Participation In Cognitive Activities Research Articles

Effect of increasing cognitive activity participation on default mode network in older adults with subjective cognitive decline: a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundHaving more cognitive activities may prevent dementia, but its evidence of modulating the functional brain network is limited. This randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigated the effect of increased cognitive activity participation on the default mode network (DMN) in older adults who had already been having regular cognitive activity participation and experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD). MethodsCommunity-living Chinese individuals aged 55 to 75 years with regular practice of Chinese calligraphy and screened positive for SCD (but negative for mild cognitive impairment or dementia) were randomly allocated to either the intervention or control group. Over 6 months, the intervention group doubled their weekly calligraphy practice time, while the control group maintained their usual amount of practice. The primary outcome was functional connectivities (FCs) of DMN, with pre-specified regions of interest including medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC], inferior parietal lobe [IPL], hippocampal formation [HF], posterior cingulate cortex [PCC], and lateral temporal cortex [LTC]. FC changes were compared using repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). This study is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900024433. FindingsBetween 15 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, 112 individuals consented and completed the baseline assessment. The participants, who had a mean age of 66·3 [SD 4·3] years, with 83 (74%) being women, had been practising calligraphy for an average duration of 9·7 years before enrolment and, in the preceding six months, for an average of 3·1 hours per week. 96 (86%) completed the post-intervention fMRI scan. Significant between-group differences were observed in the FCs between mPFC and right LTC (group difference=0·25 [95% CI=0·06-0·44], p=0·009), mPFC and right IPL (0·23 [0·06-0·39]; p=0·007), left HF and right LTC (0·28 [0·002-0·57]; p=0·04), and left HF and right IPL (0·34 [0·09-0·60]; p=0·009). InterpretationOur findings, which reveal positive neuromodulatory effects with increased calligraphy practice, highlight the importance of engaging more in cognitive activities in late life for better brain health.

Impact of Pain and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms on Activities in Nursing Home Residents (COSMOS Trial)

ObjectiveThis study aims to identify whether pain and dementia-related behavior are associated with different types of activities in nursing home residents, controlled for dementia severity. DesignCross-sectional baseline data from the multicomponent cluster randomized controlled COSMOS trial (acronym for Communication, Systematic pain treatment, Medication review, Organization of activities, and Safety). Setting and ParticipantsA total of 723 patients from 33 Norwegian nursing homes with 67 units (clusters). Participants aged ≥65 years, with a life expectancy of >6 months, and with valid data on activity were eligible for inclusion. MethodsActivity was operationalized in time (hours per week) and type (cognitive, social, physical, and no activity). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), pain with the Mobilization-Observation-Behavior-Intensity-Dementia-2 Pain Scale (MOBID-2), and behavior with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Nursing Home version (NPI-NH). Analyses were performed using linear and logistic regression. Sensitivity analyses for dementia severity were performed to account for effect modification. ResultsA total of 289 participants were included (mean age 86.2 [SD 7.6]; 74% female). A higher pain score was associated with less time spent on activity in participants with severe dementia (estimate 0.897, P = .043). A higher score for the NPI-NH mood cluster (depression and anxiety) was associated with a higher likelihood of participation in cognitive activities (odds ratio [OR], 1.073; P = .039). Apathy (OR, 0.884; P = .041) and lack of inhibition (OR, 0.904; P = .042) were associated with a lower likelihood of participation in social activities as well as no engagement in activities (apathy OR, 0.880; P = .042; lack of inhibition OR, 0.894; P = .034). Conclusion and ImplicationsPain and dementia-related behavior may influence the participation in activities in the nursing home. There is an urgent need to investigate what type of activity stimulates people in different stages of dementia.

