Brain signal variability and executive functions across the life span

Neural variability is thought to facilitate survival through flexible adaptation to changing environmental demands. In humans, such capacity for flexible adaptation may manifest as fluid reasoning, inhibition of automatic responses, and mental set-switching-skills falling under the broad domain of executive functions that fluctuate over the life span. Neural variability can be quantified via the BOLD signal in resting-state fMRI. Variability of large-scale brain networks is posited to underpin complex cognitive activities requiring interactions between multiple brain regions. Few studies have examined the extent to which network-level brain signal variability across the life span maps onto high-level processes under the umbrella of executive functions. The present study leveraged a large publicly available neuroimaging dataset to investigate the relationship between signal variability and executive functions across the life span. Associations between brain signal variability and executive functions shifted as a function of age. Limbic-specific variability was consistently associated with greater performance across subcomponents of executive functions. Associations between executive function subcomponents and network-level variability of the default mode and central executive networks, as well as whole-brain variability, varied across the life span. Findings suggest that brain signal variability may help to explain to age-related differences in executive functions across the life span.

Normative data for the Digit Symbol Substitution for diverse Hispanic/Latino adults: Results from the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA)

INTRODUCTION

Executive functioning and processing speed are crucial elements of neuropsychological assessment. To meet the needs of the Hispanic/Latino population, we aimed to provide normative data for the Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS) test.

METHODS

The target population for the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging included six heritage backgrounds (n = 6177). Average age was 63.4 ± 8.3 years, 54.5% were female, and mean education was 11.0 ± 4.7 years. Participants were administered the DSS as part of a larger battery. Heritage-adjusted DSS scores, and percentile cut-points were created using survey-adjusted regression and quantile regression models.

RESULTS

Age, education, sex, heritage, and language preference were associated with DSS scores.

DISCUSSION

Significant correlates of DSS performance should be considered when evaluating cognitive performance. Representative DSS norms for Hispanics/Latinos will advance assessment and accuracy of neurocognitive disorder diagnosis in clinical practice. To facilitate interpretation, we provide norms to reduce test biases and developed an online dashboard.

Highlights

Normative data for the Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS) for diverse Hispanic/Latino adults: Results from the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA) This study is the first to develop norms for the DSS test across four regions of the United States.Factors such as age, education, sex, and Hispanic/Latino heritage and language preference are associated with differences in executive functioning and information processing speed.We created norms and an online dashboard (https://solincalab.shinyapps.io/dsst_shiny/) providing an easily accessible tool to evaluate processing speed and executive functioning in Hispanic/Latino adults.

Pre-pandemic Executive Function Protects Against Pandemic Anxiety in Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder

The COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated depression, anxiety, and executive function (EF) difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EF skills have been positively associated with mental health outcomes. Here, we probed the psychosocial impacts of pandemic responses in children with and without ASD by relating pre-pandemic EF assessments with anxiety and depression symptoms several months into the pandemic. We found that pre-pandemic inhibition and shifting difficulties, measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, predicted higher risk of anxiety symptoms. These findings are critical for promoting community recovery and maximizing clinical preparedness to support children at increased risk for adverse psychosocial outcomes.

Comparing Bayesian Variable Selection to Lasso Approaches for Applications in Psychology

In the current paper, we review existing tools for solving variable selection problems in psychology. Modern regularization methods such as lasso regression have recently been introduced in the field and are incorporated into popular methodologies, such as network analysis. However, several recognized limitations of lasso regularization may limit its suitability for psychological research. In this paper, we compare the properties of lasso approaches used for variable selection to Bayesian variable selection approaches. In particular we highlight advantages of stochastic search variable selection (SSVS), that make it well suited for variable selection applications in psychology. We demonstrate these advantages and contrast SSVS with lasso type penalization in an application to predict depression symptoms in a large sample and an accompanying simulation study. We investigate the effects of sample size, effect size, and patterns of correlation among predictors on rates of correct and false inclusion and bias in the estimates. SSVS as investigated here is reasonably computationally efficient and powerful to detect moderate effects in small sample sizes (or small effects in moderate sample sizes), while protecting against false inclusion and without over-penalizing true effects. We recommend SSVS as a flexible framework that is well-suited for the field, discuss limitations, and suggest directions for future development.

