}, journal = {J Aging Health}, volume = {24}, year = {2012}, note = {.}, month = {2012 Dec}, pages = {1380-98}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated gender differences in the relationship between excessive drinking and two cognitive domains among older adults.

METHOD: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, 3,888 females and 2,350 males were analyzed separately. Multivariate regression was used to analyze the association between excessive drinking and fluid intelligence score. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between excessive drinking and crystallized intelligence.

RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that compared to non-excessive drinking, excessive drinking did not have a significant impact on fluid intelligence for either women or men, but it had a significantly negative association with a high crystallized intelligence score for women.

DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that the relationship between excessive drinking and cognition varies with gender when crystallized intelligence is measured. Clinicians and service providers should consider gender differences when developing strategies for the prevention and treatment of alcohol-related cognitive decline among older adults.

}, keywords = {Aged, Alcohol Drinking, Alcohol-Related Disorders, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Regression Analysis, Sex Factors}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264312459346}, author = {Jiyoung Lyu and SeungAh H. Lee} } @article {7716, title = {Variation in cognitive functioning as a refined approach to comparing aging across countries.}, journal = {Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A}, volume = {109}, year = {2012}, note = {Skirbekk, Vegard Loichinger, Elke Weber, Daniela 2R01AG017644/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States 2R01AG7644-01A1/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States P01 AG005842/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States P01 AG08291/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States P30 AG12815/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States R21 AG025169/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States U01 AG09740-13S2/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States U01AG009740/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States Y1-AG-4553-01/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov{\textquoteright}t United States Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jan 17;109(3):770-4. Epub 2011 Dec 19.}, month = {2012 Jan 17}, pages = {770-4}, publisher = {109}, abstract = {

Comparing the burden of aging across countries hinges on the availability of valid and comparable indicators. The Old Age Dependency Ratio allows only a limited assessment of the challenges of aging, because it does not include information on any individual characteristics except age itself. Existing alternative indicators based on health or economic activity suffer from measurement and comparability problems. We propose an indicator based on age variation in cognitive functioning. We use newly released data from standardized tests of seniors{\textquoteright} cognitive abilities for countries from different world regions. In the wake of long-term advances in countries{\textquoteright} industrial composition, and technological advances, the ability to handle new job procedures is now of high and growing importance, which increases the importance of cognition for work performance over time. In several countries with older populations, we find better cognitive performance on the part of populations aged 50+ than in countries with chronologically younger populations. This variation in cognitive functioning levels may be explained by the fact that seniors in some regions of the world experienced better conditions during childhood and adult life, including nutrition, duration and quality of schooling, lower exposure to disease, and physical and social activity patterns. Because of the slow process of cohort replacement, those countries whose seniors already have higher cognitive levels today are likely to continue to be at an advantage for several decades to come.

}, keywords = {Age Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Data collection, Databases as Topic, Humans, Internationality, Male, Middle Aged}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1112173109}, author = {Skirbekk, V. and Loichinger, E. and Daniela Weber} } @article {7631, title = {Assessment of cognition using surveys and neuropsychological assessment: the Health and Retirement Study and the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {66 Suppl 1}, year = {2011}, note = {Crimmins, Eileen M Kim, Jung Ki Langa, Kenneth M Weir, David R P30 AG17265/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States U01 AG009740/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural United States The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2011 Jul;66 Suppl 1:i162-71.}, month = {2011 Jul}, pages = {i162-71}, publisher = {66 Suppl 1}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the similarity of cognitive assessments using 1 interview in a large population study, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and a subsample in which a detailed neuropsychiatric assessment has been performed (Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study [ADAMS]).

METHODS: Respondents are diagnosed in ADAMS as demented, cognitively impaired without dementia (CIND), or as having normal cognitive function. Multinomial logistic analysis is used to predict diagnosis using a variety of cognitive and noncognitive measures from the HRS and additional measures and information from ADAMS.

RESULTS: The cognitive tests in HRS predict the ADAMS diagnosis in 74\% of the sample able to complete the HRS survey on their own. Proxy respondents answer for a large proportion of HRS respondents who are diagnosed as demented in ADAMS. Classification of proxy respondents with some cognitive impairment can be predicted in 86\% of the sample. Adding a small number of additional tests from ADAMS can increase each of these percentages to 84\% and 93\%, respectively.

DISCUSSION: Cognitive assessment appropriate for diagnosis of dementia and CIND in large population surveys could be improved with more targeted information from informants and additional cognitive tests targeting other areas of brain function.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Dementia, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Logistic Models, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Neuropsychological tests, Odds Ratio, Prevalence, Sex Factors, United States}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbr048}, author = {Eileen M. Crimmins and Jung K Kim and Kenneth M. Langa and David R Weir} } @article {7644, title = {Conscientiousness and longevity: an examination of possible mediators.}, journal = {Health Psychol}, volume = {30}, year = {2011}, note = {Hill, Patrick L Turiano, Nicholas A Hurd, Michael D Mroczek, Daniel K Roberts, Brent W R01 AG021178-09/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States United States Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association Health Psychol. 2011 Sep;30(5):536-41.}, month = {2011 Sep}, pages = {536-41}, publisher = {30}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Conscientious individuals tend to experience a number of health benefits, not the least of which being greater longevity. However, it remains an open question as to why this link with longevity occurs. The current study tested two possible mediators (physical health and cognitive functioning) of the link between conscientiousness and longevity.

METHOD: We tested these mediators using a 10-year longitudinal sample (N = 512), a subset of the long-running Health and Retirement Study of aging adults. Measures included an adjective-rating measure of conscientiousness, self-reported health conditions, and three measures of cognitive functioning (word recall, delayed recall, and vocabulary) included in the 1996 wave of the HRS study.

RESULTS: Our results found that conscientiousness significantly predicted greater longevity, even in a model including the two proposed mediator variables, gender, age, and years of education. Moreover, cognitive functioning appears to partially mediate this relationship.