The brain health champion study: A health coaching intervention with mobile technology in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or risk factors for dementia – An update

AbstractBackgroundExtensive evidence suggests that adherence to brain‐healthy behaviors can slow the rate of cognitive decline and decrease risk of dementia. We previously demonstrated that a health coaching intervention, including weekly phone calls, facilitated adherence to recommendations for brain‐healthy behaviors in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia. The current study extends this research to include cognitively normal, older adults at risk for dementia and adds a mobile health platform, two‐way texting, and wearable fitness trackers, to the health coaching intervention. Although subjects are still enrolling, the number of participants has increased substantially from our earlier report and data show promising trends.MethodParticipants, age 60‐79, with MCI or dementia risk factors are being randomized to the Brain Health Champion (BHC) intervention or a counseling and education (CE) control. In BHC, with guidance from a health coach, participants set personalized goals, reinforced by weekly video calls, mobile messaging, one dietitian consult, and 30‐minute in‐person or virtual visits every six weeks. In CE, educational materials sent every six weeks supplement usual care. Changes in physical activity, diet, social/cognitive engagement, neuropsychological test scores, and metrics of behavioral health are being measured over six months using questionnaires, wearable fitness trackers, and photographed food logs. Maintenance of behavior changes is also being assessed six months post‐intervention.ResultThirty‐four participants have enrolled in the study, with 27 (15 BHC, 12 CE) completers to date. All participants successfully operated the mobile technology by themselves or with caregivers’ assistance. Current trends show BHC participants increased participation in cognitive activities and adherence to a Mediterranean diet based on photographed food logs compared to CE. Participants in both arms show significantly increased scores on the composite neuropsychological assessment (pre‐ and post‐study), quality of life measures, and an increase in active minutes from pre‐ to post‐assessments.ConclusionTrends in the data indicate that the BHC program may be effective for promoting brain‐healthy behaviors, particularly increasing cognitive activities and Mediterranean diet adherence. Additionally, participating in a brain health study, regardless of intervention, may promote meaningful changes in quality of life and improved cognition.

Risk factors for the progression of motoric cognitive risk syndrome to dementia: Retrospective cohort analysis of two populations.

Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is a predementia syndrome characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait. MCR is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and incident dementia. Predictors of transition to dementia in MCR patients are still obscure. We examined clinical, biological and lifestyle parameters related to conversion to dementia using Cox models in 439 older adults with prevalent MCR (mean age 79.87±8.13years, 70% women) from two cohorts, 268 from the Chicago-based Rush Memory and Aging project (MAP) and 171 from the Religious Orders Study (ROS), which enrolled religious clergy across the United States. In the pooled sample, 439 (13.2%) had prevalent MCR (268 MAP and 171 ROS). There were 140 (31.9%) incident dementia cases over a median follow up of 4.0years. Age predicted conversion from MCR to dementia in both cohorts. Male gender was a risk factor only in ROS. In the pooled data, only higher depressive symptoms were associated with higher risk of conversion to dementia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.24). Lower cognitive activity participation (aHR 0.59, 95% CI 0.44-0.79) and apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (aHR 2.57, 95% CI 1.48-4.45) predicted conversion to dementia in MAP. Depressive symptoms and other cohort-specific risk factors were identified as predictors of transition to dementia in individuals with MCR. These findings suggest common pathological mechanisms underlying mood, gait and cognitive declines in aging, which could help develop preventive strategies.

The Cognitive & Leisure Activity Scale (CLAS): A new measure to quantify cognitive activities in older adults with and without cognitive impairment.

IntroductionPotentially modifiable dementia risk factors include diet and physical and cognitive activity. However, there is a paucity of scales to quantify cognitive activities. To address this, we developed the Cognitive & Leisure Activity Scale (CLAS).MethodsThe CLAS was validated in 318 consecutive individuals with and without cognitive impairment. Psychometric properties were compared with sample characteristics, disease stage, and etiology.ResultsThe CLAS has very good data quality (Cronbach alpha: 0.731; 95% confidence interval: 0.67‐0.78). CLAS scores correlated with gold standard measures of cognition, function, physical functionality, behavior, and caregiver burden. CLAS scores were positively correlated with other resilience factors (eg, diet, physical activity) and negatively correlated with vulnerability factors (eg, older age, frailty).DiscussionThe CLAS is a brief inventory to estimate dosage of participation in cognitive activities. The CLAS could be used in clinical care to enhance cognitive activity or in research to estimate dosage of activities prior to an intervention.

