Cognitive Function In Later Life Research Articles

Dyadic contagion in cognitive function: A nationally-representative longitudinal study of older U.S. couples

Later-life cognitive function is strongly influenced by one's environment. At this life stage, a partner's behaviors and attributes—including their own cognitive status—are a key environmental determinant. A recent “social allostasis” theory also yields specific predictions on patterns of mutual influence—or “contagion”—in cognitive function. Yet, no population representative studies have examined these coupled dynamics. Using recently developed fixed-effects cross-lagged panel modeling (FE-CLPM) methods and ten-year data from the Health and Retirement Study—nationally-representative of U.S. adults over 50—the current study filled this gap. Results supported dyadic cognitive contagion over the long- but not short-run. Short-term associations suggested intriguing “cognitive cycling” possibilities among both men and women that need further investigation. Overall, results supported a theoretical model of coupled “cognitive careers,” and relational inducement of allostatic load. Especially among men, recurrent impulses also cumulatively induced substantial path-dependent cognitive improvements, supporting the added value of repeated over one-time interventions. Theoretical and substantive implications are discussed.

The dynamic and reciprocal relationship between perceived everyday discrimination and cognitive function in later life

Objectives This study, based on socioemotional selectivity theory and cognitive theory, investigates the dynamic and reciprocal relationship between perceived discrimination and cognitive function in later life. Methods Data were drawn from four waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018). A total of 4,125 people who were 51 and older were included. Cognitive function was measured by the telephone interview for cognitive status (TICS-27). Perceived discrimination was measured using scores of the perceived everyday discrimination scale. Random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was utilized. The model was adjusted for a range of covariates. Subgroup analysis by ethnoracial groups was conducted. Results Cross-sectionally, while lower cognitive function was associated with higher perceived discrimination, this relationship was unidirectional. Longitudinally, higher perceived discrimination predicted lower cognitive function in later waves only among non-Hispanic White individuals. Conclusion Results suggested that a decline in cognitive function may precede and contribute to the worsening of perceived discrimination, which may result in further decline in cognitive function. Lifetime experience of discrimination was discussed as a possible source of the racial/ethnic variations in the relationship. Further study is needed to examine whether this relationship holds among people with cognitive impairment and dementia.

Unveiling the Social Life of SuperAgers: A Narrative Review of Social Profiles of Exceptional Cognitive Aging

SuperAging deserves special attention from researchers in the field of the psychology of aging, because it denotes the preservation of multiple cognitive abilities in very old age. Currently, very little is known about lifestyle factors that could be related to SuperAging. The main goal of the present narrative review was to bring together available evidence involving social factors related to SuperAging and to target avenues for future research. The review summarizes the findings of studies published between 2005 and 2022. Low social participation in midlife age and high social participation in older age were found to be related to SuperAging. In contrast, social network size and diversity did not differ between SuperAgers and cognitively normal older adults. The synthesis of the results indicates that having positive, close, high-quality relationships and a high frequency of social contact may be considered to be hypothetical predictors of superior cognitive performance in later life.

Is Early-Life Enrichment Associated With Better Cognitive Function Among Older Adults? Examining Home and School Environments.

Objectives: We examine whether early-life enrichment, involving varied and stimulating activities to enhance cognitive function during childhood and adolescence, is associated with cognitive function in later life and whether the benefits persist over time. Methods: Growth curve models were used to examine up to five waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study-a nationally representative survey of adults 50years and older (N = 10,070). We constructed separate measures of early-life enrichment to distinguish sources of influence (i.e., enriched home environment and enriched school environment). Global cognitive function was assessed with a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Results: Greater enrichment in each environment was incrementally associated with better cognitive function at baseline, but enrichment was not associated with change in cognitive function over time. Discussion: Receiving enrichment from multiple environments during sensitive periods of cognitive development may be advantageous for cognitive functioning in later life.

Educational Attainment and Later-Life Cognitive Function in High- and Middle-Income Countries: Evidence From the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol.