CONCLUSIONS: This study replicates previous research showing that conscientious individuals tend to lead longer lives, and provides further insight into why this effect occurs. In addition, it underscores the importance of measurement considerations.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Chronic disease, Cognition, Educational Status, Female, Health Behavior, Health Status, Humans, Longevity, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Personality, Proportional Hazards Models, Psychological Tests}, issn = {1930-7810}, doi = {10.1037/a0023859}, author = {Patrick L Hill and Nicholas A. Turiano and Michael D Hurd and Daniel K. Mroczek and Brent W Roberts} } @article {7605, title = {Dynamic links between memory and functional limitations in old age: longitudinal evidence for age-based structural dynamics from the AHEAD study.}, journal = {Psychol Aging}, volume = {26}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Sep}, pages = {546-58}, publisher = {26}, abstract = {

This study examined competing substantive hypotheses about dynamic (i.e., time-ordered) links between memory and functional limitations in old age. We applied the Bivariate Dual Change Score Model to 13-year longitudinal data from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old Study (AHEAD; N = 6,990; ages 70 - 95). Results revealed that better memory predicted shallower increases in functional limitations. Little evidence was found for the opposite direction that functional limitations predict ensuing changes in memory. Spline models indicated that dynamic associations between memory and functional limitations were substantively similar between participants aged 70-79 and those aged 80-95. Potential covariates (gender, education, health conditions, and depressive symptoms) did not account for these differential lead-lag associations. Applying a multivariate approach, our results suggest that late-life developments in two key components of successful aging are intrinsically interrelated. Our discussion focuses on possible mechanisms why cognitive functioning may serve as a source of age-related changes in health both among the young-old and the old-old.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, depression, Female, Health Status, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Memory, Memory Disorders, Memory, Episodic, Models, Statistical, Neuropsychological tests}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/a0023023}, author = {Frank J Infurna and Denis Gerstorf and Lindsay H Ryan and Jacqui Smith} } @article {7657, title = {Education and health: evidence on adults with diabetes.}, journal = {Int J Health Care Finance Econ}, volume = {11}, year = {2011}, note = {Ayyagari, Padmaja Grossman, Daniel Sloan, Frank 2R37-AG-17473-05A1/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural United States International journal of health care finance and economics Int J Health Care Finance Econ. 2011 Mar;11(1):35-54. Epub 2011 Jan 7.}, month = {2011 Mar}, pages = {35-54}, publisher = {11}, abstract = {

Although the education-health relationship is well documented, pathways through which education influences health are not well understood. This study uses data from a 2003-2004 cross sectional supplemental survey of respondents to the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study (HRS) who had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus to assess effects of education on health and mechanisms underlying the relationship. The supplemental survey provides rich detail on use of personal health care services (e.g., adherence to guidelines for diabetes care) and personal attributes which are plausibly largely time invariant and systematically related to years of schooling completed, including time preference, self-control, and self-confidence. Educational attainment, as measured by years of schooling completed, is systematically and positively related to time to onset of diabetes, and conditional on having been diagnosed with this disease on health outcomes, variables related to efficiency in health production, as well as use of diabetes specialists. However, the marginal effects of increasing educational attainment by a year are uniformly small. Accounting for other factors, including child health and child socioeconomic status which could affect years of schooling completed and adult health, adult cognition, income, and health insurance, and personal attributes from the supplemental survey, marginal effects of educational attainment tend to be lower than when these other factors are not included in the analysis, but they tend to remain statistically significant at conventional levels.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diabetes Complications, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Health Behavior, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Health Services, Humans, Male, Patient Education as Topic, Self Efficacy, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic factors, Time Factors}, issn = {1573-6962}, doi = {10.1007/s10754-010-9087-x}, author = {Padmaja Ayyagari and Grossman, Daniel and Frank A Sloan} } @article {7580, title = {A prospective cohort study of long-term cognitive changes in older Medicare beneficiaries.}, journal = {BMC Public Health}, volume = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Sep 20}, pages = {710}, publisher = {11}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Promoting cognitive health and preventing its decline are longstanding public health goals, but long-term changes in cognitive function are not well-documented. Therefore, we first examined long-term changes in cognitive function among older Medicare beneficiaries in the Survey on Assets and Health Dynamics among the Oldest Old (AHEAD), and then we identified the risk factors associated with those changes in cognitive function.

METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective, population-based cohort using baseline (1993-1994) interview data linked to 1993-2007 Medicare claims to examine cognitive function at the final follow-up interview which occurred between 1995-1996 and 2006-2007. Besides traditional risk factors (i.e., aging, age, race, and education) and adjustment for baseline cognitive function, we considered the reason for censoring (entrance into managed care or death), and post-baseline continuity of care and major health shocks (hospital episodes). Residual change score multiple linear regression analysis was used to predict cognitive function at the final follow-up using data from telephone interviews among 3,021 to 4,251 (sample size varied by cognitive outcome) baseline community-dwelling self-respondents that were >= 70 years old, not in managed Medicare, and had at least one follow-up interview as self-respondents. Cognitive function was assessed using the 7-item Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-7; general mental status), and the 10-item immediate and delayed (episodic memory) word recall tests.

RESULTS: Mean changes in the number of correct responses on the TICS-7, and 10-item immediate and delayed word recall tests were -0.33, -0.75, and -0.78, with 43.6\%, 54.9\%, and 52.3\% declining and 25.4\%, 20.8\%, and 22.9\% unchanged. The main and most consistent risks for declining cognitive function were the baseline values of cognitive function (reflecting substantial regression to the mean), aging (a strong linear pattern of increased decline associated with greater aging, but with diminishing marginal returns), older age at baseline, dying before the end of the study period, lower education, and minority status.