Web-Based Relationship Education and Pornography-Related Behaviors: A Single-Group Design During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Research surrounding pornography and its impact on individual and relationship functioning is a frequent and ongoing debate in the current literature. However, recent meta-analyses and aggregated studies suggest that relationship distress is associated with higher levels of general pornography use. This may be a reason why a significant number of men and women view pornography and seek help for their use. In the present study, we explored whether participation in the OurRelationship program, a web-based relationship education program that has been empirically shown to reduce relationship distress but is not tailored to reduce general pornography use, was associated with reliable changes in pornography-related behaviors. In a sample of low-income and diverse couples (N = 314 couples; 628 individuals), we observed high completion rates (64.3%) as well as reliable, small-sized decreases in the frequency and duration of pornography use for the average couple (d = 0.12-0.13). Furthermore, post hoc analyses found that individuals who began the program viewing pornography daily reported reliability-larger decreases in pornography-related behaviors (d = 0.32-0.90) than those who viewed pornography less frequently. However, we did not see reliable changes in couples' arguments about pornography use or perceptions of problematic use. The findings were generally not moderated by gender or lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinicians struggling to reduce their client's general pornography use may consider including a focus on improving general romantic relationship functioning.

Association of cardiometabolic health factors with age-related executive function and episodic memory

Although decline of cognitive abilities in late life is regarded as a common facet of aging, there is inter-individual variability in this decline. Possible contributors are cardiometabolic risk factors associated with cerebrovascular dysfunction, but a dearth in unifying health-cognition models confound exactly how these risk factors mediate age-related changes in executive function (EF) and episodic memory. This study investigated the indirect effect of age on these cognitive abilities via cardiometabolic risk factors using a structural equation modeling approach. Participants included 738 adults (64% female) ranging from 21 to 85 years of age (M = 47.47, SD = 18.28). An exploratory factor analysis was applied to an EF battery yielding a two-factor solution, consisting of inhibition and cognitive flexibility, that showed acceptable fit (χ2(48) = 101.84, p < .001, CFI = .980, RMSEA = .039, SRMR = .035). The EF latent factors were then included in a confirmatory factor analysis exploring the indirect role of age on episodic memory and EF via blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and body mass index. The theoretical model demonstrated acceptable fit, χ2(108) = 204.071, p < .001, CFI = .972, RMSEA = .035, SRMR = .035. Blood pressure was associated with lower cognitive flexibility (β = -.20, p < .001) and there was a significant indirect effect of age on episodic memory through cognitive flexibility (β = .07, p = .021). Results support the "Executive Decline Hypothesis" of age-related episodic memory decline and specifically implicate lower blood pressure control and cognitive flexibility in these changes.

Does coparenting improve during the OurRelationship program? Explorations within a low-income sample during the COVID-19 pandemic

Low-income couples are at an increased risk for relationship instability and divorce, which can have residual impacts on coparenting between the two partners. Growing evidence suggests that brief online relationship education programs can be an effective tool for alleviating relationship distress among low-income couples. However, findings remain mixed when it comes to whether benefits from relationship-focused programs not explicitly addressing coparenting spillover to coparenting among those with children. This preregistered study sought to investigate whether couples participating in an evidence-based online relationship-focused intervention, the OurRelationship program, experienced improvements in coparenting during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To expand on the existing literature, coparenting outcomes assessed included partners' gatekeeping behaviors in addition to coparenting satisfaction, given their important implications for partner involvement in parenting. We also examined the extent to which changes in coparenting were moderated by pre-post gains in relationship satisfaction, child gender, division of childcare, and pandemic disruptions. In a sample of 136 low-income couples (N = 272 individuals) and a one-group/pre-post design, we found medium-sized gains in relationship satisfaction (Cohen's d = .76) and small-sized improvements in all coparenting aspects assessed (|d|s = .29-.39). Couples with greater gains in relationship satisfaction experienced greater improvements in coparenting; further, coparenting changes were robust to other moderators. Taken together, findings suggested that brief online relationship education programs, such as the OurRelationship program, may be a promising option to improve coparenting among relationally distressed low-income couples with children during a global health crisis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Measuring the Frailty Phenotype and its Association with Cognition in Mid-Life and Older Age

