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Desai P, Halloway S, Krueger KR, Rajan KB, Evans DA. Temporal Patterns of Change in Physical and Cognitive Performance. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glad274. [PMID: 38071669 PMCID: PMC10878249 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study examined the relation between declines in physical and cognitive performance in older people. METHODS A population-based cohort of 7 483 adults (average age 72 years) were interviewed. Physical performance was assessed with 3 standardized tests and a combination of 4 cognitive tests was used to assess cognitive function. Rate of change in physical and cognitive performance was determined for each interval between interviews. In mixed effects linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, and study time, and change in each factor was used to predict change in the other factor. We examined time associations by using changes in the predictor measured at 1, 2, or 3 intervals before the outcome change. RESULTS Decline in cognitive function was most strongly predicted by physical decline in the same 3-year interval. The decline in cognitive function was weaker in the 1-time interval after the decline in physical function and was not significant in later intervals. When a decline in cognitive function was used to predict a decline in physical function, the results were similar. The strongest association occurred in the same time interval so that declines in cognitive and physical performance tend to occur together. CONCLUSIONS Decline in cognition and physical function seem to occur together in a short timeframe. It is important to investigate the reasons for these changes that are short-term to guide the development of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaja Desai
- Internal Medicine, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Shannon Halloway
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kristin R Krueger
- Internal Medicine, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kumar B Rajan
- Internal Medicine, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Denis A Evans
- Internal Medicine, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Martin P, Poon LW, Lee G, Obhi HK, Kallianpur KJ, Willcox B, Masaki K. A 13-Year Time-Lagged Description of General Cognitive and Functional Abilities in Older Men: A Cross-Lagged Panel Model. J Aging Health 2022; 35:335-344. [PMID: 36194185 DOI: 10.1177/08982643221130381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a cross-lagged panel model of general cognition and functional abilities over 13 years. The goal was to determine whether general cognitive abilities predict or precede functional decline versus functional abilities predicting cognitive decline. Methods: The sample included 3508 men (71-93 years of age at baseline) of the Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study who were tested repeatedly using a global cognitive test and an assessment of functional capacity. Education and age served as covariates. Cross-lagged models were tested, assessing stationarity of stability and cross-lags. Results: The overall model fit the data well. Cognitive scores had better stability than functional abilities and predicted functional abilities more strongly than functional abilities predicted cognitive scores over time. The strength of all cross-lags increased over time. Discussion: These longitudinal data show that cognitive scores predicted functional decline in a population-based study of older men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gina Lee
- 1177Iowa State University, Ames, USA
| | | | - Kalpana J Kallianpur
- 3950Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA.,University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA
| | - Bradley Willcox
- 3950Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA.,University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA
| | - Kamal Masaki
- 3950Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, USA.,University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA
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Chamberlain JD, Sprague BN, Ross LA. Age- and time-varying associations between subjective health and episodic memory in older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 77:673-682. [PMID: 34329436 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There are positive correlations between subjective health reports and episodic memory performance in older adults. However, previous studies have not evaluated the scope of such complex relationships, nor the potentially nonlinear magnitude of these correlations across age and time. We employed multiple subjective heath indices to evaluate the scope and nonlinearity of such relationships with memory performance. METHOD We utilized a cross-sectional (N = 2,783 at baseline) and longitudinal sample (N = 311) of healthy older adults aged 65 and older from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study. We used time-varying effects modeling (TVEM) to assess potential differences in relationship magnitudes between memory and three subjective health subscales (general health, role physical function, and physical function, from the Short Form Health Survey; SF-36) across five years. RESULTS Episodic memory positively predicted all subjective health measures cross-sectionally and longitudinally in our sample. TVEM revealed the relationships between all subjective health measures and episodic memory were stable across age. While role physical function and physical function maintained stable relationships with episodic memory across time, general health became increasingly coupled with memory five years following baseline. DISCUSSION Together, our findings highlight stable and varying relationships between episodic memory and multiple subjective health indicators across metrics of time in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan D Chamberlain
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Briana N Sprague
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Lesley A Ross
- Department of Psychology, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
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Shtompel N, Ruggiano N, Thomlison B, Fant K. Dyadic, Self-Administered Cognitive Intervention for Healthy Older Adults: Participants’ Perspectives. ACTIVITIES, ADAPTATION & AGING 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01924788.2019.1673115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Shtompel