CONCLUSIONS: In addition to aging, age, minority status, and low education, substantial and differential risks for cognitive change were associated with sooner vs. later subsequent death that help to clarify the terminal drop hypothesis. No readily modifiable protective factors were identified.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Medicare, Mental Health, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Prospective Studies, Regression Analysis, Risk Factors, United States}, issn = {1471-2458}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2458-11-710}, author = {Frederic D Wolinsky and Suzanne E Bentler and Jason Hockenberry and Michael P Jones and Paula A Weigel and Kaskie, Brian and Robert B Wallace} } @article {7611, title = {The urban neighborhood and cognitive functioning in late middle age.}, journal = {J Health Soc Behav}, volume = {52}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Jun}, pages = {163-79}, publisher = {52}, abstract = {

This study examines the association of cognitive functioning with urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and racial/ethnic segregation for a U.S. national sample of persons in late middle age, a time in the life course when cognitive deficits begin to emerge. The key hypothesis is that effects of neighborhood on cognitive functioning are not uniform but are most pronounced among subgroups of the population defined by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. Data are from the third wave of the Health and Retirement Survey for the birth cohort of 1931 to 1941, which was 55 to 65 years of age in 1996 (analytic N = 4,525), and the 1990 U.S. Census. Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage has an especially large negative impact on cognitive functioning among persons who are themselves poor, an instance of compound disadvantage. These findings have policy implications supporting "upstream" interventions to enhance cognitive functioning, especially among those most adversely affected by neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Age Factors, Aged, Aging, Chi-Square Distribution, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, ethnicity, Female, Health Status Disparities, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic factors, United States, Urban Population}, issn = {2150-6000}, doi = {10.1177/0022146510393974}, author = {Carol S Aneshensel and Michelle J Ko and Joshua Chodosh and Richard G Wight} } @article {7481, title = {Early-life characteristics, psychiatric history, and cognition trajectories in later life.}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {50}, year = {2010}, note = {Using Smart Source Parsing pp. Oct Gerontological Society of America, Washington DC}, month = {2010 Oct}, pages = {646-56}, publisher = {50}, abstract = {

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Although considerable attention has been paid to the relationship between later-life depression and cognitive function, the relationship between a history of psychiatric problems and cognitive function is not very well documented. Few studies of relationships between childhood health, childhood disadvantage, and cognitive function in later life consider both childhood health and disadvantage, include measures for psychiatric history, or use nationally representative longitudinal data.

DESIGN AND METHODS: This study uses growth curve models to analyze the relationships between childhood health and disadvantage, psychiatric history, and cognitive function using 6 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, controlling for demographics, health behavior, and health status.

RESULTS: A history of psychiatric problems is associated with lower cognitive function and steeper declines in cognitive function with age. The influence of childhood health is mediated by later-life health status and behaviors. A combined history of childhood disadvantage and psychiatric problems more strongly affects cognitive function, but cognitive declines remain consistent with those associated with psychiatric history. These effects are partially mediated by later-life demographic, socioeconomic, or health characteristics.

IMPLICATIONS: These findings demonstrate that cumulative disadvantage and a history of psychiatric problems shape later-life cognition and cognitive decline. This evidence can enhance public understanding of the trajectories of cognitive decline experienced by groups living with disadvantage and can enable policy makers and human services providers to better design and implement preventative interventions and support services for affected populations.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cohort Studies, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Mental Disorders, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Social Environment, Socioeconomic factors, Time Factors}, issn = {1758-5341}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gnq049}, author = {Maria T. Brown} } @article {7477, title = {Functional declines, social support, and mental health in the elderly: does living in a state supportive of home and community-based services make a difference?}, journal = {Soc Sci Med}, volume = {70}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Apr}, pages = {1050-8}, publisher = {70}, abstract = {

This study examines how acute and chronic stresses associated with functional declines in seniors and their spouses are moderated by their informal and formal support contexts. In the United States, states vary greatly in their support for home and community-based services (HCBS) for seniors with disabilities. This state-to-state variation allowed us to examine mental health effects of living in a society supportive of HCBS for the oldest old, who are at high risk for low or declining functions in daily activities and cognitive abilities. Using a ten-year panel study of a nationally representative sample of the oldest old (>or=70 years old) covering the period 1993-2002, we conducted mixed-effects logistic regression analysis to incorporate time-varying characteristics of persons and states. As expected, low and declining functions in daily living and cognition constituted significant stressors among seniors and their spouse. Results demonstrated the important role of informal support available from non-spouse family/friends in lowering depression. Living in a state supportive of HCBS was associated with lower depression among seniors experiencing consistently low levels of function or recent functional declines, especially among those without informal support. Our findings were consistent with moderating or buffering models of formal support, suggesting that state HCBS support is effective mainly under conditions of high levels of stressors. Political will is needed to prepare US society to collectively support community-based long-term needs, given the difficulty of preparing ourselves fully for common, but often unexpected, functional declines in later life.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Cognition, Community Health Services, depression, Disabled Persons, Female, Home Care Services, Humans, Logistic Models, Male, Mental Health, Multilevel Analysis, Risk Factors, Social Support, Spouses, State Government, Stress, Psychological, United States}, issn = {1873-5347}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.005}, author = {Muramatsu, Naoko and yin, Hongjun and Hedeker, Donald} } @article {7538, title = {Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms.}, journal = {Ann Behav Med}, volume = {40}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Oct}, pages = {218-27}, publisher = {40}, abstract = {

As a social species, humans rely on a safe, secure social surround to survive and thrive. Perceptions of social isolation, or loneliness, increase vigilance for threat and heighten feelings of vulnerability while also raising the desire to reconnect. Implicit hypervigilance for social threat alters psychological processes that influence physiological functioning, diminish sleep quality, and increase morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this paper is to review the features and consequences of loneliness within a comprehensive theoretical framework that informs interventions to reduce loneliness. We review physical and mental health consequences of loneliness, mechanisms for its effects, and effectiveness of extant interventions. Features of a loneliness regulatory loop are employed to explain cognitive, behavioral, and physiological consequences of loneliness and to discuss interventions to reduce loneliness. Loneliness is not simply being alone. Interventions to reduce loneliness and its health consequences may need to take into account its attentional, confirmatory, and memorial biases as well as its social and behavioral effects.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Gene Expression, Health Status, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Immune System, Loneliness, Mental Health, Mortality, Pituitary-Adrenal System}, issn = {1532-4796}, doi = {10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8}, author = {Louise C Hawkley and John T. Cacioppo} } @article {7446, title = {Urban neighborhood context and mortality in late life.}, journal = {J Aging Health}, volume = {22}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Mar}, pages = {197-218}, publisher = {22}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine the contextual effects of urban neighborhood characteristics on mortality among older adults.

