Predictor Of Executive Function Research Articles

Predictors of executive function among 2 year olds from a Thai birth cohort

Executive function (EF) is a critical skill for academic achievement. Research on the psychosocial and environmental predictors of EF, particularly among Southeast Asian, agricultural, and low income/rural populations, is limited. Our longitudinal study explored the influence of agricultural environmental, psychosocial, and temperamental factors on children’s emerging EF. Three-hundred and nine farm worker women were recruited during the first trimester of pregnancy. We evaluated the effects of prenatal insecticide exposure and psychosocial factors on “cool” (i.e., cognitive: A-not-B task, looking version) and “hot” EF (i.e., affective, response inhibition) measures of emerging EF. Maternal urine samples were collected monthly during pregnancy, composited, and analyzed for dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites of organophosphate insecticides. Psychosocial factors included socioeconomic status, maternal psychological factors, and quality of mother-child behavioral interactions. Backward stepwise regressions evaluated predictors of children’s EF at 12 (N = 288), 18 (N = 277) and 24 (N = 280) months of age. We observed different predictive models for cool EF, as measured by A-not-B task, vs. hot EF, as measured by response inhibition tasks. Report of housing quality as a surrogate for income was a significant predictor of emerging EF. However, these variables had opposite effects for cool vs. hot EF. More financial resources predicted better cool EF performance but poorer hot EF performance. Qualitative findings indicate that homes with fewer resources were in tribal areas where children must remain close to an adult for safety reasons. This finding suggests that challenging physical environments (e.g., an elevated bamboo home with no electricity or running water), may contribute to development of higher levels of response inhibition through parental socialization methods that emphasize compliance. Children who tended to show more arousal and excitability, and joy reactivity as young infants in the laboratory setting had better cognitive performance. In contrast, maternal emotional availability was a significant predictor of hot EF. As expected, increased maternal exposure to pesticides during pregnancy was associated with worse cognitive performance but was not associated with inhibitory control. Identifying risk factors contributing to the differential developmental pathways of cool and hot EF will inform prevention strategies to promote healthy development in this and other unstudied rural, low income Southeast Asian farming communities.

Scheltens ratings, clinical white matter hyperintensities and executive: Functioning in the Cache County Memory Study

ObjectiveExamine the association between neuropsychologically assessed executive function and clinically identifiable white matter burden from magnetic resonance imaging, using a visual rating system (Scheltens Rating System) applied to the Cache County Memory Study (CCMS) archival database.MethodWe used the Scheltens Ratings Scale to quantify white matter lesion burden in the CCMS sample and used this metric as a predictor of executive function. The sample included 60 individuals with dementia and 13 healthy controls.ResultsHigher Scheltens ratings were associated with poorer task performance on an Executive Function composite score of common neuropsychological tests. This association held true for both controls and dementing cases.ConclusionsThe current findings support extensive prior literature demonstrating the association between brain vascular health determined by white matter burden and clinical outcomes based on neuropsychological assessment of cognitive performance.

B - 71 Neurocognitive and Self-Reported Psychosocial and Behavioural Functioning in Siblings of Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Conditions: a Study Using Remote Self-Administered Testing.

This study compared and explored the neurocognitive profiles of siblings of persons with and without neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs), and associations between objective test performance and self-reported psychosocial functioning. Siblings of persons with and without NDCs (64 NDC and 64 control siblings; mean age 19.88years, range 11-27years, 73.44% female, 75.78% White Caucasian) completed self-report questionnaires and self-administered computerized neurocognitive tests of executive functioning (EF). Using Bayesian analyses, we examined cross-sectional associations between self-reported psychosocial functioning and cognitive test performance, and predictors of EF over 15months. NDC siblings had poorer working memory, inhibition, attention, and shifting compared to controls, as measured by experimental paradigms on the backward Corsi span, N-Back 2-back task, Stop Signal Task, Sustained Attention to Response Task, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (effect size δ ranging 0.49 to 0.64). Bayesian cross-sectional networks revealed negative emotion reactivity and working memory difficulties were central to the NDC sibling network. Over 15months, poorer EF (k low test scores) was predicted by negative emotion reactivity, sleep problems, and anxiety, over and above effects of age and subclinical autistic and ADHD traits. Siblings of autistic individuals and persons with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder had higher rates of neurocognitive and psychiatric difficulties than other NDCs and controls (Bayes factors >20). Neurocognitive difficulties were associated with transdiagnostic vulnerability to poorer wellbeing in NDC siblings. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of remote online cognitive testing and highlight the importance of individualised prevention and intervention for NDC siblings.