- School of Social Work, Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida, USA
| | - Nicole Ruggiano
- School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Barbara Thomlison
- College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Kathryn Fant
- School of Social Work, Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida, USA
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Okely JA, Deary IJ. Associations Between Declining Physical and Cognitive Functions in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020; 75:1393-1402. [PMID: 31957799 PMCID: PMC7447860 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaa023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ageing process is characterized by declines in physical and cognitive function. However, the relationship between these trajectories remains a topic of investigation. METHODS Using four data waves collected triennially between ages 70 and 79, we tested for associations between multiple cognitive ability domains (verbal memory, processing speed, and visuospatial ability) and physical functions (walking speed, grip strength, and lung function). We first tested for associations between linear declines in physical and cognitive functions over the entire 9-year study period, and then, for lead-lag coupling effects between 3-year changes in cognitive and physical functions. RESULTS Steeper linear decline in walking speed was moderately correlated with steeper linear declines in each cognitive domain. Steeper linear decline in grip strength was moderately correlated with steeper linear declines in verbal memory and processing speed. Lead-lag coupling models showed that decline in verbal memory was preceded by declines in walking speed and grip strength. By contrast, decline in grip strength was preceded by declines in processing speed and visuospatial ability, and decline in walking speed was preceded by decline in visuospatial ability. Following additional adjustment for covariates, only coupling effects from earlier decline in processing speed to later decline in grip strength remained significant (β = 0.545, p = .006). CONCLUSION Our findings provide further evidence of an association between cognitive and physical declines and point to the potential order in which these changes occur. Decline in processing speed in particular may serve as a unique early marker of declining upper body strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith A Okely
- Lothian Birth Cohort Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohort Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
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Sprague BN, Phillips CB, Ross LA. Age-Varying Relationships Between Physical Function and Cognition in Older Adulthood. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 74:772-784. [PMID: 29121330 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbx126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There are positive relationships between physical and cognitive function in older adulthood; however, the strength of these relationships are inconsistent across studies. Although novel statistical tools provide flexibility to explore age-related differences in relationship magnitude, such methods have not been implemented in gerontological research. This study applied such methods to examine variations in relationship magnitude between physical function and cognition in healthy older adults (N = 2,783). METHOD Time-varying effects modeling (TVEM) is an extension of regression that models changes in relationships as a function of time-varying metrics like age. TVEM was used to examine if physical function (Turn 360, grip strength) predicted cognitive performance (memory, processing speed/attention, and reasoning) similarly across adults aged 65-90. RESULTS All associations between Turn 360 and all cognitive domains were significant and positive; however, speed of processing had significant magnitude variation across age such that the young-old and the old-old demonstrated the strongest relationships. Associations between grip strength and all cognitive domains significantly strengthened with increased age. DISCUSSION Results suggest that depending on the sample age, there may be inconsistencies in the relationships between physical and cognitive performance. Future research should explore these relationships longitudinally to better elucidate discrepant findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana N Sprague
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Christine B Phillips
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Lesley A Ross
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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Huijben-Schoenmakers M, Rademaker A, Scherder E. Cognition in relation to independency in older, comorbid stroke patients in a stroke unit. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2017; 32:761-768. [PMID: 27265386 DOI: 10.1002/gps.4518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to ascertain if cognition helps to predict functional outcome in older comorbid stroke patients with severe loss of independence. DESIGN This is a cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS The subjects of this study are patients who have suffered a stroke and who rehabilitated in the nursing homes' rehabilitation units and patients (n = 160) (mean age: 77; SD: 9.5) with a mean Barthel Index of 11.02. METHOD Demographic, illness-related, functional and cognitive data were selected at baseline. MAIN ASSESSMENT MEASURES Functional abilities were tested using the Barthel Index. Cognitive functions were assessed using a wide variety of neuropsychological tests. RESULTS Patients faced cognitive impairments especially in executive functioning and memory. Stepwise linear regression analysis shows that executive functioning (p = 0.050) and memory (p = 0.000; confidence interval -1.255, -0.403) are significantly associated with functional outcome. CONCLUSION From a clinical point of view, we suggest combining physical and cognitive training from the very early phase of recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen Huijben-Schoenmakers
- Avans University of Applied Sciences, Breda, The Netherlands.,Free University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arno Rademaker
- Free University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Scherder