METHOD: Data are from the Study of Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD). Death is assessed between the baseline assessment (1993) and the first follow-up interview (1995). Neighborhood data are from the 1990 Census.

RESULTS: The log odds of dying between the two time points are higher in high proportion Hispanic neighborhoods, net of individual-level sociodemographic variables, but this effect is partly mediated by individual-level health. The log odds of dying are significantly (p < .05) lower in affluent neighborhoods, controlling for all individual-level variables and neighborhood proportion Hispanic.

DISCUSSION: There are survival-related benefits of living in an affluent urban neighborhood, which we posit may be manifested through the diffusion of innovations in health care and health-promotion activities.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Aging, Cognition, Confidence Intervals, depression, Female, Health Status, Humans, Los Angeles, Male, Middle Aged, Mortality, Odds Ratio, Poverty, Psychometrics, Residence Characteristics, Self Report, Socioeconomic factors, Statistics as Topic, Urban Population}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264309355980}, author = {Richard G Wight and Janet R. Cummings and Arun S Karlamangla and Carol S Aneshensel} } @article {7366, title = {Association between cognitive function and social support with glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus.}, journal = {J Am Geriatr Soc}, volume = {57}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Oct}, pages = {1816-24}, publisher = {57}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether cognitive impairment in adults with diabetes mellitus is associated with worse glycemic control and to assess whether level of social support for diabetes mellitus care modifies this relationship.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis.

SETTING: The 2003 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Mail Survey on Diabetes and the 2004 wave of the HRS.

PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 50 and older with diabetes mellitus in the United States (N=1,097, mean age 69.2).

MEASUREMENTS: Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level; cognitive function, measured with the 35-point HRS cognitive scale (HRS-cog); sociodemographic variables; duration of diabetes mellitus; depressed mood; social support for diabetes mellitus care; self-reported knowledge of diabetes mellitus; treatments for diabetes mellitus; components of the Total Illness Burden Index related to diabetes mellitus; and functional limitations.

RESULTS: In an ordered logistic regression model for the three ordinal levels of HbA1c (<7.0, 7.0-7.9, >or=8.0 mg/dL), respondents with HRS-cog scores in the lowest quartile had significantly higher HbA1c levels than those in the highest cognitive quartile (adjusted odds ratio=1.80, 95\% confidence interval=1.11-2.92). A high level of social support for diabetes mellitus care modified this association; for respondents in the lowest cognitive quartile, those with high levels of support had significantly lower odds of having higher HbA1c than those with low levels of support (1.11 vs 2.87, P=.02).

CONCLUSION: Although cognitive impairment was associated with worse glycemic control, higher levels of social support for diabetes mellitus care ameliorated this negative relationship. Identifying the level of social support available to cognitively impaired adults with diabetes mellitus may help to target interventions for better glycemic control.

}, keywords = {Aged, Blood Glucose, Cognition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Social Support}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02431.x}, author = {Okura, Toru and Michele M Heisler and Kenneth M. Langa} } @article {7346, title = {Cognitive health among older adults in the United States and in England.}, journal = {BMC Geriatr}, volume = {9}, year = {2009}, note = {PMID: 19555494}, month = {2009 Jun 25}, pages = {23}, publisher = {9}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Cognitive function is a key determinant of independence and quality of life among older adults. Compared to adults in England, US adults have a greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and disease that may lead to poorer cognitive function. We compared cognitive performance of older adults in the US and England, and sought to identify sociodemographic and medical factors associated with differences in cognitive function between the two countries.

METHODS: Data were from the 2002 waves of the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (n = 8,299) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (n = 5,276), nationally representative population-based studies designed to facilitate direct comparisons of health, wealth, and well-being. There were differences in the administration of the HRS and ELSA surveys, including use of both telephone and in-person administration of the HRS compared to only in-person administration of the ELSA, and a significantly higher response rate for the HRS (87\% for the HRS vs. 67\% for the ELSA). In each country, we assessed cognitive performance in non-hispanic whites aged 65 and over using the same tests of memory and orientation (0 to 24 point scale).

RESULTS: US adults scored significantly better than English adults on the 24-point cognitive scale (unadjusted mean: 12.8 vs. 11.4, P < .001; age- and sex-adjusted: 13.2 vs. 11.7, P < .001). The US cognitive advantage was apparent even though US adults had a significantly higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and disease. In a series of OLS regression analyses that controlled for a range of sociodemographic and medical factors, higher levels of education and wealth, and lower levels of depressive symptoms, accounted for some of the US cognitive advantage. US adults were also more likely to be taking medications for hypertension, and hypertension treatment was associated with significantly better cognitive function in the US, but not in England (P = .014 for treatment x country interaction).