Background: Frailty is directly linked to physical robustness and cognitive decline in older age. The Fried Frailty phenotype (FP) is a construct composed of five core symptoms that has been studied predominately in older age. There is little research contrasting the psychometric properties of the FP in mid-life versus older age. Objective: We compared the psychometric properties of the FP in mid-life and older age and investigated relationships between the FP and cognition. Methods: Frailty and neuropsychological assessments were completed on 361 adults, between 45 and 92 years of age, without primary neurological disorders. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine FP, indicated by Grip Strength, Gait Speed, Physical Activity, Fatigue, and Weight Loss. Measurement invariance was tested in mid-life (45–64 years) versus older age (≥65 years). Associations were examined between FP and language, executive functions, memory, processing speed, and visuospatial domains as well as a Generalized Cognition factor. Age was tested as a moderator of these associations. Results: Weight Loss was a poor indicator of FP. Factor loadings were comparable across age groups; however, Fatigue was disproportionately higher among those in mid-life. FP was negatively associated with all cognitive domains and remained invariant across age groups. Conclusion: Results support the construct validity of the FP and document its stable associations with poorer cognition in middle and older life. Future research investigating central features of frailty earlier in life may offer avenues for developing targeted prevention measures and better characterization of individuals with elevated dementia risk.

Revisiting the factor structure and construct validity of the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire

The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ; Broadbent et al., 1982) is an established and commonly used self-report measure of cognitive errors experienced in daily life, capturing perceived difficulties with forgetfulness, distractibility, and thinking blunders. Despite frequent use in clinical research and established associations with psychological and neuropsychological disorders, the psychometric properties and construct validity of the CFQ remain ambiguous. This study sought to critically assess the factor structure and external validity of the CFQ. A sample of 839 people (62% female) between 16 and 85 years of age (M = 44.12, SD = 19.54) was drawn from the Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample. Previously published CFQ factor structures were compared via confirmatory factor analysis and the unique variance explained by each factor was assessed. Next, we related the CFQ latent variables to neuropsychological tasks and symptom measures of depression, anxiety domains, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. A single-factor model was best supported by the data, indicating that the CFQ represents a global measure of subjective cognitive difficulties rather than errors in specific domains. Scores on the CFQ did not predict poorer performance on objective neuropsychological tasks but were related to a range of psychological distress symptoms. Subscales derived from previously published factor structures may provide misleading impressions of the construct validity of the CFQ and are not recommended for use in future research or clinical contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Cognition, Coping, and Psychological Distress in HIV

Interrelationships among HIV-associated neurocognitive dysfunction, avoidant coping, cognitively-oriented coping, and psychological distress were examined using structural equation modeling in an ethnically diverse sample of 209 adults predominantly in the mid-range of illness. Global neurocognitive deficits, assessed with the HIV-dementia scale, were associated with higher levels of avoidant coping, lower levels of cognitive coping, and a higher avoidant/cognitive coping ratio, which were each in turn associated with higher psychological distress measured by a latent factor comprising symptoms of depression, anxiety, and HIV-related distressing thoughts. There were significant indirect effects through avoidant coping and a higher avoidant/cognitive coping ratio. Results suggest the presence of HIV-associated neurocognitive deficits may interfere with the utilization of cognitive-based coping strategies and increase reliance on  more maladaptive strategies, which in turn may translate to elevated reports of  psychological distress. Findings may help inform interventions aimed at reducing avoidant coping and psychological distress, two factors associated with accelerated HIV disease progression.