Neurocognitive and self-reported psychosocial and behavioral functioning in siblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions: a study using remote self-administered testing

ABSTRACT Objective This study compared and explored the neurocognitive profiles of siblings of persons with and without neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) and associations between objective test performance and self-reported psychosocial functioning. Methods Siblings of persons with and without NDCs (64 NDC and 64 control siblings; mean age 19.88 years, range 11–27 years, 73.44% female, 75.78% White Caucasian) completed self-report questionnaires and self-administered computerized neurocognitive tests of executive functioning (EF). Using Bayesian analyses, we examined cross-sectional associations between self-reported psychosocial functioning and cognitive test performance, and predictors of EF over 15 months. Results NDC siblings had poorer working memory, inhibition, attention, and shifting compared to controls, as measured by experimental paradigms on the backward Corsi span, N-Back 2-back task, Stop Signal Task, Sustained Attention to Response Task, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (effect size δ ranging 0.49 to 0.64). Bayesian cross-sectional networks revealed negative emotion reactivity and working memory difficulties were central to the NDC sibling network. Over 15 months, poorer EF (k low test scores) was predicted by negative emotion reactivity, sleep problems, and anxiety, over and above effects of age and subclinical autistic and ADHD traits. Siblings of autistic individuals and persons with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder had higher rates of neurocognitive and psychiatric difficulties than other NDCs and controls (Bayes factors >20). Conclusions Neurocognitive difficulties were associated with transdiagnostic vulnerability to poorer wellbeing in NDC siblings. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of remote online cognitive testing and highlight the importance of individualized prevention and intervention for NDC siblings.

The Big Five as Predictors of Cognitive Function in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder.

The connection between cognitive function and the "Big Five" personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) in the general population is well known; however, studies researching bipolar disorder (BD) are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the Big Five as predictors of executive function, verbal memory, attention, and processing speed in euthymic individuals with BD (cross-sectional: n = 129, including time point t1; longitudinal: n = 35, including t1 and t2). Participants completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Color and Word Interference Test, the Trail Making Test, the d2 Test of Attention Revised, and the California Verbal Learning Test. The results showed a significant negative correlation between executive function and neuroticism at t1. Changes in cognitive function between t1 and t2 did not correlate with and could not be predicted by the Big Five at t1. Additionally, worse executive function at t2 was predicted by higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness at t1, and high neuroticism was a predictor of worse verbal memory at t2. The Big Five might not strongly impact cognitive function over short periods; however, they are significant predictors of cognitive function. Future studies should include a higher number of participants and more time in between points of measurement.

EVALUATION OF FRONTAL LOBE FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY USING FAB (FRONTALASSESSMENT BATTERY) SCORE

Background: Several studies have demonstrated executive dysfunction in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy. The identication of frontal lobe dysfunction in TLE would have important clinical implications for prognosis and also for surgical management in refractory TLE. Aim: To assess frontal lobe functions in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy using FAB score. Methodology: 100 patients with Temporal lobe epilepsy were studied. Detailed history was taken with special attention to duration of epilepsy and time since last seizure. FAB score was assessed for all patients. Statistical analyses was done using SPSS 25.0 software for Windows. Chi-square and independent t test were applied to analyse categorical and numerical data, respectively. Result: The mean Total FAB score in TLE patients enrolled in our study was 10.47 ± 4.8, out of 18. On analysing the relation of duration of temporal lobe epilepsy with subsets of FAB and total FAB score, there was a statistically signicant correlation. There was also a signicant association between the last episode of seizures and total FAB scores. Conclusion: Impaired executive function is common in TLE patients, and FAB score is a clinically applicable test to monitor it. The longer the duration of epilepsy, the greater is the frontal dysfunction. Also, the time of the last seizure is a signicant predictor of executive functioning and patients with a recent seizure had a poorer performance.