Within-Person Associations Among Self-Perceptions of Memory, Depressive Symptoms, and Activity Participation in Older Adults

Self-perceptions of memory problems may impact older adults' mood as well as their activity participation, thereby negatively affecting health and well-being. We examined within-person associations among self-reported memory, depressive symptoms, as well as physical, social, and cognitive activity participation in older adults without cognitive impairment. Samples were drawn from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS), National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP), and Minority Aging Research Study (MARS), with over 8,000 participants (65+ years) included across data sets. In a series of coordinated analyses, multilevel structural equation modeling was used to examine within-person relationships over periods of up to 20 years. Across EAS, NHATS, and MAP/MARS samples, we found that older adults' self-perceptions of memory did not directly covary with activity participation over time. However, we did find an indirect association in NHATS such that within-person changes in depressive symptoms were associated with changes in self-reported memory, and these contributed to lower physical as well as social activity participation. Older adults' activity participation is important for health, but maximizing engagement requires understanding potentially impeding factors. We found some evidence that as self-perceptions of memory change over time, associated depressive symptoms may contribute to lower activity participation. Inconsistent findings across data sets, however, suggest future research is needed to understand individual characteristics that may influence these relationships.

Participation in cognitive activities is associated with foot reaction time and gait speed in older adults.

Given the evidence of the links between cognition and mobility, participation in cognitive activities may benefit neuromotor performance and mobility in older adults. To examine the association between participation in cognitive activities and foot reaction time (RT) and gait speed in community-dwelling older adults. The MOBILIZE Boston Study II (MBSII) re-enrolled 354 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 70years from the original MBS cohort. Of these, 310 completed the performance testing and we excluded three participants who had Parkinson's disease. Cognitive Activities Scale (CAS) assessed participation in 17 cognitive activities. Simple and Choice foot RT (SRT, CRT, msec) and gait speed (m/s) were measured using a sensored GAITRite® gait mat. The average age of the 307 participants was 84years; 79% were white and 65% were women. The average CAS score was 25.5 ± 11.7, indicating participation in approximately 26 activities per week on average. The average foot SRT was 245 ± 57msec and average CRT was 323 ± 85msec. Usual-paced gait speed was 0.9 ± 0.3m/s on average. More frequent participation in cognitive activities was associated with shorter SRT (β = - 0.759, p = 0.015) and CRT (β = - 1.125, p = 0.013), and faster gait speed (β = 0.003, p = 0.026), after adjusting for potential confounders. Participation in cognitively stimulating activities may be beneficial for neuromotor performance and mobility in older adults. Prospective and intervention studies are needed to determine whether participation in cognitive activities may prevent mobility decline over time, and thus reduce fall risk.

Association of Strawberries and Anthocyanidin Intake with Alzheimer's Dementia Risk.

Background: Strawberries have been identified to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that improve neuronal function and cognition, mostly in animal studies. It is unknown if the consumption of strawberries or related bioactives may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia risk. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in 925 participants, aged 58–98 years of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Participants were dementia-free at baseline, completed a food frequency questionnaire, and had at least two annual neurological evaluations. The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia was based on structured clinical neurological examination and standardized diagnostic criteria. The association of strawberry intake and incident Alzheimer’s dementia was analyzed using proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, education, physical activity, participation in cognitive activities, APOE-ɛ4 genotype, dietary intake of other fruits, and total calorie intake. Results: A total of 245 participants developed Alzheimer’s dementia over the mean follow-up of 6.7 (±3.6) years. Higher strawberry intake was associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s dementia (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60–0.96). In separate adjusted models, highest vs. lowest quartile intakes of Vitamin C (HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.92), Pelargonidin (0.63, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.92), total anthocyanidins (0.69, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.99), and total flavonoids (0.67, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.98) were each associated with lower Alzheimer’s dementia risk. These associations remained after further adjustment for cardiovascular conditions. Conclusion: Consumption of strawberries and foods rich in vitamin C, pelargonidin, anthocyanidins, and total flavonoids may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Strawberry Consumption Associated with Reduced Alzheimer’s Dementia Risk (FS05-06-19)