CONCLUSION: Despite methodological differences in the administration of the surveys in the two countries, US adults aged >/= 65 appeared to be cognitively healthier than English adults, even though they had a higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors and disease. Given the growing number of older adults worldwide, future cross-national studies aimed at identifying the medical and social factors that might prevent or delay cognitive decline in older adults would make important and valuable contributions to public health.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cohort Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, England, Female, Health Status, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Neuropsychological tests, United States}, issn = {1471-2318}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2318-9-23}, author = {Kenneth M. Langa and David J Llewellyn and Iain A Lang and David R Weir and Robert B Wallace and Mohammed U Kabeto and Felicia A Huppert} } @article {7387, title = {Doing well: a SEM analysis of the relationships between various activities of daily living and geriatric well-being.}, journal = {J Genet Psychol}, volume = {170}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Sep}, pages = {213-26}, publisher = {170}, abstract = {

An existing large data set, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) with the subsequent addition of the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS) data, provides a rich data set for the examination of the activities of older adults. In this study HRS and CAMS data are used to examine relationships between various activities of daily living (ADLs) and well-being in older adults. Using structural equation modeling, influences of direct and indirect factors that affect older individuals{\textquoteright} cognitive and emotional well-being are analyzed. The data suggest ability to perform ADLs has little to do with cognitive well-being, but is an influential factor in determining emotional well-being.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Cognition, depression, Humans, Models, Psychological, Socioeconomic factors, United States}, issn = {0022-1325}, doi = {10.1080/00221320903218190}, author = {James A Katt and Speranza, Linda and Shore, Wendy and Karen H. Saenz and E. Lea Witta} } @article {7396, title = {Memory and depressive symptoms are dynamically linked among married couples: longitudinal evidence from the AHEAD study.}, journal = {Dev Psychol}, volume = {45}, year = {2009}, note = {PMID: 19899917}, month = {2009 Nov}, pages = {1595-610}, publisher = {45}, abstract = {

This study examined dyadic interrelations between episodic memory and depressive symptom trajectories of change in old and advanced old age. The authors applied dynamic models to 10-year incomplete longitudinal data of initially 1,599 married couples from the study of Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (M(age) = 75 years at Time 1). The authors found domain-specific lead-lag associations (time lags of 2 years) among wives and husbands as well as between spouses. For memory, better performance among husbands protected against subsequent memory decline among wives, with no evidence of a directed effect in the other direction. For depressive symptoms, wives{\textquoteright} scores predicted subsequent depression increase and memory decline among husbands. Possible individual covariates (age, education, functional limitations) and spousal covariates (length of marriage, number of children, and whether the couple remained intact over the study period) did not account for differential lead-lag associations. The findings of antecedent-consequent relations between wives and husbands are consistent with life-span notions that individual development both influences and is influenced by contextual factors such as close social relationships.

}, keywords = {Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, depression, Female, Health Status, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Marriage, Mental Recall, Models, Psychological, Quality of Life, Spouses}, issn = {1939-0599}, doi = {10.1037/a0016346}, author = {Denis Gerstorf and Christiane A Hoppmann and Kelly M Kadlec and John J McArdle} } @article {7388, title = {Risk perception and preference for prevention of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease.}, journal = {Value Health}, volume = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Jun}, pages = {450-8}, publisher = {12}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To understand how older adults perceive their risk of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease (AD) and how this may shape their medical care decisions, we examined whether presence of established risk factors of AD is associated with individuals{\textquoteright} perceived risk of AD, and with preference for preventing AD.

PARTICIPANTS: Data came from the US Health and Retirement Study participants who were asked questions on AD risk perception (N = 778).

MEASUREMENTS: Perceived risk of AD was measured by respondents{\textquoteright} estimate of their percent chance (0-100) developing AD in the next 10 years. Preference for AD prevention was measured with questions eliciting willingness to pay for a drug to prevent AD.

ANALYSIS: Multivariate linear regressions were used to estimate correlates of perceived risk and preference for prevention.

RESULTS: Better cognitive functioning and physical activity are associated with decreased perceived risk. Neither age nor cardiovascular disease is associated with perceived risk. African Americans have lower perceived risk than non-Latino whites; the difference is wider among people age 65 and above. Only 4\% to 7\% of the variation in perceived risk was explained by the model. Preference for prevention is stronger with increased perceived risk, but not with the presence of risk factors. Persons with better cognitive functioning, physical functioning, or wealth status have a stronger preference for prevention.

CONCLUSION: Some known risk factors appear to inform, but only modestly, individuals{\textquoteright} perceived risk of AD. Furthermore, decisions about AD prevention may not be determined by objective needs alone, suggesting a potential discrepancy between need and demand for AD preventive care.

}, keywords = {Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer disease, Cognition, Female, Health education, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Health Surveys, Humans, Linear Models, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Psychometrics, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Social Perception, Statistics as Topic, United States}, issn = {1524-4733}, doi = {10.1111/j.1524-4733.2008.00482.x}, author = {Chung, Sukyung and Kala M. Mehta and Shumway, Martha and Alvidrez, Jennifer and Eliseo J Perez-Stable} } @article {7347, title = {Trajectories of cognitive function in late life in the United States: demographic and socioeconomic predictors.}, journal = {Am J Epidemiol}, volume = {170}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Aug 01}, pages = {331-42}, publisher = {170}, abstract = {

This study used mixed-effects modeling of data from a national sample of 6,476 US adults born before 1924, who were tested 5 times between 1993 and 2002 on word recall, serial 7{\textquoteright}s, and other mental status items to determine demographic and socioeconomic predictors of trajectories of cognitive function in older Americans. Mean decline with aging in total cognition score (range, 0-35; standard deviation, 6.00) was 4.1 (0.68 standard deviations) per decade (95\% confidence interval: 3.8, 4.4) and in recall score (range, 0-20; standard deviation, 3.84) was 2.3 (0.60 standard deviations) per decade (95\% confidence interval: 2.1, 2.5). Older cohorts (compared with younger cohorts), women (compared with men), widows/widowers, and those never married (both compared with married individuals) declined faster, and non-Hispanic blacks (compared with non-Hispanic whites) and those in the bottom income quintile (compared with the top quintile) declined slower. Race and income differences in rates of decline were not sufficient to offset larger differences in baseline cognition scores. Educational level was not associated with rate of decline in cognition scores. The authors concluded that ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cognitive function in older Americans arise primarily from differences in peak cognitive performance achieved earlier in the life course and less from declines in later life.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Black or African American, Cognition, Confidence Intervals, Education, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Income, Male, Marital Status, Mexican Americans, Poverty, Sampling Studies, Socioeconomic factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States, White People}, issn = {1476-6256}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwp154}, author = {Arun S Karlamangla and Miller-Martinez, Dana and Carol S Aneshensel and Teresa Seeman and Richard G Wight and Joshua Chodosh} } @article {10810, title = {Does childhood schooling affect old age memory or mental status? Using state schooling laws as natural experiments.}, journal = {J Epidemiol Community Health}, volume = {62}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 Jun}, pages = {532-7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The association between schooling and old age cognitive outcomes such as memory disorders is well documented but, because of the threat of reverse causation, controversy persists over whether education affects old age cognition. Changes in state compulsory schooling laws (CSL) are treated as natural experiments (instruments) for estimating the effect of education on memory and mental status among the elderly. Changes in CSL predict changes in average years of schooling completed by children who are affected by the new laws. These educational differences are presumably independent of innate individual characteristics such as IQ.