Family Functioning Style as a Predictor of the Quality of Cognitive Functioning of Primary School Students With ADHD

Objective: This study aimed to specify whether family communication and satisfaction are predictors of a child’s executive functions and whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) severity lies in the pathway between these variables. Method: Two hundred Polish children with ADHD, aged 10 to 13, were tested using Conners 3, the PU1 Battery of Cognitive Tests and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition (SB5). Parents filled out the FACES IV-SOR questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Results: The quality of family communication and satisfaction did not predict executive functioning in children with ADHD, and ADHD severity did not play a mediating role neither in boys or in girls. Intelligent quotient was the only predictor of executive functioning in the group of boys. Conclusion: These results contrast with those of previous studies that have shown the existence of similar associations in other cultural contexts.

Measuring Executive Function Using Eye Movements on a Computerized Trail Making Test: A Pilot Study

Objective: The current study investigated the validity of a novel computerized version of the Trail Making Test, and tested whether the integration of eye-tracking increased specificity and predictive power with other tests of executive function. We were specifically interested in whether eye movements, recorded during the completion of a computerized version of the Trail Making Test, served as a predictor of executive function as measured by the computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Methods: Forty participants completed the pencil-and-paper Trail Making Test, the computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the computerized Trail Making Test. Eye movements were recorded during the completion of the computerized Trail Making Test. Results: Eye-tracking measures for part B of the computerized Trail Making Test were correlated with T-scores for perseverative and non-perseverative responses/errors on the computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Hierarchical linear regression revealed that eye-tracking measures predicted variance for perseverative and non-perseverative errors/responses on the computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, above and beyond Trail Making Test completion time. Conclusions: The current pilot study supported the use of computerized versions of the Trail Making Test and provided preliminary evidence that eye movements may significantly add to the specificity in assessing executive function using the Trail Making Test.

Association between fundamental motor skills and executive function in preschool children: A cross-sectional study.

ObjectiveThe main purpose of this study was to explore the association between early fundamental motor skills (FMS) and executive function (EF) in preschool children.MethodsA total of 394 young children (4.07 ± 0.76 years) were evaluated. The FMS and EF were evaluated using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) and the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NTCB), respectively.ResultsTotal FMS score was moderately and positively correlated with total EF score (r = 0.33, p < 0.001) and was a significant predictor of total EF score (β = 0.37, p < 0.001). Specifically, locomotor skills were significant predictors of inhibition control (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), working memory (β = 0.18, p < 0.01), and cognitive flexibility (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), while object control skills were only significant predictors of inhibition control (β = 0.17, p < 0.01).ConclusionFMS were significantly and positively correlated with EF and were significant predictors of EF. Early childhood policymakers, preschool teachers, and researchers should take these connections seriously and implement appropriate complex motor intervention programs in future teaching to stimulate the development of both motor and higher-order cognitive skills in preschool children.

Dietary intake of micro- and macronutrients is associated with deficits in executive functioning in young women with high adiposity

ObjectivesDeficits in cognitive functions dependent on the prefrontal cortex related to the dietary intake of nutrients and adiposity in young individuals are not well known. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of high adiposity on executive functioning and their relationship with dietary intake of macro- and micronutrients in young women. MethodsNinety-five young women were categorized based on body fat percentage. The study included 42 women with normal adiposity and 53 women with high adiposity. Executive functions, sustained attention, selective attention, category formation, cognitive flexibility, and verbal fluency test scores were obtained to assess executive functioning. Dietary intake of macro- and micronutrients was measured using three 24-h recalls, and correlated with the test scores. ResultsThe high-adiposity group was characterized by deficits in executive function, category formation and cognitive flexibility, poor sustained and selective attention, and less verbal fluency. Executive functions were negatively correlated with saturated fat and positively correlated with cholesterol and carbohydrates. Category formation was negatively correlated with saturated fat and vitamin E. Sustained attention was positively correlated with lipids, carbohydrates, and cholesterol. Long reaction times in the selective attention test were positively correlated with unsaturated fat and negatively correlated with vitamin C. Cognitive flexibility test scores were negatively correlated with vitamin E. Cholesterol, vitamin C, and vitamin E were predictors of executive functioning in the high-adiposity group. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that impairments in executive functioning may predispose young women to overconsumption of unhealthy nutrients that consequently induces obesity.

Specific Sleep Health Domains as Predictors of Executive Function in Older Adults.