Identifying social policies that can promote cognitive health is crucial for reducing the global burden of dementia. We evaluated the importance of educational attainment for later-life cognitive function in various social and geographic settings. Using harmonized data for individuals aged ≥65 years from the United States Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its international partner studies in England, Mexico, China, and India, and each study's respective Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), we conducted a cross-national comparative study to examine the role of educational attainment in later-life cognitive function across countries (n = 14,980, 2016-2019). We used multivariable-adjusted regression to estimate associations between educational attainment and harmonized global cognitive function scores. In Mexico, China, and India, the general cognitive function scores on average are approximately one standard deviation of the HRS-HCAP cognitive function score distribution lower compared to the United States and England, paralleling patterns of educational attainment across countries. In all countries, higher educational attainment was associated with progressively higher later-life cognitive function scores. Population-level differences in educational attainment explained about 50%-90% of the observed differences in cognitive function scores across countries. The relationship between education and later-life cognitive function across social and geographic contexts underscores the crucial role of education to promote cognitive health and reduce dementia risk. Continual improvement of educational attainment in low- and middle-income settings may yield a significant pay-off in later-life cognitive health.

Cross-national comparisons of later-life cognitive function using data from the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP): Considerations and recommended best practices.

The Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) is a major innovation that provides, for the first time, harmonized data for cross-national comparisons of later-life cognitive functions that are sensitive to linguistic, cultural, and educational differences across countries. However, cognitive function does not lend itself to direct comparison across diverse populations without careful consideration of the best practices for such comparisons. This perspective discusses theoretical and methodological considerations and offers a set of recommended best practices for conducting cross-national comparisons of risk factor associations using HCAP data. Because existing and planned HCAP studies provide cognition data representing an estimated 75% of the global population ≥65 years of age, these recommended best practices will support high-quality comparative analyses of cognitive aging around the world. The principles described in this perspective are applicable to any researcher aiming to integrate or compare harmonized data on cognitive outcomes and their risk and protective factors across diverse populations.

Effect of multivitamin-mineral supplementation versus placebo on cognitive function: results from the clinic subcohort of the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) randomized clinical trial and meta-analysis of 3 cognitive studies within COSMOS

BackgroundLonger effects of multivitamin-mineral (MVM) supplementation on late-life cognitive function remain untested using in-person, detailed neuropsychological assessments. Furthermore, insufficient evidence exists for healthcare providers to recommend daily MVM supplements to prevent cognitive decline. ObjectivesThis study aimed to test MVM effects on cognitive change using in-person, detailed neuropsychological assessments and conduct a meta-analysis within COSMOS (COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study) cognitive substudies for a robust evaluation of MVM effects on cognition. MethodsCOSMOS is a 2 × 2 factorial trial of cocoa extract (500 mg flavanols/d) and/or a daily MVM supplement for cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention among 21,442 United States adults aged ≥60 y. There were 573 participants in the clinic subcohort of COSMOS (that is, COSMOS-Clinic) who completed all cognitive tests administered at baseline. For the meta-analysis, we included nonoverlapping participants across 3 COSMOS cognitive substudies: COSMOS-Clinic (n = 573); COSMOS-Mind (n = 2158); COSMOS-Web (n = 2472). ResultsIn COSMOS-Clinic, we observed a modest benefit of MVM compared with placebo on global cognition over 2 y {mean difference [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 0.06 SD units (SU) (−0.003, 0.13)}, with a significantly more favorable change in episodic memory [mean difference (95% CI) = 0.12 SU (0.002, 0.23)] but not in executive function or attention [mean difference (95% CI) = 0.04 SU (−0.04, 0.11)]. The meta-analysis of COSMOS substudies showed clear evidence of MVM benefits on global cognition [mean difference (95% CI) = 0.07 SU (0.03, 0.11); P = 0.0009] and episodic memory [mean difference (95% CI) = 0.06 SU (0.03, 0.10); P = 0.0007]; the magnitude of effect on global cognition was equivalent to reducing cognitive aging by 2 y. ConclusionsIn COSMOS-Clinic, daily MVM supplementation leads to a significantly more favorable 2-y change in episodic memory. The meta-analysis within COSMOS cognitive substudies indicates that daily MVM significantly benefits both global cognition and episodic memory. These findings within the COSMOS trial support the benefits of a daily MVM in preventing cognitive decline among older adults.This trial was registered at COSMOS—clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02422745, at COSMOS-Mind—clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03035201, and at COSMOS-Web—clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04582617.

Lifetime occupational skill and later-life cognitive function among older adults in the United States, Mexico, India, and South Africa.

