EXPERIMENTAL AGING RESEARCH

An Investigation of Non-Auditory Lexical Language Skills in Relation to Hearing Ability and Second Language Use in Older Adults
Vogelzang M
This study explored how age-related hearing loss and second language use relate to non-auditory lexical language abilities in 74 older adults (mean age 63; range 50-73). Participants completed a cognitive task (backwards digit span) and two lexical tasks: a verbal fluency task, which has a stronger cognitive component, and a vocabulary task, which has a lesser cognitive component. Our findings suggest that fundamental language skills are distinct from perceptual difficulties - at least in a lexical task with a lesser cognitive component. In the lexical task with a stronger cognitive component, we found evidence for a complex relation between age-related hearing loss and the frequency of second language use.
Age Difference on the Spatial Scale of Object Categorization
Boucart M, Lenoble Q and Peyrin C
As the elderly population is growing worldwide and communication is increasingly relayed by visual interfaces, identifying age-related changes in the visual perception of complex stimuli is critical. We examined the effect of spatial frequency filtering on object categorization in young (mean 25 years) and older (mean 65 years) participants.
Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain is Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Independent of Physical Activity. Experimental Aging Research
Esposito E, Lemes IR, Salimei PS, Morelhão PK, Marques LBF, Martins MDS, Cynthia G, Franco MR and Pinto RZ
Prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain and depressive symptoms in adults is high; however, whether there is an association between these conditions in older adults is unknown.
Role of Cardiovascular Risk in Associations of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor with Longitudinal Brain and Cognitive Trajectories in Older Adults
Shearon J, Jackson J, Head D and
Higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been associated with better neurocognitive outcomes. BDNF is present in cardiovascular tissue, and some evidence suggests it may benefit cardiovascular function. The current study assessed whether there is a mediating and/or moderating role of cardiovascular health in the relationship between BDNF and brain and cognitive outcomes.
Association Between Metabolic Disorders and Cognitive Domains in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Gil Rodrigues Pedroso Anibal L, Neves Freiria C, Maria da Silva G, Borim FSA, Pereira de Brito TR, de Oliveira Pain A, Aprahamian I, Milanski Ferreira M and Pires Corona L
evaluate the association between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and cognitive performance (global and in each domain) in community-dwelling older adults.
Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition
Akbuğa Koç E, Çil ET, Çakır Ş, Ahmetoğlu A, Yahya H and Çınar N
The General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG) was explicitly developed as a brief cognitive screening tool for general practitioners. It consists of a patient section testing cognition and an informant section asking historical questions. This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of GPCOG-Tr on older Turkish adults. The study included two hundred thirty ( = 230) community-dwelling individuals aged at least 55. The GPCOG was translated, back-translated, and revised to determine the final GPCOG-Tr. The sample was divided into the patient group (with memory complaints) and the control group (without memory complaints). The GPCOG-Tr was compared against standard criteria for diagnosis of dementia (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th edition), the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, the Mini-mental State Examination, The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) subscale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The reliability test was done on 30 participants after two weeks. The two-stage method of administering the GPCOG-Tr had a sensitivity of 85%, a specificity of 92%, a misclassification rate of 11.3%, and a positive predictive value of 92%. The test-retest correlation coefficients ranged from 0.86 to 0.98. The GPCOG-Tr total was at least equivalent to the MMSE and ADAS-Cog in detecting dementia. The GPCOG-Tr displayed solid psychometric properties, offering the general practitioners an efficient cognitive instrument for older Turkish people.
Mediating Effect of Cognitive Reserve in the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Zhang HR, Wu JW, Wang L, Ye MZ and Zheng GH
The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of cognitive reserve (CR) on the association between physical activity and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 495 community-dwelling older adults were included in this cross-sectional study. The CR, cognitive function, physical activity, and the potential confounders were assessed. Regression and bootstrap analyses were used to explore the mediating role of CR in physical activity and cognitive function. Compared to older adults with low to moderate physical activity, older adults with high physical activity had significantly better global cognitive function (βMoCA scores = 1.22, 95% CI 0.41 ~ 2.04) and visual spatial function (βCDT scores = 0.52, 95% CI 0.11 ~ 0.94) after adjustment for the confounders. CR mediated the association between physical activity and cognitive function with an indirect effect for global cognitive function (βMoCAscores = -0.29, 95% CI -0.56 ~ -0.09) and visual spatial function (βCDTscores = -0.14, 95% CI -0.28 ~ -0.05) after adjusting for the confounders, with 23.8% and 26.7% as percentage of mediation, respectively. These findings suggest that high physical activity could be effective in increasing cognitive reserve and preserving or improving cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults.