shinyDLRs: A dashboard to facilitate derivation of diagnostic likelihood ratios

Despite increased recognition of the importance of evidence-based assessment in clinical psychology, utilization of gold-standard practices remains low, including during diagnostic assessments. One avenue to streamline evidence-based diagnostic assessment is to increase the use of diagnostic likelihood ratios (DLRs), derived from receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. DLRs allow for the adjustment of the likelihood that an individual has a disorder based on self-report data (e.g., questionnaires, psychosocial, family history). Although DLRs provide strong and readily implementable psychometric data to guide diagnostic decision-making, analyses necessary to derive DLRs are not commonplace in psychological curriculum and available resources require familiarity with specialized statistical methodologies and software. We developed a free, researcher-oriented dashboard, shinyDLRs (https://dlrs.shinyapps.io/shinyDLRs/), to facilitate the derivation of DLRs. shinyDLRs allows researchers to carry out multiple analyses while providing descriptive interpretations of statistics derived from receiver operating characteristic curves. We present the utility of this interface as applied to several freely available measures of mood and anxiety for the purposes of guiding diagnosis of psychopathology. The sample leveraged to accomplish this goal included 576 youth, 4-19 years of age, and a parent informant, both of whom completed several questionnaires and semi-structured interviews prior to participating in treatment at a university-based research clinic. Lastly, we provide recommendations for inclusion of DLRs in future research investigating the psychometric properties and diagnostic utility of assessments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Measurement invariance of a household water insecurity metric in Greater Accra, Ghana: Implications for test-retest reliability

The mitigation of household water insecurity is recognized as an important component of global poverty alleviation, but until recently was difficult to measure. Several new metrics of household water insecurity have been proposed and validated, but few have been field-tested for reliability in diverse contexts. We used confirmatory factor analysis to test the psychometric equivalence of one such metric-the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale-across two survey waves administered 18 months apart in similar climatic conditions among households in a peri-urban community outside of Accra, Ghana. The HWISE metric was not equivalent across survey waves, which may be attributable to the metric itself, sample size, subtle instrumentation changes, or other unobserved factors. Test-retest reliability may also be difficult to achieve given the dynamic nature of household water use, and we discuss the implications of using household water insecurity metrics as longitudinal measures of well-being in global anti-poverty programs.

Normative data for the Brief Spanish-English Verbal Learning Test for representative and diverse Hispanics/Latinos: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

INTRODUCTION

Episodic learning and memory performance are crucial components of cognitive assessment. To meet the needs of a diverse Hispanic/Latino population, we aimed to provide normative data on the Brief Spanish-English Verbal Learning Test (B-SEVLT).

METHODS

The target population for the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) included individuals 45+ years old from Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and South American backgrounds. Average age was 56.5 years ± 9.92, 54.5% were female, and mean education was 11.0 years ± 5.6 (unweighted n = 9309). Participants were administered the B-SEVLT in their preferred language (Spanish or English). Hispanic/Latino background adjusted B-SEVLT scores and percentile cut-points were created using survey-adjusted regression models.

RESULTS

Higher educational attainment, younger age, and being female were associated with higher learning and memory performance. Hispanic/Latino background groups differed in B-SEVLT performance.

DISCUSSION

Representative learning and memory norms for Hispanic/Latinos of diverse backgrounds will improve cognitive assessment and accuracy of neurocognitive disorder diagnosis.

Brain Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Flexibility Across the Lifespan

The neural mechanisms contributing to flexible cognition and behavior and how they change with development and aging are incompletely understood. The current study explored intrinsic brain dynamics across the lifespan using resting-state fMRI data (n = 601, 6-85 years) and examined the interactions between age and brain dynamics among three neurocognitive networks (midcingulo-insular network, M-CIN; medial frontoparietal network, M-FPN; and lateral frontoparietal network, L-FPN) in relation to behavioral measures of cognitive flexibility. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed brain dynamics among a brain state characterized by co-activation of the L-FPN and M-FPN, and brain state transitions, moderated the relationship between quadratic effects of age and cognitive flexibility as measured by scores on the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) test. Furthermore, simple slope analyses of significant interactions revealed children and older adults were more likely to exhibit brain dynamic patterns associated with poorer cognitive flexibility compared with younger adults. Our findings link changes in cognitive flexibility observed with age with the underlying brain dynamics supporting these changes. Preventative and intervention measures should prioritize targeting these networks with cognitive flexibility training to promote optimal outcomes across the lifespan.