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Bendayan R, Piccinin AM, Hofer SM, Cadar D, Johansson B, Muniz-Terrera G. Decline in Memory, Visuospatial Ability, and Crystalized Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults: Normative Aging or Terminal Decline? J Aging Res 2017; 2017:6210105. [PMID: 28634548 PMCID: PMC5467384 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6210105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore the pattern of change in multiple measures of cognitive abilities in a sample of oldest-old adults, comparing two different time metrics (chronological age and time to death) and therefore examining both underlying conceptual assumptions (age-related change and terminal decline). Moreover, the association with individual characteristics as sex, education, and dementia diagnosis was also examined. Measures of cognitive status (Mini-Mental State Examination and the Swedish Clock Test) and tests of crystallized (knowledge and synonyms), memory (verbal memory, nonverbal long-term memory, recognition and correspondence, and short-term memory), and visuospatial ability were included. The sample consisted of 671 older Swedish adult participants of the OCTO Twin Study. Linear mixed models with random coefficients were used to analyse change patterns and BIC indexes were used to compare models. Results showed that the time to death model was the best option in analyses of change in all the cognitive measures considered (except for the Information Test). A significant cognitive decline over time was found for all variables. Individuals diagnosed with dementia had lower scores at the study entrance and a faster decline. More educated individuals performed better in all the measures of cognition at study entry than those with poorer education, but no differences were found in the rate of change. Differences were found in age, sex, or time to death at baseline across the different measures. These results support the terminal decline hypothesis when compared to models assuming that cognitive changes are driven by normative aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Bendayan
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College of London, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, London, UK
| | - A. M. Piccinin
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - S. M. Hofer
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - D. Cadar
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College of London, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, London, UK
| | - B. Johansson
- Department of Psychology, University of Göteborg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - G. Muniz-Terrera
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College of London, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, London, UK
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Petkus AJ, Reynolds CA, Wetherell JL, Kremen WS, Gatz M. Temporal dynamics of cognitive performance and anxiety across older adulthood. Psychol Aging 2017; 32:278-292. [PMID: 28333502 PMCID: PMC5573587 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive decline and anxiety symptoms commonly co-occur in later life, but the temporal order of changes on these two attributes is unclear. Specifically, it is unknown if greater anxiety leads to subsequent declines in cognitive performance or if worse cognitive performance leads to increased anxiety. In this study, we sought to elucidate the temporal dynamics between anxiety symptoms and cognitive performance across old age-that is, the extent to which level and change in one variable influence subsequent changes in a second variable. We examined data from 721 nondemented participants from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. Participants completed as many as eight assessments of cognitive performance and anxiety over a 26-year period. Bivariate dual-change score models were fit to examine the dynamic association between anxiety and cognitive performance. Bidirectional associations between anxiety and cognitive performance were found among measures of processing speed, attention, and memory but not visuospatial abilities. Higher anxiety was associated with greater declines in processing speed over the duration of 6 years and worsening attention over a span of 3 years. The reverse direction was also significant in that slower processing speed, worse attention, and poorer nonverbal and working memory performance were associated with larger increases in anxiety 3 years later. These findings highlight that in cognitively intact older adults, the association between anxiety and worse cognitive performance is bidirectional and complex. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Petkus
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-1061
| | - Chandra A. Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521
| | - Julie Loebach Wetherell
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92093
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92093
| | - William S. Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92093
- VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA 92093
| | - Margaret Gatz
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-1061
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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10
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Infurna FJ, Okun MA, Grimm KJ. Volunteering Is Associated with Lower Risk of Cognitive Impairment. J Am Geriatr Soc 2016; 64:2263-2269. [PMID: 27696342 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine whether psychosocial factors that can be a target for interventions, such as volunteering, are associated with risk of cognitive impairment. DESIGN Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data from 1998 to 2012, a nationally representative longitudinal panel survey of older adults assessed every 2 years, were used. SETTING The HRS interviews participants aged 50 and older across the contiguous United States. PARTICIPANTS Individuals aged 60 and older in 1998 (N = 13,262). MEASUREMENTS Personal interviews were conducted with respondents to assess presence of cognitive impairment, measured using a composite across cognitive measures. RESULTS Volunteering at the initial assessment and volunteering regularly over time independently decreased the risk of cognitive impairment over 14 years, and these findings were maintained independent of known risk factors for cognitive impairment. Greater risk of onset of cognitive impairment was associated with being older, being female, being nonwhite, having fewer years of education, and reporting more depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION Consistent civic engagement in old age is associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment and provides impetus for interventions to protect against the onset of cognitive impairment. Given the increasing number of baby boomers entering old age, the findings support the public health benefits of volunteering and the potential role of geriatricians, who can promote volunteering by incorporating "prescriptions to volunteer" into their patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J Infurna