Effects of Motor and Cognitive Dual-Task Demands on Ankle Dorsiflexor and Plantarflexor Force Control in Older Adults
Ishizaka R, Nojima I, Ishida K, Sugiura H, Takahashi A, Minami K and Watanabe T
Force steadiness can be impaired under dual-task conditions in older adults. Since this impairment is attributed to their limited attentional resources, we hypothesized that the degree of cortical activity involved in muscle contraction would affect force steadiness under dual-task conditions. To test this hypothesis, based on the premise that dorsiflexion requires more cortical resources than plantarflexion, we compared the effects of additional motor and cognitive task demands on force steadiness between dorsiflexion and plantarflexion contractions in young and older adults.
Association of Spouses' Sensory Loss with Depressive Symptoms, Self-Reported Health, and Functional Disability Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Li X, Huang W, Feng H, Zhao Y, Nan J and Duan Y
To investigate cross-sectional associations between spouses' sensory loss and depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and functional disability.
Effect of Age and Education on Discourse Cohesion
Kevická V, Marková J and Buntová D
Several studies have proven the presence of cohesion difficulties in neurogenic communication disorders. However, we still have very little information about discourse cohesion in the intact adult population and the factors that influence it. The aim of the present study is to provide additional information on this topic and to assess the effect of age and education on discourse cohesion.
Predictors of the Disability in Activities of Daily Living in Nursing Home Residents: A Descriptive Study
Sahin UK and Acaröz S
Disability in activities of daily living (ADL) is a common problem among nursing home residents. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the geriatric syndromes that contribute to disability in nursing home residents. The cross-sectional study included 124 older adults from two nursing homes. ADL disability was assessed with the Barthel Index. The sociodemographic characteristics and geriatric syndromes, including malnutrition, sarcopenia risk, frailty, immobility, urinary incontinence, cognitive impairment, and balance dysfunction were evaluated. The 124 residents had a mean age of 80.12 ± 9.20 years and included 55.67% males. Age, malnutrition, sarcopenia risk, frailty, immobility, urinary incontinence, cognitive impairment, and balance dysfunction were all significantly correlated with the Barthel Index. However, only malnutrition, immobility, and urinary incontinence were found to account for 84.9% of the variance in disability of nursing home residents in regression analysis. These geriatric syndromes are the best predictors of ADL disability in all models ( < .05). This study found that malnutrition, immobility, and urinary incontinence considerably contributed to the disability profile of nursing home residents. Health professionals need to develop multi-dimensional care and prevention strategies, especially for geriatric syndromes such as malnutrition, immobility, and urinary incontinence.
Examination of the Relationship Between Sensory Processing Skills, Kinesiophobia and Fear of Falling in Older Adults with Hypertension and Normotension
Cemali M, Sarı M, Öztürk D, Elmas Ö and Karaduman AA
The aim of the study was to investigate fear of falling, kinesiophobia, and sensory processing in older adults with hypertension and normotension.
A Diffusion Model Account of Cognitive Variability in Healthy Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Aschenbrenner AJ and Jackson JJ
Within-person variation in cognitive performance is linked to pathological aging. Cognitive fluctuations have not been analyzed using cognitive process models, such as the diffusion model, to characterize which cognitive processes contribute to variability in cognition. We collected 21 daily assessments of attention and personality in younger adults, healthy older adults, and those with mild cognitive impairment. We employed mixed-effects location scale models to analyze group differences on mean diffusion parameters and daily variability. Discussion focuses on how these methods extend our understanding of how cognitive deficits might appear in aging and disease and the moderating influence of daily personality.
The Attentional Boost Effect in Older Adults: Examining the Vulnerable Boost Hypothesis
Spataro P, Prull MW, Santirocchi A and Rossi-Arnaud C
The Attentional Boost Effect (ABE) occurs whenever participants recognize stimuli paired earlier with to-be-responded targets better than stimuli earlier paired with to-be-ignored distractors or presented on their own (baseline). Previous studies showed that the ABE does not occur in older adults when the encoding time is too short (500 ms/word) or when encoding is incidental, likely due to aging-related reductions in cognitive resources or limitations of processing speed.
The Association Between Back Pain, Depression, and Quality of Life Among Older Adults Living with HIV in Rural Areas of the United States
Gliedt J, Walsh J, Quinn K and Petroll A
This study aimed to assess prevalence of back pain among older people living with HIV (PLH) in rural areas of the United States (US); compare the presence of comorbidities, socioeconomic factors, and sociodemographic factors among older PLH in rural areas of the US with and without back pain; and examine the associations between back pain, depression, and QOL among older PLH in rural areas of the US.