We conducted a cross-national comparison of the association between main lifetime occupational skills and later-life cognitive function across four economically and socially distinct countries. Data were from population-based studies of aging and their Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocols (HCAPs) in the US, South Africa, India, and Mexico (N=10,037; Age range: 50 to 105 years; 2016 to 2020). Main lifetime occupational skill was classified according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations. Weighted, adjusted regression models estimated pooled and country-specific associations between main lifetime occupational skill and later-life general cognitive function in men and women. We observed positive gradients between occupational skill and later-life cognitive function for men and women in the US and Mexico, a positive gradient for women but not men in India, and no association for men or women in South Africa. Main lifetime occupations may be a source of later-life cognitive reserve, with cross-national heterogeneity in this association. No studies have examined cross-national differences in the association of occupational skill with cognition. We used data from Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocols in the US, Mexico, India, and South Africa. The association of occupational skill with cognitive function varies by country and gender.

Associations Between Cardiac Function and Brain Health in Diverse Middle-Aged Adults: The Dallas Heart Study-2

BackgroundPrevious studies have linked cardiovascular risk factors during midlife to cognitive function in later life. However, few studies have looked at the association between cardiac function, brain structure, and cognitive function and even less have included diverse middle-aged populations. ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine associations between cardiac and brain structure and function in a multiethnic cohort of middle-aged adults. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in participants of the Dallas Heart Study phase 2 (N = 1,919; 46% Black participants). Left ventricular (LV) mass, LV ejection fraction, LV concentricity, and peak systolic strain (LV Ecc) were assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume was measured by fluid attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment was used to measure cognitive functioning. Associations between cardiac and brain measures were determined using multivariable linear regression after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, education level, and physical activity. ResultsLV ejection fraction was associated with total Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (β = 0.06 [95% CI: 0.003-0.12], P = 0.042) and LV Ecc was associated with WMH volume (β = 0.08 [95% CI: 0.01-0.14], P = 0.025) in the overall cohort without significant interaction by race/ethnicity. Higher LV mass and concentricity were associated with larger WMH volume in the overall cohort (β = 0.13 [95% CI: 0.03-0.23], P = 0.008 and 0.10 [95% CI: 0.03-0.17], P = 0.005). These associations were more predominant in Black than White participants (β = 0.17 [95% CI: 0.04-0.30] vs β = −0.009 [95% CI: −0.16 to 0.14], P = 0.036 and β = 0.22 [95% CI: 0.13-0.32] vs β = −0.11 [95% CI: −0.21 to −0.01], P < 0.0001, for LV mass and concentricity, respectively). ConclusionsSubclinical cardiac dysfunction indicated by LVEF was associated with lower cognitive function. Moreover, LV mass and concentric remodeling were associated with higher WMH burden, particularly among Black individuals.

EARLY-LIFE SOCIOECONOMIC POSITION AND LATER-LIFE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING: A META-ANALYSIS

Abstract A life course perspective on cognitive aging suggests that experiences early in life may be linked to later performance on cognitive tests. A growing literature shows that childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is positively associated with later-life cognitive functioning. To identify the strength of this association and potential moderating variables, we used meta-analytic techniques to identify the magnitude of the association between early-life (aged 0-17) SEP and later-life (aged 50+) cognitive functioning. After systematically searching PsycINFO, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, 30 studies representing 39 samples and 223,381 participants met the inclusion criteria. Extracted data included participant and study design characteristics, construct operationalization and measures, and effect sizes. The results of the meta-analysis revealed a significant correlation between childhood SEP and later-life cognitive functioning, whether measured as an overall effect size (r = .179, 95% CI = [.156, .201]), global performance (r = .206, 95% CI = [.157, .255]), verbal episodic memory (r = .160, 95% CI = [.132, .188]), verbal fluency (r = .203, 95% CI = [.168, .237]), or processing speed (r = .146 (95% CI = .108, .184]), but not inhibition (r = .146, 95% CI = [-.150, .418]). Subgroup analyses revealed that, in some domains, the correlation was weaker with an older mean sample age. Correlations did not vary by study design (i.e., prospective or retrospective) or journal impact factor. These results provide important evidence for the promotion of policies that buffer children from economic hardship, as one’s cognitive performance in later life begins far earlier than older adulthood.

NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL: THE IMPACTS OF POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, AND PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS ON COGNITION IN LATELIFE

Abstract Background Social engagement has been linked to higher cognitive function in later life and it is a well evidenced protective factor against dementia and cognitive decline. However, far less is understood about how the type, quality and quantity of social engagement differentially affects cognitive health outcomes in older adults. Methods The sample consisted of 1972 participants aged 68-74 (M = 70.60, SD = 1.49) from a large population-based study in Australia, Personality and Total Health Through Life (PATH). The constructs underlying nine observed measures of social engagement were first identified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A Latent Variable Path Model (LVPA) was then employed to examine the relationships between positive, negative and partner social engagement on memory and executive function, as measured by six validated cognitive tests. Results The CFA identified partner relationship as a distinct social engagement construct, separate to positive and negative relationships. The main analysis demonstrated that negative relationships and partner relationship were positively associated with better memory and executive function, with the former twice the strength of the latter. Discussion These findings provide support that more frequent social interactions and larger support structures contribute to better cognitive function in later life, with partner relationship making a significant and distinct contribution. Positive or high-quality social engagement, however, appears to be a less critical factor in bolstering cognitive health. Close and cognitively demanding relationships may promote cognitive health via frequent cognitive stimulation, but more research is required to confirm the mechanisms underpinning observed effects.

SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULAR RIGOR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION AT AGE 81

Abstract A current goal is to identify how and for whom years of educational attainment translate into high cognitive function in later life. Recent work has found effects of school quality factors such as teacher experience and racial integration of schools. In this project, I examine secondary school curriculum. Not only is there variation in curriculum across school districts, but also adolescents within a single secondary school select different courses. Curricular opportunities and selections may change the developing brain in lasting ways, and/or may place the student on a path towards future academic and career opportunities that shape risk and resilience. I hypothesize that a rigorous secondary school curriculum positions students to attend college, which in turn promotes lifelong cognitive health. I tested this hypothesis by estimating multilevel structural equation models in data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), which follows a randomly-selected one-third of all students who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957 (N = 10,317). I created a latent measure of curricular rigor out of participants’ highest secondary school math course and number of semesters of English, science, and foreign language. In 2020 (most participants were age 81), participants completed a phone-based cognitive screening (Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified; TICS-m). Net of school-level factors, parental socioeconomic status, and academic achievement, higher curricular rigor predicted higher cognitive function at age 81. Educational attainment significantly mediated this effect, and a significant direct effect also remained. Both educational attainment and curricular rigor are desirable targets for policy interventions.

SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND DUAL FUNCTIONALITY IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Longer lives are often accompanied by greater risk of cognitive and physical impairments, but we investigate whether social relationships reduce the risk of those impairments. We examine dual functionality – the absence of both dementia and activities of daily living impairments – and draw upon stress process and social integration theories to examine the impact of positive and negative dimensions of relationship quality with friends and family to better understand how social factors may affect how long people maintain both their physical and cognitive functioning in later life. We use nationally representative panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016, N=6,985) and Weibull accelerated failure-time models. Higher strain with family members and with friends was associated with a loss of dual functionality at earlier ages (Time Ratio = .97 [95% CI: .95, .99] and TR = .96 [CI: .94, .98], respectively). Greater social support from family members was beneficial, related to a longer time as dual functional (TR = 1.04, CI: 1.02, 1.06); however, more support from friends was related to loss of dual functionality at earlier ages (TR = .98, CI: .96, .99). Findings reveal the implications of social support and strain in different types of relationships for dual functionality.

THE DYNAMIC AND RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Studies have suggested that perceived discrimination is a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive health in later life. However, there is a lack of focus in the literature on the changes and directionality of the relationship between these two constructs. This study, based on socioemotional selectivity theory, investigates the dynamic and reciprocal relationship between perceived discrimination and cognitive function in later life. Data were drawn from four waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018). We utilized a subsample of respondents who completed the psychosocial and lifestyle questionnaire in at least three waves. A total of 4,101 people who were 51 and older were included. Cognitive function was measured by the abbreviated version of the telephone interview for cognitive status (TICS-27). Perceived discrimination was measured using scores of the perceived everyday discrimination scale. Random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was utilized. Age was associated with lower perceived discrimination (b=-0.224, p&amp;lt;.0001). While lower cognitive function was cross-sectionally associated with higher perceived discrimination in all racial/ethnic groups, higher everyday discrimination predicted subsequent lower cognitive function only among White respondents. The model fit statistics were favorable: CFI=0.968; SRMR=0.045. Results suggested that a decline in cognitive function may exacerbate perceived discrimination which may result in further reduction of cognitive function in general. Lifetime experience of discrimination was discussed as a possible source of the racial/ethnic variations in the relationship. Further study is needed to examine whether this relationship holds among people with cognitive impairment or dementia.