METHODS: CSL-induced changes in education were used to obtain instrumental variable (IV) estimates of education{\textquoteright}s effect on memory (n = 10,694) and mental status (n = 9751) for white, non-Hispanic US-born Health and Retirement Survey participants born between 1900 and 1947 who did not attend college.

RESULTS: After adjustment for sex, birth year, state of birth and state characteristics, IV estimates of education{\textquoteright}s effect on memory were large and statistically significant. IV estimates for mental status had very wide confidence intervals, so it was not possible to draw meaningful conclusions about the effect of education on this outcome.

CONCLUSIONS: Increases in mandatory schooling lead to improvements in performance on memory tests many decades after school completion. These analyses condition on individual states, so differences in memory outcomes associated with CSL changes cannot be attributed to differences between states. Although unmeasured state characteristics that changed contemporaneously with CSL might account for these results, unobserved genetic variation is unlikely to do so.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aging, Censuses, Child, Cognition, Education, Educational Status, Female, Health Status, Humans, Least-Squares Analysis, Male, Massachusetts, Memory, Schools, Socioeconomic factors}, issn = {1470-2738}, doi = {10.1136/jech.2006.059469}, author = {M. Maria Glymour and Ichiro Kawachi and Jencks, Christopher and Lisa F Berkman} } @article {7153, title = {Latent variable analyses of age trends of cognition in the Health and Retirement Study, 1992-2004.}, journal = {Psychol Aging}, volume = {22}, year = {2007}, month = {2007 Sep}, pages = {525-545}, publisher = {22}, abstract = {

The present study was conducted to better describe age trends in cognition among older adults in the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from 1992 to 2004 (N = 17,000). The authors used contemporary latent variable models to organize this information in terms of both cross-sectional and longitudinal inferences about age and cognition. Common factor analysis results yielded evidence for at least 2 common factors, labeled Episodic Memory and Mental Status, largely separable from vocabulary. Latent path models with these common factors were based on demographic characteristics. Multilevel models of factorial invariance over age indicated that at least 2 common factors were needed. Latent curve models of episodic memory were based on age at testing and showed substantial age differences and age changes, including impacts due to retesting as well as several time-invariant and time-varying predictors.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Individuality, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Recall, Mental Status Schedule, Middle Aged, Models, Statistical, Neuropsychological tests, Psychometrics, Retention, Psychology, Sex Factors, United States}, issn = {0882-7974}, doi = {10.1037/0882-7974.22.3.525}, author = {John J McArdle and Gwenith G Fisher and Kelly M Kadlec} } @article {10.1093/aje/kwj177, title = {Invited Commentary: Considerations about Specificity of Associations, Causal Pathways, and Heterogeneity in Multilevel Thinking}, journal = {American Journal of Epidemiology}, volume = {163}, year = {2006}, month = {05}, pages = {1079-1082}, abstract = {During the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of multilevel modeling in epidemiologic analysis. There were 10 times as many papers in Index Medicus identified by the terms {\textquotedblleft}multilevel{\textquotedblright} and {\textquotedblleft}epidemiology{\textquotedblright} in 2005 than there were in 1995. In recent years, the American Journal of Epidemiology has published papers that use multilevel analyses to consider the associations between group-level characteristics and a range of health indicators (1{\textendash}7). Accompanying these content-specific contributions have been several discussions of the strengths and limitations of multilevel modeling techniques (8, 9) and the rationale for applying these methods to public health (10, 11).}, keywords = {Cognition, Cognition \& Reasoning, Heterogeneity, Thinking}, issn = {0002-9262}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwj177}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwj177}, author = {Galea, Sandro and Ahern, Jennifer} } @article {7008, title = {Disparities among older adults in measures of cognitive function by race or ethnicity.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {60}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Sep}, pages = {P242-50}, publisher = {60B}, abstract = {

This study examined racial or ethnic differences in cognitive function, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, using survey data from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old. A version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), proxy assessments of cognition, and difficulties in performing daily tasks were assessed. Blacks performed below Whites on the TICS at baseline and on proxy assessments of cognition. TICS score declined with age for Whites and Blacks, with some relative gains for Blacks. At baseline, Blacks more often had difficulties in performing daily tasks, with some increase in difficulties relative to Whites with age. Differences between other groups and Whites were smaller than those between Blacks and Whites.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Black or African American, Case-Control Studies, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Linear Models, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Racial Groups, United States}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/60.5.p242}, author = {Frank A Sloan and Wang, Jingshu} } @article {7011, title = {The impact of childhood and adult SES on physical, mental, and cognitive well-being in later life.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {60}, year = {2005}, month = {2005 Mar}, pages = {S93-S101}, publisher = {60B}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES) and health across the life course and their variations by gender and race/ethnicity.

METHODS: The sample included 19,949 respondents aged 50 or over from the 1998 Health and Retirement Study.