Attentional Bias in Older Adults with Non-Clinical Depression: An Eye-Tracking Study
Yuan J, Chen Y, Yuan X, Zhang Y, Wang Y and Liu Z
Cognitive models of depression assert that attentional biases play an important role in the maintenance of depression. However, few studies have explored attentional bias in depressed older adults, and no consistent conclusions have been reached.
Effects of Cognitive Intervention and Rehabilitation Training on the Expression of miR-134-5p in Elderly Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Cognitive Impairment
Sun W, Zhao J, Wang W, Zhang W, Feng X, Feng J and Li L
This study aimed to analyze the effect and potential mechanism of cognitive intervention and rehabilitation training in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus complicated with mild cognitive impairment.
The Association Between Social Support and the Quality of Life of Older Adults in China: The Mediating Effect of Loneliness
Jiang N, Ye H, Zhao X and Zhang Y
Quality of life, social support, and loneliness are common problems among older adults in China , but the relationships among these issues have not been clearly identified.
Investigation of the Effect of Tai Chi Training on Depressive Symptoms in Perimenopausal Women on the Basis of Serum Kynurenine Metabolites
Liu J, Si J and Zhao W
To observe the effects of Tai Chi training on depression symptoms and serum kynurenine metabolites in perimenopausal women and explore the mechanism of Tai Chi training in anti-depression.
Community-Based Virtual Reality Interventions in Older Adults with Dementia and/or Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review
Stavropoulou I, Sakellari E, Barbouni A and Notara V
Virtual reality devices have been widely used for the rehabilitation among older people with cognitive impairments. They enable the user to navigate in three-dimensional environments, which are constructed by a computer. Recent studies have been focused on the cognitive benefits of virtual reality for people with cognitive deficits. The current study aimed to investigate the overall impact of community-based virtual reality interventions in older adults with dementia and/or cognitive impairment.
The Combined Effect of Tribulus terrestris Hydroalcoholic Extract and Swimming Exercise on Memory and Oxidative Stress in Old Male Rats
Heydarnia Kalati Z, Harati H, Abtahi-Eivary SH, Dehestany Zarch MJ, Karami Y, Moghimian M and Fani M
This study aims to assess the effect of swim exercise along with consumption of bindii hydroalcoholic extract on memory and the oxidative stress markers in old male rats.
AMPA Receptors Endocytosis Inhibition Attenuates Cognition Deficit Via c-Fos/BDNF Signaling in Amyloid Neurotoxicity
Eyvani K, Letafatkar N and Babaei P
Glutamatergic imbalance, particularly downregulation of -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPARs) endocytosis, has been addressed as a possible reason for cognitive dysfunctions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We hypothesized that inhibition of AMPAR endocytosis may ameliorate memory impairment in AD model of rats. To approach this, twenty-four adults male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: saline + saline (control group), A + saline, and A + Tat-GluR23Y (AMPA endocytosis inhibitor). Animals received an intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) injection of A (1-42) to induce neuro-toxicity, followed by chronic administration of GluR23Y, and further behavioral assessments by MWM. Afterward, the hippocampal level of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and c-Fos was measured via Western blotting. The results of our study revealed that chronic administration of GluR23Y improved both working and reference memories evidenced by shorter latency time and longer total time spent in the target zone in MWM. Additionally, this improvement was paralleled by an increase in BDNF, but a decrease in c-Fos. In conclusion, GluR23Y improves spatial memory impairment at least partly via elevating neuroprotective factor of BDNF and reducing apoptotic protein of c-Fos.
Mediating Role of Psychological Status in the Association Between Resiliency and Quality of Life Among Older Malaysians Living with Knee Osteoarthritis
Norman SS, Mat S, Kamsan SS, Hamid Md Ali S, Mohamad Yahaya NH, Mei Hsien CC, Md Ramli DB, Tohit NM, Ibrahim N and Shahar S
Resilience increases the ability of an individual to overcome adversity. It has not yet been determined how resilience is linked to quality of life among individuals experiencing knee osteoarthritis symptoms. To explore the inter-relationships of psychological distress, resilience and quality of life among older individuals with knee osteoarthritis. The study examined older adults in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, identifying osteoarthritis through verified physician diagnosis. Various factors, including resilience, psychological status, and quality of life, were measured. In the study with 338 older adults, 50.9% had knee osteoarthritis. Higher resilience was linked to lower depression, anxiety, and stress, and better quality of life in both groups with and without knee osteoarthritis. Psychological factors consistently mediated the link between resilience and quality of life even after controlling potential confounders. Analysis showed that depression, anxiety, and stress mediate the relationship between resilience and quality of life, indicating a significant influence even when considering various factors. Resilience appears to influence psychological well-being and quality of life among older adult with knee osteoarthritis.