Abstract Objectives Strawberries have been identified to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that improve neuronal function and cognition, mostly in animal studies. It is not known whether consumption of strawberries is associated with risk of Alzheimer's dementia (AD). The objective of this study is to investigate the relation between strawberry intake and Incident Alzheimer's dementia. Methods The study was conducted in 925 participants (mean age: 81.2 ± 7.2 years, mean education: 15 ± 3 years) of the Rush Memory and Aging Project who completed a food frequency questionnaire and had at least two annual neurological evaluations. Frequency of strawberry consumption was modeled as a continuous variable with values of 0 for never or less than once a month; 0.5 for 1–3 times/month; 1.0 for once -per week, and 2 for 2–4 times/week. The diagnosis of AD was based on criteria of the joint working group of the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the AD and Related Disorders Association. Data was analyzed using proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, education, physical activity, participation in cognitive activities, dietary intake of other fruits, and total calorie intake. Results A total of 235 participants developed Alzheimer's dementia over the mean follow-up of 6.5 (±3.6) years. Higher strawberry intake was associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's dementia (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60–0.96). Participants who consumed strawberries more than once/week were 32% less likely to develop AD (HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48–0.97) compared with non-consumers. These associations remained after further adjustment for green leafy vegetable intake and APOE- ɛ4 status. Conclusions Higher strawberry consumption may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's dementia. Funding Sources California Strawberry Commission.

Racial Differences in the Association of Mediterranean Diet with Cognitive Decline (P14-002-19)

Abstract Objectives The US older population is on the rise and projected to be 42% minority by 2050. Cognitive impairment is one of the major public health concerns of an aging population, and diet is one possible modifiable risk factor. However, we have limited knowledge of diet associations with cognition in minorities as most of the findings are either not reported by race or the data is not available for non-white populations. In a previous study, we found Mediterranean diet associated with slower cognitive decline in the biracial population of Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP). In this study, we examined this association in CHAP separately by race (Blacks and Whites). Methods Analyses included 4985 participants of the Chicago Health and Aging Project (63% African American, mean age = 75 ± 6.0 years, mean education = 12.6 ± 3.6 years) who completed a food frequency questionnaire and at least two cognitive assessments (a composite of 4 cognitive tests) over an average follow-up of 6.3 years. Computed scores of adherence to the Mediterranean diet were analyzed in tertiles of intake. We used mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, participation in cognitive activities, physical activity, and total calories. Results Among Whites, both the middle (β = 0.014, P = 0.06) and highest tertiles of Mediterranean scores (β = 0.022, P = 0.003) were associated with slower cognitive decline compared to the lowest tertile of scores. Among Blacks, only the highest tertile of Mediterranean scores was associated with slower cognitive decline (T3 vs. T1: β = 0.014, P = 0.016; T2 vs. T1: β = −0.004, P = 0.92). The associations remained similar when further adjusted for cardiovascular conditions. Conclusions The Mediterranean diet associations with cognition may vary by race. Further study is required to understand these potential racial differences for the impact of diet on cognition. Funding Sources RFAG054057.

Nutrients and bioactives in green leafy vegetables and cognitive decline: Prospective study.

To increase understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the association, we investigated the individual relations to cognitive decline of the primary nutrients and bioactives in green leafy vegetables, including vitamin K (phylloquinone), lutein, β-carotene, nitrate, folate, kaempferol, and α-tocopherol. This was a prospective study of 960 participants of the Memory and Aging Project, ages 58-99 years, who completed a food frequency questionnaire and had ≥2 cognitive assessments over a mean 4.7 years. In a linear mixed model adjusted for age, sex, education, participation in cognitive activities, physical activities, smoking, and seafood and alcohol consumption, consumption of green leafy vegetables was associated with slower cognitive decline; the decline rate for those in the highest quintile of intake (median 1.3 servings/d) was slower by β = 0.05 standardized units (p = 0.0001) or the equivalent of being 11 years younger in age. Higher intakes of each of the nutrients and bioactives except β-carotene were individually associated with slower cognitive decline. In the adjusted models, the rates for the highest vs the lowest quintiles of intake were β = 0.02, p = 0.002 for phylloquinone; β = 0.04, p = 0.002 for lutein; β = 0.05, p < 0.001 for folate; β = 0.03, p = 0.02 for α-tocopherol; β = 0.04, p = 0.002 for nitrate; β = 0.04, p = 0.003 for kaempferol; and β = 0.02, p = 0.08 for β-carotene. Consumption of approximately 1 serving per day of green leafy vegetables and foods rich in phylloquinone, lutein, nitrate, folate, α-tocopherol, and kaempferol may help to slow cognitive decline with aging.