RESULTS: Lower childhood SES was associated with worse health outcomes in later life. Part of the effect of childhood SES on adult health occurred through childhood health. The impact of childhood SES on education and income in adulthood explained an even larger share of this effect. We also found a stronger effect of adult SES for those with lower childhood SES than for those with more advantaged childhoods. Moreover, childhood SES had a similar impact on health in later life for women and men and for Whites and non-Whites. However, college education seemed more important for women{\textquoteright}s later health, whereas income seemed more important for men{\textquoteright}s health. Education appeared to have a weaker effect on adult health for Blacks and Hispanics than for Whites.

DISCUSSION: Both childhood and adult SES are important for health. The negative impact of low childhood SES can be partially ameliorated if people from a low SES position during childhood mobilize to higher status in adulthood.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aging, Black People, Child, Cognition, Cohort Studies, Data collection, Education, ethnicity, Female, Health Status, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Income, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Retirement, Sex Factors, Social Class, White People}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/60.2.s93}, author = {Ye Luo and Linda J. Waite} } @article {6848, title = {Additive effects of cognitive function and depressive symptoms on mortality in elderly community-living adults.}, journal = {J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci}, volume = {58}, year = {2003}, month = {2003 May}, pages = {M461-7}, publisher = {58A}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Poor cognitive function and depressive symptoms are common in the elderly, frequently coexist, and are interrelated. Both risk factors are independently associated with mortality. Few studies have comprehensively described how the combination of poor cognitive function and depressive symptoms affect the risk for mortality. Our aim was to examine whether the combination of varying levels of cognitive function and depressive symptoms affect the risk of mortality in community-living elderly adults.

METHODS: We studied 6301 elderly adults (mean age, 77 years; 62\% women; 81\% white) enrolled in the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) study, a prospective study of community-living participants conducted from 1993 to 1995. Cognitive function and depressive symptoms were measured using two validated measures developed for the AHEAD study. On each measure, participants were divided into tertiles representing the best, middle, and worst scores, and then placed into one of nine mutually exclusive groups ranging from best functioning on both measures to worst functioning on both measures. Mortality rates were assessed in each of the nine groups. Cox proportional hazards models were used to control for potentially confounding characteristics such as demographics, education, income, smoking, alcohol consumption, comorbidity, and baseline functional impairment.

RESULTS: During 2 years of follow-up, 9\% (548) of the participants died. Together, cognitive function and depressive symptoms differentiated between elderly adults at markedly different risk for mortality, ranging from 3\% in those with the best function on both measures to 16\% in those with the worst function on both measures (p <.001). Furthermore, for each level of cognitive function, more depressive symptoms were associated with higher mortality rates, and for each level of depressive symptoms, worse cognitive function was associated with higher mortality rates. In participants with the best cognitive function, mortality rates were 3\%, 5\%, and 9\% in participants with low, middle, and high depressive symptoms, respectively (p <.001 for trend). The corresponding rates were 6\%, 7\%, and 12\% in participants with the middle level of cognitive function (p <.001 for trend), and 10\%, 13\%, and 16\% in participants with the worst level of cognitive function (p <.001 for trend). After adjustment for confounders, participants with the worst function on both measures remained at considerably higher risk for death than participants with the best function on both measures (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.1; 95\% confidence interval, 2.0-4.7).

CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive function and depressive symptoms can be used together to stratify elderly adults into groups that have significantly different rates of death. These two risk factors are associated with an increased risk in mortality in a progressive, additive manner.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cognition, depression, Female, Humans, Male, Mortality, Proportional Hazards Models, Risk Factors}, issn = {1079-5006}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/58.5.m461}, author = {Kala M. Mehta and Kristine Yaffe and Kenneth M. Langa and Laura Sands and Whooley, Mary and Kenneth E Covinsky} } @article {6703, title = {Implications of asking "ambiguous" difficulty questions: an analysis of the second wave of the asset and health dynamics of the oldest old study.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {55}, year = {2000}, month = {2000 Sep}, pages = {S288-97}, publisher = {55B}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the analytic implications of using questions about difficulty with daily activities that do not specify whether to consider assistance.

METHODS: For 1,054 Asset and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old Study Wave 2 respondents, we compared responses to questions about difficulty without reference to assistance (ambiguous difficulty) to those about difficulty without help or equipment (underlying difficulty) and difficulty with help or equipment, if used (residual difficulty). We modelled predictors of discordance by means of logistic regression.

RESULTS: Discordance exists for 15\% of respondents between summary variables indicating underlying and ambiguous difficulty with one or more activities. Discrepancies are evenly split between respondents reporting (a) underlying but no ambiguous difficulty and (b) ambiguous but no underlying difficulty. Discordance also exists for 15\% of respondents between summary variables indicating residual and ambiguous difficulty with one or more activities: most of these discrepancies involve reports of ambiguous but no residual difficulty. Most respondent characteristics investigated are not significant predictors of discrepancies.

DISCUSSION: Analysts should be aware that (a) ambiguously worded questions appear to be a better proxy for underlying than for residual difficulty, (b) discrepancies seem to be lower for separate activities than for summary variables indicating difficulty with one or more activities, and (c) being Hispanic and receiving help may affect reporting discrepancies.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Cognition, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/55.5.s288}, author = {Vicki A Freedman} } @article {6701, title = {Memory complaint in a community sample aged 70 and older.}, journal = {J Am Geriatr Soc}, volume = {48}, year = {2000}, month = {2000 Nov}, pages = {1435-41}, publisher = {48}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: The ability of older people to estimate their own memory, often referred to as "metamemory," has been evaluated in previous studies with conflicting reports regarding accuracy. Some studies have suggested that an older person{\textquoteright}s metamemory is mostly accurate, whereas others have demonstrated little relationship between memory complaint and actual impairment. This study examines memory complaint in a large national sample of older people aged > or = 70.

DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort study with two waves of data collection spaced 2 years apart.

SETTING: A nationwide random sample of community-dwelling older persons.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5,444 community-dwelling persons aged > or = 70 and their spouses.