BIRTHPLACE AND COGNITION AMONG US OLDER ADULTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE HARMONIZED COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL (HCAP)

Abstract Growing evidence shows that place of birth and related circumstances may impose lasting and multiplicative impacts on a host of late-life outcomes; yet how it affects various domains of cognitive function in late-life is less understood. In this paper, we exploit the comprehensive cognitive assessments in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) and HRS geographic data at birth to determine to what extent birth location measured at the state level is associated with cognitive status in later life for a representative sample of Americans over age 50 (N=3,324). We found that state of birth significantly influenced various cognitive domains later in life (including episodic memory, executive function, attention, visuospatial function, language fluency and orientation); and the regional rankings tended to be highly consistent across the cognitive assessments in each domain. Regression analysis demonstrated that the geographic disparities in cognition across birth states could be partly explained by the late-life differences in socioeconomic statuses. Nevertheless, Shapley decompositions demonstrated that, after accounting for mid-life to late-life factors, state of birth still contributed 20%-30% of the explained variations in cognitive outcomes. Particularly, foreign-born individuals and those born in the southern states tended to score the lowest on average on each of the cognitive tests/domains and can account for most of the explained differences in cognition. These findings suggest that place of birth may have lasting impacts on disparities in cognition later in life. Public policy should play pivotal roles in leveling the playing field in early life.

SLEEP PROBLEMS MEDIATE THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY AND LATE-LIFE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING

Abstract The negative health impacts of childhood adversity have been well documented. However, little is known about the pathways linking childhood adversity with cognitive functioning later in life. We addressed this issue by examining the extent to which lifetime sleep problems mediated the effects of childhood adversity on late-life cognitive functioning. We used the 2002-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study in which participants were 20,607 adults (58.1% female), aged ≥50 years (Mage=68.9±9.5 years). Cognitive functioning was based on: 1) a 10-word immediate and delayed recall test of memory; 2) a serial 7s subtraction test of working memory; and 3) counting backwards to assess attention and processing speed. Sleep problems (e.g., difficulty initiating sleep) were assessed with the Jenkins Sleep Scale, and seven items of childhood adversity (e.g., physical abuse) were included from the list of lifetime potentially traumatic events. Path analysis revealed that there was a small but significant indirect relationship between childhood adversity and poor cognitive functioning through sleep problems (coefficient = -.014; p=.001). Indeed, about 3% of the effect of childhood adversity on cognitive functioning is mediated by sleep problems (i.e., 0.014 [indirect effect] / 0.476 [total effect]). Our findings can help policymakers and public health practitioners better understand the risk and protective factors of cognitive functioning later in life in relation to sleep problems among those individuals with childhood adverse events. Further research is warranted to determine if childhood adversity contributes to cognitive decline in those with trauma and PTSD compared to those with trauma alone.

ASSOCIATION OF CHILDHOOD EXPOSURE TO SCHOOL RACIAL SEGREGATION WITH LATE-LIFE COGNITION AMONG AMERICAN ADULTS

Abstract Racial segregation may contribute to enduringly worse health outcomes and aging. Prior research mainly focuses on residential segregation, yet the long-term effects of school segregation and the effects for different racial/ethnic groups are largely unknown. Linking measures of primary school segregation using administrative data with a nationally representative population survey in the US, we examine how childhood exposure to school racial segregation shapes the late-life cognitive function. 23,752 non-Hispanic White (White), 6,364 non-Hispanic Black (Black) American adults aged 50 and older were identified from the Health and Retirement Study; and state-level school dissimilarity indexes in late 1960s were linked to participants’ latest wave of cognitive assessment using childhood residence. Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that exposure to White-Black school segregation had strong, negative effects on cognitive outcomes for both White and Black participants. One standard deviation increase in dissimilarity index was associated with lower cognitive score (White: = -0.16 [95%CI, -0.22, -0.11]; Black: = -0.42 [95%CI, -0.53, -0.30]) and more cognitive impairment (White: Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.10 [95%CI, 1.06, 1.13]; Black: OR = 1.21 [95%CI, 1.14, 1.27]) adjusting for age and sex. Educational attainment and other socioeconomic characteristics explained most associations (40-70%), and the effects remained significant even after accounting for a rich set of late-life factors. Overall, these findings suggest that childhood exposure to school segregation has long-lasting effects on late-life cognition for both White and Black Americans. Educational policy and reform should be promoted to reduce school racial segregation within and between school districts to address health inequities.