Age-Related Eye Disease and Participation in Cognitive Activities

Studies have found a benefit to living a cognitively active life in older age. Our goal was to quantify participation in cognitively stimulating activities in adults with and without age-related eye disease. We conducted a cross-sectional hospital-based study in Montreal, Canada of older adults (n = 303) having either age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (n = 96), glaucoma (n = 93), or normal vision (n = 114). To be eligible, the AMD group had to have bilateral late stage AMD with a better eye visual acuity of 20/30 or worse. The glaucoma group had to have a diagnosis of bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma with visual field mean deviation < = −4 dB in their better eye. Further inclusion criteria included age ≥ 65 and a Mini-Mental State Exam Blind score ≥ 10. Cognitive activities were measured using the Victoria Longitudinal Study Activity Questionnaire. Linear regression was used. Patients with AMD (β = −4.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) −6.0, −2.4) and glaucoma (β = −1.8, 95% CI −3.3, −0.3) participated in fewer cognitive activities per month compared to those with normal vision after adjusting for age, sex, education, diabetes, number of comorbidities, cognition, and cataract. People with AMD and glaucoma participated in fewer cognitive activities, which could put them at risk for future cognitive impairment.

Leisure activities, education, and cognitive impairment in Chinese older adults: a population-based longitudinal study.

We examine the association between leisure-time activities and the risk of developing cognitive impairment among Chinese older people, and further investigate whether the association varies by educational level. This follow-up study included 6,586 participants (aged 79.5 ± 9.8 years, range 65-105 years, 51.7% female) of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey who were aged ≥65 years and were free of cognitive impairment in 2002. Incident cognitive impairment was defined at the 2005 or 2008/2009 survey following an education-based cut-off on the adapted Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Participation in cognitive activities (e.g. reading) and non-exercise physical activity (e.g. housework) was assessed by a self-reported scale. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to examine the association of leisure activities with incident cognitive impairment while controlling for age, gender, education, occupation, residence, physical exercise, smoking, drinking, cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, negative well-being, and physical functioning, and baseline MMSE score. During a five-year follow-up, 1,448 participants developed incident cognitive impairment. Overall, a high level of participation in leisure activities was associated with a 41% decreased risk of cognitive impairment compared to low-level engagement in leisure activities after controlling for age, gender, education, and other confounders. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between leisure activity and educational level, such that the beneficial effect of leisure activities on cognitive function was larger in educated elderly than their uneducated counterparts, and only educated elderly benefited from cognitive activities. Late-life leisure activities protect against cognitive impairment among elderly Chinese people, and the protective effects are more profound for educated elderly.

Cognitive Reserve and Postoperative Delirium in Older Adults.

To examine the role of cognitive reserve in reducing delirium incidence and severity in older adults undergoing surgery. Prospective cohort study. Hospital. Older adults (mean age 71.2, 65% women) undergoing elective orthopedic surgery (N=142). Incidence (Confusion Assessment Method) and severity (Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale) of postoperative delirium were the primary outcomes. Predictors included early- (literacy) and late-life (cognitive activities) proxies for cognitive reserve. Forty-five participants (32%) developed delirium. Greater participation in cognitive activity was associated with lower incidence (odds ratio=0.92 corresponding to increase of 1 activity per week, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.86-0.98, P=.006) and severity (B=-0.06, 95% CI=-0.11 to -0.01, P=.02) of delirium after adjustment for age, sex, medical illnesses, and baseline cognition. Greater literacy was not associated with lower delirium incidence or severity. Of individual leisure activities, reading books, using electronic mail, singing, and computer games were associated with lower dementia incidence and severity. Greater late-life cognitive reserve was associated with lower delirium incidence and severity in older adults undergoing surgery. Interventions to enhance cognitive reserve by initiating or increasing participation in cognitive activities may be explored as a delirium prophylaxis strategy.