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Morris A Okun
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Kevin J Grimm
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
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12
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Luszcz MA, Anstey KJ, Ghisletta P. Subjective Beliefs, Memory and Functional Health: Change and Associations over 12 Years in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Gerontology 2015; 61:241-50. [DOI: 10.1159/000369800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Wagner J, Hoppmann C, Ram N, Gerstorf D. Self-esteem is relatively stable late in life: the role of resources in the health, self-regulation, and social domains. Dev Psychol 2015; 51:136-49. [PMID: 25546600 PMCID: PMC4397980 DOI: 10.1037/a0038338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A large body of research has documented changes in self-esteem across adulthood and individual-difference correlates thereof. However, little is known about whether people maintain their self-esteem until the end of life and what role key risk factors in the health, cognitive, self-regulatory, and social domains play. To examine these questions, we apply growth modeling to 13-year longitudinal data obtained from by now deceased participants of the Berlin Aging Study (N = 462; age 70-103, M = 86.3 years, SD = 8.3; 51% male). Results revealed that self-esteem, on average, does decline in very old age and close to death, but the amount of typical decline is minor. Health-related constraints and disabilities as well as lower control beliefs and higher loneliness were each associated with lower self-esteem late in life. We obtained initial evidence that some of these associations were stronger among the oldest-old participants. Our results corroborate and extend initial reports that self-esteem is, on average, fairly stable into the last years of life. We discuss possible pathways by which common and often severe late-life challenges may undermine an otherwise relatively robust self-esteem system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Wagner
- Leibnitz Institute for Science Education, Kiel, Germany
- Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Denis Gerstorf
- Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany
- German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Berlin, Germany
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Fisher GG, Stachowski A, Infurna FJ, Faul JD, Grosch J, Tetrick LE. Mental work demands, retirement, and longitudinal trajectories of cognitive functioning. J Occup Health Psychol 2014; 19:231-42. [PMID: 24635733 DOI: 10.1037/a0035724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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'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'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.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jessica D Faul
- Institute Social Research Survey Research Center, University of Michigan
| | - James Grosch
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Abstract
Human aging is associated with decline in cognitive and physical functioning. Although pulmonary function predicts long-term performance (up to 10 years) on measures of cognitive function, recent data suggest the opposite relationship: Cognitive decline predicts self-reported physical limitations. In the study reported here, we utilized dual-change-score models to determine the directional relationship between pulmonary and cognitive function. Our sample consisted of 832 participants (ages 50-85 years at baseline), who were assessed in up to seven waves of testing across 19 years as part of the longitudinal Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. Changes in pulmonary function led to subsequent changes in fluid cognitive function, specifically, in tasks reflecting psychomotor speed and spatial abilities. There was no evidence that declines in cognitive function led to subsequent declines in pulmonary function. Thus, these data indicate a directional relationship from decreased pulmonary function to decreased cognitive function, a finding that underscores the importance of maintaining pulmonary function to ensure cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles F Emery
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.
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Salthouse TA. Does the direction and magnitude of cognitive change depend on initial level of ability? INTELLIGENCE 2012; 40:352-361. [PMID: 22711949 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2012.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Longitudinal change in five cognitive abilities was investigated to determine if the direction or magnitude of change was related to the individual's ability level. Adults between 18 and 97 years of age performed three versions of 16 cognitive tests on two occasions separated by an average of 2.7 years. In order to control for influences associated with regression toward the mean, level of ability was determined from scores on the first version of the cognitive tests on the first occasion, and across-occasion change was examined on the second and third versions. Change in every cognitive ability was significantly more negative with increased age. However, there was little indication of ability-dependent change in any of the five cognitive abilities, either in differences between composite scores, or in estimates of latent change. Although there are reasons to expect cognitive change to be less negative at either high or low levels of ability, these data suggest that neither the direction nor magnitude of change is related to initial ability when influences of regression toward the mean are controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Salthouse
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400
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