Testing measurement equivalence of neurocognitive assessments across language in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

OBJECTIVE

Neuropsychological instruments are often developed in English and translated to other languages to facilitate the clinical evaluation of diverse populations or to utilize in research environments. However, the psychometric equivalence of these assessments across language must be demonstrated before populations can validly be compared.

METHOD

To test this equivalence, we applied measurement invariance procedures to a subsample (N = 1,708) of the Hispanic Community Health Survey/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) across English and Spanish versions of a neurocognitive battery. Using cardinality matching, 854 English-speaking and 854 Spanish-speaking subsamples were matched on age, education, sex, immigration status (U.S. born, including territories, or foreign-born), and Hispanic/Latino heritage background. Neurocognitive measures included the Six-Item Screener (SIS), Brief-Spanish English Verbal Learning Test (B-SEVLT), Word Fluency (WF), and Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS). Confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to test item-level invariance of the SIS, B-SEVLT, and WF, as well as factor-level invariance of a higher-order neurocognitive functioning latent variable.

RESULTS

One item of both the SIS and WF were more difficult in Spanish than English, as was the DSS test. After accounting for partial invariance, Spanish-speakers performed worse on each of the subtests and the second-order neurocognitive functioning latent variable.

CONCLUSIONS

We found some evidence of bias at both item and factor levels, contributing to the poorer neurocognitive performance of Spanish test-takers. While these results explain the underperformance of Spanish-speakers to some extent, more work is needed to determine whether such bias is reflective of true cognitive differences or additional variables unaccounted for in this study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Whole-Brain Functional Dynamics Track Depressive Symptom Severity

Depressive symptoms are reported by 20% of the population and are related to altered functional integrity of large-scale brain networks. The link between moment-to-moment brain function and depressive symptomatology, and the implications of these relationships for clinical and community populations alike, remain understudied. The present study examined relationships between functional brain dynamics and subclinical-to-mild depressive symptomatology in a large community sample of adults with and without psychiatric diagnoses. This study used data made available through the Enhanced Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample; 445 participants between 18 and 65 years of age completed a 10-min resting-state functional MRI scan. Coactivation pattern analysis was used to examine the dimensional relationship between depressive symptoms and whole-brain states. Elevated levels of depressive symptoms were associated with increased frequency and dwell time of the default mode network, a brain network associated with self-referential thought, evaluative judgment, and social cognition. Furthermore, increased depressive symptom severity was associated with less frequent occurrences of a hybrid brain network implicated in cognitive control and goal-directed behavior, which may impair the inhibition of negative thinking patterns in depressed individuals. These findings demonstrate how temporally dynamic techniques offer novel insights into time-varying neural processes underlying subclinical and clinically meaningful depressive symptomatology.

Altered patterns of brain dynamics linked with body mass index in youth with autism