APOE ε4 and the associations of seafood and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids with cognitive decline.

To examine the association between consumption of seafood and long-chain n-3 fatty acids with change in 5 cognitive domains over an average of 4.9 years. From an ongoing longitudinal, community-based epidemiologic study of aging and dementia (the Rush Memory and Aging Project), we included 915 participants (age 81.4 ± 7.2 years, 25% men) who had completed at least one follow-up cognitive assessment and dietary data. Diet was assessed by semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Scores for global cognitive function and 5 cognitive domains (episodic, semantic, and working memory, perceptual speed, and visuospatial ability) were assessed using 19 cognitive tests. Mixed models adjusted for multiple risk factors of cognitive change were used to assess the associations. Consumption of seafood was associated with slower decline in semantic memory (β = 0.024; p = 0.03) and perceptual speed (β = 0.020; p = 0.05) in separate models adjusted for age, sex, education, participation in cognitive activities, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and total energy intake. In secondary analyses, APOE ε4 carriers demonstrated slower rates of decline in global cognition and in multiple cognitive domains with weekly seafood consumption and with moderate to high long-chain n-3 fatty acid intake from food. These associations were not present in APOE ε4 noncarriers. Higher intake levels of α-linolenic acid were associated with slower global cognitive decline, but also only in APOE ε4 carriers. These results suggest protective relations of one meal per week of seafood and long-chain n-3 fatty acids against decline in multiple cognitive domains. The role of APOE ε4 in this association needs further study.

Is cognitive lifestyle associated with depressive thoughts and self-reported depressive symptoms in later life?

Key components of cognitive lifestyle are educational attainment, occupational complexity and engagement in cognitively stimulating leisure activities. Each of these factors is associated with experiencing fewer depressive symptoms in later life, but no study to date has examined the relationship between overall cognitive lifestyle and depressive symptoms. This task is made more complex because relatively few older participants in cross-sectional studies will be currently experiencing depression. However, many more will show evidence of a depressive thinking style that predisposes them towards depression. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which cognitive lifestyle and its individual components are associated with depressive thoughts and symptoms. Two hundred and six community-dwelling participants aged 65+ completed the depressive cognitions scale, the geriatric depression scale and the lifetime of experiences questionnaire, which assesses cognitive lifestyle. Correlational analysis indicated that each of the individual lifestyle factors—education, occupational complexity and activities in young adulthood, mid-life and later life—and the combined cognitive lifestyle score was positively associated with each other and negatively with depressive symptoms, while all except education were negatively associated with depressive thoughts. Depressive thoughts and symptoms were strongly correlated. Cognitive lifestyle score explained 4.6 % of the variance in depressive thoughts and 10.2 % of the variance in depressive symptoms. The association of greater participation in cognitive activities, especially in later life, with fewer depressive symptoms and thoughts suggests that preventive interventions aimed at increasing participation in cognitively stimulating leisure activity could be beneficial in decreasing the risk of experiencing depressive thoughts and symptoms in later life.

The Association between Participation in Cognitive Activities and Incident Functional Disability in Elderly Japanese: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study.

The Association between Participation in Cognitive Activities and Incident Functional Disability in Elderly Japanese: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study.