Sleep health and executive function are multifaceted constructs that decline with age. Some evidence suggests that poor sleep health may underlie declines in executive function, but this relationship is not consistently found in cognitively normal older adults. The authors systematically investigated distinct sleep health domain associations with specific aspects of executive function. Community-dwelling older adults completed clinical interviews, comprehensive neuropsychological assessments, and subjective sleep measures. Four sleep health domains were investigated: satisfaction/quality, sleep efficiency, sleep duration, and daytime sleepiness/fatigue. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses, adjusting for significant covariates, examined whether the sleep health domains differentially predicted executive function. Separate analyses found that greater sleep efficiency was associated with better response inhibition, while greater daytime sleepiness/fatigue was associated with worse cognitive flexibility. Categorical differences in sleep duration indicated that average durations, compared with short and long durations, had better executive function performance across measures. Sleep satisfaction/quality was not statistically associated with executive function. These findings have implications for sleep assessment and its intervention. Routine screening of sleep duration, efficiency, and daytime fatigue may be particularly useful in identifying those at greater risk of executive dysfunction. Targeting specific problems in sleep may serve to improve cognitive control and efficiency in older adults. Future research is warranted to establish the optimal hours of sleep duration for cognitive health.

The interplay of maternal sensitivity and infant temperament and attention in predicting toddlers&amp;rsquo; executive function: A two-year longitudinal study

<p id="p00005">Executive Function (EF), proven to be linked to the prefrontal cortex, refers to a set of higher-order cognitive and self-regulatory processes. These processes include (a) inhibition, the ability to intentionally suppress prepotent impulses or habits; (b) working memory, the ability to hold multiple things in the mind at once while mentally manipulating one or more of them; and (c) cognitive flexibility or shifting, the capability to switch between tasks. However, little attention has been given to predictors of EF across the first two years of life. A principal limitation of this is a methodological challenge, due to toddlers’ limited sustained attention, poor language competence, and labile emotional state. Accordingly, in this study, we aimed to examine developmental intrinsic factors (infant attention and temperament) and the caregiving environment (maternal sensitivity) in infancy as possible predictors of EF in toddlerhood. By estimating specific contributions and interaction effects, we aimed to expand the knowledge on early mechanisms behind the development of EF in toddlerhood from an intrinsic and environmental perspective. <break/>At six months (T1, <italic>n </italic>= 236), infants and mothers visited Center for Child Development for the assessment of maternal sensitivity and infant attention. Mothers completed questionnaires on infant temperament. Maternal sensitivity was evaluated by observing the free, interactive process between mother and children at six months. Infant temperament was assessed by mothers reporting data using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised-Short Form (IBQR-SF), and infant attention was assessed using a Screen Look Duration task at six months. At 24 months (T2, <italic>n</italic> = 191), the children returned to the laboratory with an accompanying parent for an assessment battery of EF tasks, including Multilocation Search, Shape Stroop, Reverse Categorization, and Delay of Gratification tasks. <break/>The results indicated that: (1) Peak look duration could predict working memory task and delay of gratification task performance at 24 months. This provides empirical support for the hierarchical framework of EF development, advocating early attention as a foundation for the development of EF. (2) High levels of maternal sensitivity significantly predicted better EF performance among children with low levels of surgency in infancy. However, there was no link between maternal sensitivity and EF among children with medium to high levels of surgency in infancy. (3) Interaction effects suggested that maternal sensitivity positively predicted EF performance among children with high levels of peak look duration in infancy. However, maternal sensitivity negatively predicted EF performance among children with low levels of peak look duration in infancy. <break/>Overall, our findings indicate the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors in the development of EF in toddlers and provide key insights about parenting. For infants with a lower level of surgency or longer peak look duration, maternal sensitivity positively predicted EF performance in toddlerhood. However, for infants with shorter peak look duration, excessive maternal sensitivity may not be desirable.

Paternal mind-mindedness and child executive functioning in the kindergarten classroom

Growing research shows that parent‒child relationships are reliable predictors of child executive functioning (EF), a set of cognitive skills of key importance for learning and school adjustment. However, few EF studies have considered fathers and even fewer have examined paternal mind-mindedness, an aspect of parental behavior that is gaining attention in developmental research. Accordingly, the aim of this longitudinal study (N = 108) was to investigate the role of paternal mind-mindedness in the prediction of individual differences in child EF as manifested at school. Paternal mind-mindedness was assessed during a 10-min father–toddler free play sequence when children were aged 18 months, and child EF problems were reported by teachers in kindergarten. The findings indicated that toddlers who were exposed to more paternal mind-mindedness were later considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems in everyday school settings. The results held after controlling for other documented predictors of EF, namely mother–toddler attachment security, paternal socioeconomic status, and prenatal risk. This study underscores the relevance of parental mind-mindedness for child cognitive development and adds to growing research on fathers and their importance for child EF. Futures studies should adopt a systemic approach, including both parents and their children, to enhance the understanding of the parental and family antecedents of child EF.

