Overview of "Studying Cognition in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project: Methodological and Analytic Considerations, Strategies and Findings From Round 4"
Loneliness and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease, axonal damage, and astrogliosis: A coordinated analysis of two longitudinal cohorts
Loneliness is associated with an elevated risk of dementia. There is mixed evidence from imaging studies on whether loneliness is associated with neuropathology in dementia-free adults. This study tests whether loneliness is associated with plasma neurobiomarkers of amyloid (Aβ42/Aβ40), phosphorylated tau 181 (pTau181), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and imaging measures of amyloid and tau.
Gender and educational trends in lifetime risk, age at onset, expectancy, and survival with cardiovascular disease in Finland, 1996-2020
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality globally. Examining trends in CVD burden and associated sociodemographic disparities can contribute to tailoring policies that promote cardiovascular health and narrow health disparities. However, existing studies predominantly focus only on mortality. Therefore, we provide a more comprehensive understanding of CVD trends by studying the diverse aspects of CVD burden: lifetime risk, onset age, CVD-free and CVD life expectancy, and survival with CVD. We focus on the overall Finnish population in 1996-2020, as well as gender and educational disparities.
Cognitive Domains in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project
Cognition consists of specific domains that are differentially linked to health outcomes. We provide guidance on how to derive cognitive domains in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) study. We suggest the use of a bifactor analysis to derive cognitive domains. To support our view that a bifactor analysis is necessary, we created cognitive domains from a bifactor analysis and created cognitive domains through summing the cognitive items; we then regressed the cognitive domains created through both methods with functional health (activites of daily living [ADLs] and instrumental activities of daily living [IADLs]) and compared the regression results.
The association between multilingual experience factors and cognitive functioning in older adults: A Lifelines study
The complex life experience of speaking two or more languages has been suggested to preserve cognition in older adulthood. This study aimed to investigate this further by examining the relationship between multilingual experience variables and cognitive functioning in a large cohort of older adults in the diversely multilingual north of the Netherlands.
Empathy and psychological outcomes in informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Scholars have increasingly recognized the crucial role that empathy plays as informal caregivers provide unpaid care to their older family and friends (i.e., care recipients). Yet, the existing literature exhibits substantial variability in study approaches and results, which limits the extent to which this literature can inform interventions intended to benefit informal caregivers. We sought to address this critical gap by synthesizing research that examined how caregivers' and care recipients' empathy were associated with caregivers' psychological health.
Aberrant Structural-Functional Coupling of Large-scale Brain Networks in Older Women with Subthreshold Depression
Subthreshold depression (SD) is common in the older population, more so in females than males, and can lead to serious physical and mental ill-health. However, the underlying neurobiology remains unclear. This study used multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the topological organization and coupling of the structural and functional brain networks in older women with SD.
Life space restriction following disruptive life events: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic
Restriction of life space mobility is associated with adverse health outcomes including depression, morbidity, mortality and poorer quality of life. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 and associated employment loss on the life space of older adults in Singapore.
The impact of stepfamily structure on older parents' frequency of contact with and care receipt from adult biological and stepchildren in the Netherlands
Older people are increasingly entering their later years in stepfamilies. Because adult children play a central role in older parents' support networks, there is concern that the generally weaker intergenerational ties found in stepfamilies may imply an impending deficit in the care available to stepparents. It is currently unclear whether there are differences across stepfamily types including stepfamilies with only biological children. The aim of the study is to examine whether there are differences in contact frequency with and care receipt from adult biological and stepchildren in biological and different types of stepfamilies.
Association of depression dimensions with cognitive functioning in community-dwelling oldest old adults: The LifeAfter90 study
The oldest old adults (90+) constitute the fastest growing demographic at highest dementia risk among older adults. Depression, a common risk factor, inherently presents with heterogeneous clinical manifestations. Here, we explored the associations of the predominant depression dimensions with cognition in the LifeAfter90 study.
Parent-Adult Child Relationships and Repartnering After Gray Divorce
The rise in gray divorce has catalyzed repartnering in later life. However, the antecedents of older adult repartnering remain poorly understood, particularly the potential role of adult children. A form of ambiguous loss, marital disruption often leads to family boundary ambiguity, thereby weakening family ties. We investigated whether co-residence and proximity of, frequent contact with, and downward transfers to adult children were negatively associated with repartnering after gray divorce.
Educational Disparities in Age-related Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use across Age, Gender, and European Region
Affecting one in five adults in Europe, hearing loss (HL) is linked to adverse health outcomes, including dementia. We aim to investigate educational inequalities in hearing health in Europe and how these inequalities change with age, gender, and region.
Family Size across the Life Course and Cognitive Decline in Older Mexican Adults
A growing body of research has identified associations between family size and cognition in older adults. These studies largely focus on older adults' own fertility history instead of sibship size, defined as one's number of siblings. Sibship size may impact cognitive development during early childhood, creating differences that may persist into late-life. Using a gendered life course framework, this study evaluates how family size across the life course (both sibship size and number of children) relates with cognitive aging among older Mexican adults.
Modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults differ by sex and APOE4
The extent to which lifestyle shapes trajectories of normal cognitive aging, and the factors with highest potential for mitigating cognitive decline, remain poorly uncharacterized.
Associations of Faith Community Rejection with Social Support and Health Outcomes among LGBTQ+ Older Adults
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adults have varied experiences with faith communities, ranging from affirmation to religious trauma. We investigate how faith community rejection impacts social support and health outcomes among LGBTQ+ older adults in the Southern United States.
Longitudinal Associations Between Neighborhood Environments and Functional Disabilities among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in China
This study aims to investigate the longitudinal associations between neighborhood environments and functional disabilities over time among older adults in China. Urban-rural disparities in these associations were examined in this study.
Social connectedness in older adults: The potential of social internet use to maintain a strong and stable personal network
Maintaining a strong social network in later life can be challenging due to limited resources, life events, and changes in health. Social internet use provides an accessible way for communication that is less susceptible to age-related challenges. Although social internet use is increasingly used by older adults, we do not know how social internet use shapes older adults' offline networks. The purpose of this study is to examine whether social internet use can help maintain strong social relationships.
Prosocial Intentions and Subsequent Cognitive Health: A Prospective Cohort Study
Prosociality, defined as positive other-regarding intentions and behaviors, is a modifiable factor demonstrated to be associated with better mental, physical, and cognitive health in older adults. Prior studies have largely focused on individual prosocial behaviors, especially volunteering. This study examines whether prosocial intentions are associated with maintaining cognitive health over time.
Distribution of informal caregiving for older adults living with or at risk of cognitive decline within and beyond family in rural South Africa
Aging populations will increasingly need care, much of this provided informally particularly in rural areas and in low and middle-income countries. In rural South Africa, formal support is severely limited, and adult children are frequently unavailable due to morbidity, early mortality, employment and migration. We describe how care is shared within and between households.
Within- and Between-Person Differences in Activity Factor Structure: Results from an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
Studies using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of activity participation rely on items tapping domains informed by factor analyses based on single time points. Analyses from a single time point focus on differences between participants and provide little insight into how activities cluster together within a person across moments or days. The present study compared the factor structure in activity participation between- and within-persons using an expanded set of momentary activity items in middle and older adulthood.
Characterizing Cognitive Dispersion and its Correlates Across the Adult Lifespan in MIDUS
Although research has shown that higher levels of within-person variability across cognitive tasks (dispersion) are associated with cognitive decline in clinical samples, little is known about dispersion in comparatively younger, non-clinical, and national samples. A better understanding of dispersion is needed to elucidate for whom and under what circumstances dispersion can be used as a reliable indicator of cognitive health.