Participation in recreation and cognitive activities as a predictor of cognitive performance of adults with/without Down syndrome

Objective: The Cognitive Activity Theory suggests an association between participation in cognitive activities during midlife and cognitive functioning in the short term. We examined the impact of participation in cognitively stimulating activities conveyed during leisure activities on crystallized and fluid tests' performance among adults with intellectual disabilities (ID).Method: Adults (n = 32; chronological age = 25–55) with non-specific ID and with Down syndrome rated the frequency of their participation in leisure activities. Pursuits included more cognitively involving (reading, participating in academic courses) and less cognitively involving (cooking, dancing) activities. Three judges ranked activities according to their cognitive load on a 1 (few cognitive components) to 5 (many cognitive components) points scale. The findings indicate two new scales: cognitively stimulating activities and recreational stimulating activities. The crystallized battery included phonemic fluency, synonyms, idioms, and verbal metaphors. The fluid battery included the Homophone Meaning Generation Test, Metaphoric Triad Test, Novel Metaphors Test, and Trail Making Test.Results: Hierarchal regression with chronological and mental age, recreational, and cognitively stimulating activities indicated that participation in recreational activities contributed significantly to the explained variance of word fluency. Participation in cognitive activities contributed significantly to the explained variance of most of the crystallized and fluid tests.Conclusions: The findings support the Cognitive Activity Theory in populations with ID. The findings also support the Compensation Age Theory: not only endogenous factors (age, etiology, IQ level), but also exogenous factors such as life style determining the cognitive functioning of adults with ID. However, frequency and the cognitive load of the activities influenced their cognitive functioning.

Cognitive activity, cognitive function, and brain diffusion characteristics in old age.

The objective of this work was to test the hypotheses that a) more frequent cognitive activity in late life is associated with higher brain diffusion anisotropy and lower trace of the diffusion tensor, and b) brain diffusion characteristics partially mediate the association of late life cognitive activity with cognition. As part of a longitudinal cohort study, 379 older people without dementia rated their frequency of participation in cognitive activities, completed a battery of cognitive function tests, and underwent diffusion tensor imaging. We used tract-based spatial statistics to test the association between late life cognitive activity and brain diffusion characteristics. Clusters with statistically significant findings defined regions of interest in which we tested the hypothesis that diffusion characteristics partially mediate the association of late life cognitive activity with cognition. More frequent cognitive activity in late life was associated with higher level of global cognition after adjustment for age, sex, education, and indicators of early life cognitive enrichment (p = 0.001). More frequent cognitive activity was also related to higher fractional anisotropy in the left superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, left fornix, and corpus callosum, and lower trace in the thalamus (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected). After controlling for fractional anisotropy or trace from these regions, the regression coefficient for the association of late life cognitive activity with cognition was reduced by as much as 26%. These findings suggest that the association of late life cognitive activity with cognition may be partially mediated by brain diffusion characteristics.

Relations to Cognitive Change with Age of Micronutrients Found in Green Leafy Vegetables

Consumption of green leafy vegetables has been reported to reduce cognitive decline in older adults. We investigated the relations to cognitive decline of various micronutrients for which green leafy vegetables are a rich dietary source, including phylloquinone (vitamin K), folate and carotenoids (lutein, lycopene, beta‐cryptoxanthin, alph carotene, beta carotene), in a cohort study of 954 participants of the Memory and Aging Project, mean age 81 years, 75% female. Diet was assessed by a 144‐item semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Energy‐adjusted nutrients were modeled in quintiles. Cognition was assessed annually by a battery of 19 tests. Nutrient intakes were related to change in cognitive function over a mean 4.5 years using linear‐mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, and participation in cognitive activities. Higher green leafy vegetable consumption was associated with slower cognitive decline (β=0.033, SE=0.010, p=0.001). In analyses of micronutrients, we observed slower rates of cognitive decline for food folate (Q5 vs Q1 β=0.044, p=0.004), phylloquinone (Q5 vs Q1 β=0.040, p=0.001), lutein (Q5 vs Q1 β=0.039, p=0.001), and total beta carotene (Q5 vs Q1 β=0.029, p=0.01). No associations were observed for lycopene, alpha carotene, or beta‐cryptoxanthin. Cognitive decline in older adults may be slowed through the consumption of green leafy vegetables rich in folate, phylloquinone, lutein and beta carotene.Supported by grants R01 AG031553 and R01 AG17917