Cognitive reserve may outperform age, mood and psychiatric comorbidities as a predictor of executive functioning in bipolar disorder and healthy adults

ABSTRACT Introduction Cognitive reserve plays a protective role against executive dysfunction in healthy adults and individuals with psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder. However, the magnitude of the influence of cognitive reserve on specific executive functions (EFs), and its impact relative to variables such as depressive symptoms, age and psychiatric comorbidities, is unexplored. This study aimed to quantify the influence of cognitive reserve on specific EFs, and compare its impact with that of depressive symptoms, age and psychiatric comorbidities, in separate models for patients with bipolar disorder and healthy adults. Method This was a cross-sectional study of 121 adults with no mood disorders and 109 with bipolar disorder, all of whom underwent a comprehensive psychiatric assessment and evaluation of the EFs. Cognitive reserve was measured using years of education, IQ and reading and writing habits. The association between EFs and predictors (cognitive reserve, depressive symptoms, age and psychiatric comorbidities) was evaluated through structural equation modeling. Four models were constructed for each group independently (bipolar disorder and control), one each for working memory, verbal fluency, inhibition and flexibility, due to group differences in age and cognitive reserve. Results Working memory, inhibition and flexibility were most significantly predicted by cognitive reserve and age. Verbal fluency was only predicted by cognitive reserve. Comorbidities and depressive symptoms were not significant in any of the models. Cognitive reserve had a positive influence on all EFs in models for patients with bipolar disorder and models for control participants. Age had a negative impact on three of the four EFs tested. Conclusion Fostering cognitive reserve through continued education and cognitively stimulating leisure activities may be an effective intervention for executive dysfunction in patients and non-patients alike. In some cases, the effects of these interventions may outweigh the negative cognitive impact of aging, depressive symptoms and psychiatric conditions.

Transgender Youth Executive Functioning: Relationships with Anxiety Symptoms, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Gender-Affirming Medical Treatment Status.

Executive function (EF) underlies broad health and adaptive outcomes. For transgender youth, navigating gender discernment and gender affirmation demand EF. Yet, factors associated with transgender youth EF are unknown. We investigate hypothesized predictors of EF: over-represented conditions among transgender youth (anxiety and depression symptoms, autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) and gender-affirming care. One-hundred twenty-four transgender 11-21-year-olds participated. Parents/caregivers completed EF and mental health report measures. ASD diagnostics and gender-affirming medication histories were collected. 21 % of non-autistic and 69 % of autistic transgender youth had clinically elevated EF problems. Membership in the gender-affirming hormone treatment group was associated with better EF. ASD, anxiety symptoms, and membership in the long-duration pubertal suppression group were associated with poorer EF. Given the importance of EF skills for multiple outcomes, and the unique and additional EF demands specific to transgender youths' experiences, EF skill monitoring-and when appropriate, supports-should be considered for transgender youth.

Childhood maltreatment predicts poorer executive functioning in adulthood beyond symptoms of internalizing psychopathology

BackgroundA history of childhood maltreatment predicts poorer functioning in several domains during childhood, including executive function (EF). While there is also evidence of poorer EF in adults with a history of childhood trauma, results are mixed. Notable limitations of previous research are (a) the use of single indicators of EF, and/or (b) not consistently assessing whether childhood maltreatment predicts poorer EF beyond internalizing psychopathology. ObjectiveWe sought to overcome limitations of prior work by examining relationships between childhood maltreatment and EF in adulthood by using a latent factor of EF derived from multiple indicators and including psychopathology covariates in our analyses. Participants and settingThe present study included a large sample of community adults (n = 489) who were oversampled for internalizing psychopathology symptoms. MethodsPrimary analyses examined whether childhood maltreatment (cumulative and subtypes) predicted EF using a latent factor approach and linear mixed effects models. Follow-up analyses assessed the impact of childhood maltreatment on EF beyond internalizing psychopathology symptoms and assessed whether gender moderated relationships between EF and childhood maltreatment. ResultsGreater cumulative maltreatment predicted poorer EF (B = -0.15), and emotional neglect emerged as a unique predictor of EF (B = -0.18). These results remained after controlling for psychopathology symptoms. Gender moderated the relationship between physical abuse and EF, with physical abuse predicting poorer EF among males (B = 0.30), but not females (B = -0.04). ConclusionsOverall, results indicate that general EF deficits are related to a history of childhood maltreatment, which is not accounted for by internalizing psychopathology symptoms. Potential implications and future directions are discussed.