MEASUREMENTS: Participants were asked if they believed their memory was excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. They were then administered a cognitive assessment derived from the Mini-Mental Status Exam.

RESULTS: In general, people{\textquoteright}s assessment of their memory corresponded with their actual performance on cognitive measures. However, large portions of the sample inaccurately assessed their memory skills. People who reported depressive symptoms and had impairment in activities of daily living were more likely to state that their memory was impaired, although they performed very well on cognitive measures.

CONCLUSIONS: The conditions that skew people{\textquoteright}s self-assessment are the ones most likely to bring them into contact with healthcare professionals. This may give clinicians the general impression that older people cannot assess their own cognitive skills. However, poor metamemory appears to be a characteristic of a specific subgroup of older persons, not necessarily characteristic of the general population.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Depressive Disorder, Educational Status, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Marital Status, Memory, Self-Assessment}, issn = {0002-8614}, doi = {10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb02634.x}, author = {Carolyn L. Turvey and Schultz, Susan K. and Arndt, Stephan and Robert B Wallace and A. Regula Herzog} } @article {6672, title = {A comparison of correlates of cognitive functioning in older persons in Taiwan and the United States.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {54}, year = {1999}, month = {1999 Sep}, pages = {S291-301}, publisher = {54B}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This article compares patterns of association between cognitive functioning and a number of sociodemographic and health correlates among older persons in Taiwan and the United States.

METHODS: The study uses data from the 1993 Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan and the 1993 Study of Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old in the United States. Separate multivariate regression models are employed for each country to examine the effects of sociodemographic and health factors on cognitive functioning, and to examine the marginal impact of cognitive functioning on activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) functioning.

RESULTS: Results of the multivariate analyses show similar patterns of association across the two countries and replicate findings from previous studies. Increasing age, female gender, lower education, depression, and selected health conditions are associated with lower cognitive functioning. In addition, although a significant predictor of both ADL and IADL impairments, cognitive functioning is more powerful with respect to explaining IADL impairments.

DISCUSSION: Study findings suggest that the cognitive measures are capturing similar dimensions in Taiwan and the United States, and that factors associated with cognitive functioning and its consequences with respect to physical functioning are similar in the two countries.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Cross-Cultural Comparison, depression, Educational Status, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Health Status, Humans, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Regression Analysis, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, Taiwan, United States}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/54b.5.s291}, author = {Mary Beth Ofstedal and Zachary Zimmer and Hui-Sheng Lin} } @article {6610, title = {Do medical conditions affect cognition in older adults?}, journal = {Health Psychol}, volume = {17}, year = {1998}, month = {1998 Nov}, pages = {504-12}, publisher = {17}, abstract = {

Analyses of a nationally representative sample who completed a list recall task (weighted n = 6,446) and 2 mental status tasks (weighted n = 6,646) were conducted to determine whether specific medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes as well as general health ratings predict cognitive performance in adults aged 70 to 103. Presence of stroke and poorer health ratings predicted poorer performance on the 3 tasks. Presence of diabetes predicted poorer performance on recall and 1 mental status task. Age interacted with medical conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes in predicting mental status, with condition-related deficits confined to the younger end of the age continuum. Global health ratings interacted with age, with poorer ratings associated with worse mental status in the younger participants. Findings suggest that stroke and diabetes are associated with cognitive deficits. Some deficits are more pronounced in younger old adults with high blood pressure and poorer health ratings.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cerebrovascular Disorders, Cognition, Diabetes Complications, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Health Status, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Mental Health}, issn = {0278-6133}, doi = {10.1037//0278-6133.17.6.504}, url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9848800/}, author = {Elizabeth Zelinski and Eileen M. Crimmins and Sandra L Reynolds and Teresa Seeman} } @article {6572, title = {Do smokers understand the mortality effects of smoking? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Survey.}, journal = {Am J Public Health}, volume = {87}, year = {1997}, month = {1997 May}, pages = {755-9}, publisher = {87}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether smokers recognize that smoking is likely to shorten their lives and, if so, whether they understand the magnitude of this effect.

METHODS: People{\textquoteright}s expectations about their chances of reaching age 75 were compared with epidemiological predictions from life tables for never, former, current light, and current heavy smokers. Data on expectations of reaching age 75 came from the Health and Retirement Survey, a national probability sample of adults aged 50 through 62 years. Predictions came from smoking-specific life tables constituted from the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey and the 1985 and 1987 National Health Interview Surveys.

RESULTS: Among men and women, the survival expectations of never, former, and current light smokers were close to actual predictions. However, among current heavy smokers, expectations of reaching age 75 were nearly twice as high as actuarial predictions.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that at least heavy smokers significantly underestimate their risk of premature mortality.

}, keywords = {Cognition, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Life Tables, Longevity, Male, Middle Aged, Retirement, Risk, Sex Factors, Smoking, Survival Analysis}, issn = {0090-0036}, doi = {10.2105/ajph.87.5.755}, author = {Michael Schoenbaum} } @article {6584, title = {Measures of cognitive functioning in the AHEAD Study.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {52 Spec No}, year = {1997}, month = {1997 May}, pages = {37-48}, publisher = {52B}, abstract = {

Decline in cognitive functioning and onset of cognitive impairment are potentially important predictors of elderly persons needing informal assistance and formal health care. This article describes the measures of cognitive functioning that were developed for the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) study of some 6,500 Americans aged 70 years and older. The study was designed to investigate the impact of health on disbursement of family and economic resources. Evaluation of the cognitive measures in terms of psychometric properties and missing data, telephone administration, and formation of an aggregate index is encouraging. Their construct validity is evidenced by their correlations with sociodemographic characteristics and health indicators that replicate existing findings as well as by their prediction of IADL and ADL functioning that are consistent with theory.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cognition, Geriatric Assessment, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Memory, Mental Status Schedule, Psychological Tests, Socioeconomic factors, United States}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/52b.special_issue.37}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9215356}, author = {A. Regula Herzog and Robert B Wallace} }