Associations Between Cognitive Function and Muscle Quality Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study
Yorozuya K, Nakashima D, Fujii K, Noritake K, Kubo Y, Tsubouchi Y, Tomiyama N and Iitsuka T
To investigate whether muscle quality is related to cognitive function in older adults living in the community.
The Relationship Between Executive Functions, Self-Reflection, and Insight Across Adulthood
İlkmen YS and Soncu Büyükişcan E
Research suggests that executive functions and metacognitive abilities, including self-reflection and insight, may share underlying mechanisms since both rely on top-down cognitive processes and require self-regulation. However, these relationships have not been thoroughly examined by empirical research. The current study investigated the relationship between insight, self-reflection, and executive functions cross-sectionally across different stages of aging.
Hippocampal Subregions Volume and Texture for the Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Chu T, Liu Y, Gui B, Zhang Z, Zhang G, Dong F, Dong J and Lin S
The aim was to examine the diagnostic efficacy of hippocampal subregions volume and texture in differentiating amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from normal aging changes. Ninety MCI subjects and eighty-eight well-matched healthy controls (HCs) were selected. Twelve hippocampal subregions volume and texture features were extracted using Freesurfer and MaZda based on T1 weighted MRI. Then, two-sample t-test and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression were developed to select a subset of the original features. Support vector machine (SVM) was used to perform the classification task and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the model. The volume features with high discriminative power were mainly located in the bilateral CA1 and CA4, while texture feature were gray-level non-uniformity, run length non-uniformity and fraction. Our model based on hippocampal subregions volume and texture features achieved better classification performance with an AUC of 0.90. The volume and texture of hippocampal subregions can be utilized for the diagnosis of MCI. Moreover, we found that the features that contributed most to the model were mainly textural features, followed by volume. These results may guide future studies using structural scans to classify patients with MCI.
Relationship Between Habitual Use and Degree of Emotion Regulation: Age Differences in Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression
Oriyama K, Mukai K, Harada K and Masumoto K
The present study examined age differences in and the relationship between two indices of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression: the degree of emotion regulation and the habitual use of emotion-regulation strategies.
Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories are Associated with Negative Affect in Younger and Older Adults
Mehl K, Reschke-Hernandez AE, Hanson J, Linhardt L, Frame J, Dew M, Kickbusch E, Johnson C, Bai E and Belfi AM
Music evokes strong and persistent emotional responses. However, the mechanisms underlying the emotional effects of music, particularly in older adults, are largely unknown. One purported mechanism by which music evokes emotions is through memory - that is, music evokes personal, autobiographical memories that then lead to emotional responses.
Examining the Utility of a Multiple Group Membership Intervention for Alleviating the Effects of Age-Based Stereotype Threat on Older adults' Memory Performance
Parker GJ, Haslam C, Stuart J, Shum DHK and Ownsworth T
This study examined the effectiveness of a multiple group membership intervention for reducing the negative effects of age-based stereotype threat (ABST) on older adults' objective memory performance and subjective memory concerns. Healthy older adults ( = 68) were randomly allocated to an ABST + threat-removal (ABST+TR) or ABST + active-control (ABST+AC) condition. After activating ABST, the ABST+TR condition completed a group-listing task and the ABST+AC condition completed a meal-listing task. Participants then completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and Everyday Memory Questionnaire - Revised. One significant difference was found in memory performance between conditions; specifically, after controlling for age, gender, and number of items listed, those in the ABST+TR condition performed significantly better on the RAVLT memory interference trial. Further, listing a greater number of group memberships was associated with better memory performance in the ABST+TR condition. No significant difference was found in subjective memory concerns between the ABST+TR condition and the ABST+AC condition. Overall, the current findings indicated that raising the salience of multiple group memberships offered limited protection for older adults' cognitive test performance in the context of ABST.
The Effect of Central Sensitization on Postoperative Neurocognitive Dysfunction in Hospitalized Elderly Patients: A Prospective Cohort Clinical Trial
Yu L, Yang D, Zhou Q, Yin C, Zhang Q, Li W, Yu J and Wang Q
To investigate whether central sensitization (CS) in elderly patients was a predictive risk factor for postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction (PNCD).