Psychosocial perceptions and executive functioning: Hope and school belonging predict students' executive functioning

AbstractIn a sample of 216 high school students, we explored the relationship between hope and school belonging to executive functioning (EF). This examination was carried out to better understand how these, and potentially other psychosocial factors, relate to the neurocognitive decision‐making process of adolescent students. This study had several findings. First, after controlling for demographics and previous achievement, hope and school belonging were found to account for about 26%–39% of EF's variance, a large effect size. Second, after the same controls, hope and school belonging accounted for about 13%–25% of all five subcomponents of EF, an effect size range of medium to large. Finally, in general, the pathways subcomponent of hope was a better predictor of EF than the agency subcomponent. These results provide insight into how EF interacts with school‐based perceptions as well as have implications for psychosocial intervention research within schools.

Consciousness Quotient As a Predictor of Executive Functioning

The present paper is an empirical account of the relationship between conscious experience and executive functioning. Over the years, there has been a long debate but no common consensus on the functional aspect of consciousness has been arrived at. This may be due to lack of empirical studies in this direction. The present descriptive study on 200 adolescents examines the relationship between two executive functions (self-regulation and cognitive flexibility) and conscious experience, which were explored with the Consciousness Quotient inventory (CQI). The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between the consciousness quotient and the two executive functions. Through regression analysis, it has been shown that consciousness quotient is a predictor of both self-regulation and cognitive flexibility. Future prospects and educational implications in light of the results have been discussed.

Self-Rated Health Status as a Predictor of Executive Function in Older Latinos

Latinos have high risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Self-rated health (SRH) has been used to predict cognitive decline. Early detection of executive function changes may help identify those at higher risk of cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between SRH and executive function in Latinos. Latinos (N=333, 84.4% female, Mage= 64.9 ± 7.08) from the BAILA randomized controlled trial self-rated their health as 1) poor/fair, 2) good, and 3) very good/excellent. Executive function was assessed by the Trail-making B, Verbal Fluency, Stroop C & CW, and the Digit Modality tests and stratified by SRH. One-way analysis of variance showed that the effect of SRH was significant for Trails B, F(2,298)=4.01, p=.019 and Stroop CW, F(2,298)=3.07, p=.048. Tukey’s test indicated that participants who rated their health as fair/poor took longer to complete Trails B (M=196.78±83.0 seconds) compared to those who rated their health as good (M=185.25 ± 85.1 seconds) and very good/excellent (M=149.25±95.3 seconds). Stroop CW results demonstrated that those in the fair/poor health category scored lower (M=17.22±6.6) than those in good (M=19.70±8.5 words/minutes) and very good/excellent health categories (M=18.73±8.2 words/minute). In sum, the results suggest SRH is related to executive function such that lower categories of SRH are indicative of poorer executive function. SRH might be used as a proxy for executive function and as a tool that community leaders can use to identify individuals at high risk of ADRD in need of behavioral interventions.

The role of cognitive reserve in the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cognitive functioning

ABSTRACT Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of vascular risk factors that can impact cognition. Cognitive reserve (CR), specifically early operators of reserve (e.g., education), have not been explored in the relationship between MetS and cognition. Adults 45–90 years old (n = 149) underwent neuropsychological testing and evaluation for MetS. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses defined neuropsychological domains and created a CR score based on early operators of CR. Regression analyses examined the association among MetS, CR, and neuropsychological performance. CFA revealed two neuropsychological factors: Episodic Memory and Executive Functioning. Controlling for age and physical ability, MetS and CR were significant predictors of the Factors. With CR in the model, MetS became a non-significant predictor of Executive Functioning; CR and physical ability were the most significant predictors. CR and MetS significantly predicted Episodic Memory . The results are discussed in the context of neuroprotective factors and cognitive aging.