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher rates of overweight and obesity (OWOB) compared with typically developing (TD) children. Brain functional connectivity differences have been shown in both ASD and OWOB. However, only one study to date has examined ASD and OWOB concurrently, so little is known regarding the neural mechanisms associated with the higher prevalence of OWOB and its behavioral impacts in ASD. We investigated co-activation patterns (CAPs) of brain regions identified by independent component analysis in 129 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age (n = 68 ASD). We examined the interaction between body mass index (BMI) and diagnosis in predicting dynamic brain metrics (dwell time, DT; frequency of occurrence, and transitions between states) as well as dimensional brain-behavior relationships. The relationship between BMI and brain dynamics was moderated by diagnosis (ASD, TD), particularly among the frequency of CAP 4, characterized by co-activation of lateral frontoparietal, temporal, and frontal networks. This pattern was negatively associated with parent-reported inhibition skills. Children with ASD had shorter CAP 1, characterized by co-activation of the subcortical, temporal, sensorimotor, and frontal networks, and CAP 4 DTs compared with TD children. CAP 1 DT was negatively associated with cognitive flexibility, inhibition, social functioning, and BMI. Cognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between BMI and brain dynamics in the visual network. Our findings provide novel evidence of neural mechanisms associated with OWOB in children with ASD. Further, poorer cognitive flexibility may result in increased vulnerability for children with ASD and co-occurring OWOB. LAY SUMMARY: Obesity is a societal epidemic and is common in autism, however, little is known about the neural mechanisms associated with the higher rates of obesity in autism. Here, we find unique patterns of brain dynamics associated with obesity in autism that were not observed in typically developing children. Further, the relationship between body mass index and brain dynamics depended on cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest that individuals with autism may be more vulnerable to the effects of obesity on brain function. Autism Res 2021, 14: 873-886. © 2021 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Methodological challenges to confirmatory latent variable models of social vulnerability

Socially vulnerable communities experience disproportionately negative outcomes following natural disasters and underscoring a need for well-validated measures to identify those at risk. However, questions have surfaced regarding the factor structure, internal consistency, and generalizability of social vulnerability measures. A reliance on data-driven techniques, which are susceptible to sample-specific characteristics, has likely exacerbated the difficulty generalizing social vulnerability measures across contexts. This study sought to validate previously published structures of SoVI using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We fit CFA models of 28 sociodemographic variables frequently used to calculate a commonly used measure, the social vulnerability index (SoVI), drawn from the American Community Survey across 4162 census tracts in Florida. Confirmatory models generally did not support theory-driven pillars of SoVI that were previously used to study vulnerability in the New York metropolitan area. Modified models and alternative SoVI factor structures also failed to fit the data. Many of the input variables displayed little to no variability, limiting their utility and explanatory power. Taken together, our results highlight the poor generalizability of SoVI across contexts, but raise several important considerations for reliability and validity, as well as issues related to source data and scale. We discuss the implications of these findings for improved theory-driven measurement of social vulnerability.

Central Obesity, Cardiometabolic Risk, and Cognitive Change in the Study of Latinos - Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging

BACKGROUND

The relationships between obesity and cognitive decline in aging are mixed and understudied among Hispanics/Latinos.

OBJECTIVE

To understand associations between central obesity, cognitive aging, and the role of concomitant cardiometabolic abnormalities among Hispanics/Latinos.

METHODS

Participants included 6,377 diverse Hispanics/Latinos enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and SOL-Investigation for Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA). Participants were 45 years and older at the first cognitive testing session (Visit 1). Cognitive outcomes (z-score units) included global composite and domain specific (learning, memory, executive functioning, processing speed) measures at a second visit (SOL-INCA, on average, 7 years later), and 7-year change. We used survey linear regression to examine associations between central obesity (waist circumference≥88 cm and≥102 cm for women and men, respectively) and cognition. We also tested whether the relationships between obesity and cognition differed by cardiometabolic status (indication of/treatment for 2 + of the following: high triglycerides, hypertension, hyperglycemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol).

RESULTS

Central obesity was largely unassociated with cognitive outcomes, adjusting for covariates. However, among individuals with central obesity, cardiometabolic abnormality was linked to poorer cognitive function at SOL-INCA (ΔGlobalCognition =-0.165, p < 0.001) and to more pronounced cognitive declines over the average 7 years (ΔGlobalCognition = -0.109, p < 0.05); this was consistent across cognitive domains.

CONCLUSION

Central obesity alone was not associated with cognitive function. However, presence of both central obesity and cardiometabolic abnormalities was robustly predictive of cognition and 7-year cognitive declines, suggesting that in combination these factors may alter the cognitive trajectories of middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos.

Elucidating mechanisms of quality-of-life disparities in Hispanic women with breast cancer: An examination of disease stage, coping, and affect

OBJECTIVES

Compared to non-Hispanic white (NHW) women, Hispanic women with breast cancer (BCa) are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of disease and experience reduced quality of life (QOL) following diagnosis. We hypothesized that the demands of later-stage disease results in a perceived inability to cope and greater distress for Hispanic women, resulting in decreased QOL.