MARITAL CLOSENESS, SPOUSAL SIMILARITY, AND COGNITION: THE GENDERED IMPACT OF DISCORDANT PERCEPTIONS

Abstract Many older adults are in long-term marriages, and an emerging literature examines the impact of marital attributes on later-life cognitive function. While both spouses’ perceptions of the marital relationship may influence health outcomes in the couple, most research only captures one partner’s report. Using unique data on 2,791 heterosexual married couples from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we analyze the dyad’s evaluations of their similarity and closeness in 2004 and the impact of concordance or discordance in these marital attributes on cognitive health in 2020, when participants were approximately 80 years old and cognitive variation is more manifest. Results from OLS regressions reveal notable gender differences. Compared with dyads in which both spouses reported being “very similar,” women in marriages with discordant views on the partners’ similarity had significantly lower cognition in 2020 (wife gave the poorer rating: b=-0.74, p&amp;lt;.05; husband gave the poorer rating: b=-0.84, p&amp;lt;.05). Men’s cognitive function was not influenced by assessments of similarity in the couple. Furthermore, compared with dyads in which both spouses reported being “very close,” men in marriages with discordant views on the partners’ closeness had significantly lower cognition in 2020 (woman gave the poorer rating: b= -0.88, p &amp;lt; .05). Women’s cognitive function was unrelated to dyadic reports of closeness. Our results suggest that within-couple discordance in assessment of marital closeness and spousal similarity – more than marital attributes themselves – influences later-life cognitive function for women and men in varied ways.

A COMPARISON OF THE IMPACT OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ON BRAIN HEALTH IN LATINA AND NON-LATINA WOMEN

Abstract Early-life experiences and social determinants of health influence late-life cognitive performance, cognitive aging trajectories, and risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Research shows adversity during childhood plays a central role in health outcomes later in life, such that more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict higher likelihood of negative physical and mental health outcomes. As ACEs may also predict neurocognitive performance and historically marginalized groups are disproportionately exposed to ACEs, this study aims to enhance diversity in research on ACEs and cognitive aging by clarifying the role of ethnicity. Latinos are 51% more likely to experience ACEs and 1.5x more likely to experience ADRD than their non-Latino counterparts. Data were collected in two studies assessing cognitive functioning in women aged 65-85 who reported no ACEs or 3+ ACEs (54 non-Latinas, Oklahoma; 50 Latinas, Rhode Island). ACEs were measured with the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. Cognition was measured using NIH Toolbox Cognition-Battery and Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics. In the non-Latina white sample (Mage=73.2), those with 3+ ACEs exhibited inferior scores on Stroop Interference, p=.050, d=-.44. The ACEs group demonstrated higher scores on List Sorting, p=.003, d=-.78. Small effects were found in Stroop Color, Stroop Color-Word, Cognition Fluid Composite, Flanker, and Cart Sort (d=-.25, -.39, -.29, .24, -.25, respectively). These findings are compared to those within the Latina sample, demonstrating the need to extend research on life course risk factors for ADRD to this underrepresented group, which is at elevated risk of both ACEs and ADRD.

Does Perceived Generativity Mediate the Association Between Optimism and Cognitive Function Over Time? Findings from Midlife in the United States Study.

Cognitive function is a vital component of healthy aging. However, whether a persistently high optimism benefits late-life cognitive function is debatable. The current study examined associations between high optimism status, perceived generativity, and cognitive functions across adulthood. Data were from waves 2 and 3 (2004-14) of the Midlife in the United States study. We used structural equation modeling to examine whether participants' (N = 2,205; Mage = 65 ± 11) persistent high optimism predicts better cognitive functions over time, compared to high optimism at only one time-point or not at all while controlling for covariates; we also examined whether individuals' perceived generativity mediates the above association. The findings revealed that persistent high optimism was significantly associated with better episodic memory and executive function. Further, perceived generativity positively mediated the association between persistent high optimism and episodic memory. Future research should examine mechanisms for potential aspects of high optimism and perceived generativity on late-life cognitive performances.