METHODS

Hispanic (51%) and NHW (49%) women (N = 198) with newly diagnosed stage 0-3 BCa in Miami were enrolled in two trials between 2006 and 2019. In this cross-sectional analysis, a multiple-group structural equation modeling approach was applied to baseline measures of coping confidence (Measure of Current Status Scale), negative and positive affect (Affect Balance Scale), QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Breast), and disease stage.

RESULTS

In our model, later-stage disease was not associated with worse QOL for Hispanic or NHW women. However, there were differences between Hispanic and NHW women on the path from disease stage to (1) coping confidence, (2) positive affect, and (3) negative affect, such that later disease stage was associated with lower coping confidence (b[SE] = -1.75[0.59], p = 0.002), less positive affect (b[SE] = -0.21[0.10], p = 0.026), and greater negative affect (b[SE] = 0.15[0.08], p = 0.052) among Hispanic, but not NHW, women. In addition, an indirect effect was found from greater stage to poorer QOL via less positive affect among Hispanic women only (b[SE] = -0.49[0.24], p = 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS

This data supports our theory that Hispanic women experience worse emotional distress at later-stage disease than do NHW women, in turn impacting QOL.

Child eyewitness researchers often bin age: Prevalence of the practice and recommendations for analyzing developmental trends

OBJECTIVE

Effective practices for eliciting and analyzing children's eyewitness reports rely on accurate conclusions about age differences in how children retain information and respond to memory probes. Binning, which is the practice of categorizing continuous variables into discrete groups, can lower studies' power to detect age differences and, in some situations, produce significant but spurious effects. In this article, we (a) describe a systematic review that estimated the frequency of binning age in child eyewitness studies, (b) analyze real and simulated data to illustrate how binning can distort conclusions about age and covariate effects, and (c) demonstrate best practices for analyzing and reporting age trends.

HYPOTHESES

We expected that researchers would frequently bin age and that we would replicate the negative consequences of binning in the demonstration data sets.

METHOD

For the systematic review, we retrieved 58 articles describing child eyewitness studies and determined whether researchers binned age for one randomly selected analysis per article. We then compared alternative ways of analyzing actual and simulated data sets.

RESULTS

Researchers binned age for 64% of the analyses (88% of analyses involving experimental manipulations vs. 35% of the nonexperimental analyses, φ = .55, p < .01). A significant age trend in the real data example was nonsignificant when age was treated as categorical, and in the simulated data sets we demonstrate how this practice may lead to detecting a spurious effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Treating age as a continuous variable maximizes power to detect real differences without inflating the frequency of spurious results, thereby ensuring that policies regarding child eyewitnesses reflect developmental changes in children's needs and abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A Network Analysis of Hoarding Symptoms, Saving and Acquiring Motives, and Comorbidity

Hoarding disorder is marked by strong attachments to everyday objects, extreme difficulties discarding, and impairing levels of clutter. We examined the associations between hoarding symptoms and associated clinical features using network analysis in a large sample of individuals with established hoarding disorder (n=217) and matched healthy controls (n=130). Network nodes included the three core features of hoarding (difficulties discarding, clutter, and acquiring), along with comorbid symptoms, impairment, and saving and acquiring motives. Models showed hoarding and comorbid symptoms as separate syndromes. Healthy and patient networks differed significantly in both global network strength and structure. For the hoarding patient network, the comorbidity and hoarding clusters were connected by acquiring and anxiety, which served as bridge symptoms. Clutter was the only hoarding node associated with impairment. Hoarding beliefs were not central to the model, and only difficulties discarding was associated with saving and acquiring motives, including emotional attachment and wastefulness beliefs. Our findings indicate that the network approach to mental disorders provides a new and complementary way to improve our understanding of the etiological model of hoarding, and may present novel hypotheses to examine in treatment development research.