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ObjectivesTo examine relationships between subjective memory impairment (SMI) and parental dementia among in older adults while considering the interactive influence of depressive symptoms, ethnicity, and race.MethodThe sample was drawn from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study of aging (n = 3,809; Mage = 66.09; SD = 1.88; 84.20% White; 12.23% Black; 7.88% Hispanic). Biennial assessments included two measures of SMI (current memory problems and perceived memory decline), depressive symptoms, and parental dementia, over periods of up to sixteen years. Multilevel modeling analyses examined longitudinal relationships between parental dementia and SMI and whether depressive symptoms, ethnicity, and race interactively influenced this association.ResultsResults showed that when older adults reported parental dementia, they were more likely to report a decline in memory in the past two years. They also reported poorer current memory problems, especially when they experienced increased depressive symptoms. Associations of parental dementia were consistent across ethnicity and race.ConclusionsResults demonstrate the importance of considering parental dementia as a factor that may contribute to SMI in older adults.

IntroductionCurrent understanding of the psychometric properties of items intended to assess the multidimensional construct of subjective memory (SM) is limited, as longitudinal studies of aging commonly use single items or brief sets of items to assess SM. Investigating how SM items cluster within individuals over time would increase the understanding of how combining these items impacts their utility as an early indicator of cognitive change in the aging trajectory. To address this need, the current study examined the factor structure of a brief set of SM items in an existing longitudinal study focused on cognitive aging at both the within-person and between-person levels.MethodsData were drawn from the Einstein Aging Study, a longitudinal cohort study of aging (N = 1,239, Mage = 77.51, SD = 5.03; 69.50% white; 24.27% black; 6.23% other). Community-dwelling older adults from an urban area of New York City were interviewed annually. At each wave, participants responded to 6 items intended to assess SM. Items assessed participants' perceived memory decline as well as current memory ability. Multilevel exploratory factor analyses examined which factor solution best fit the data at between-person and within-person levels.ResultsFactor structure of the SM items varied at the two levels. At the within-person level, two factors emerged, whereas at the between-person level, a single factor best represented the SM items. Items assessing perceived declines in memory functioning tended to have similar trajectories, while items assessing current memory ability were less related to change over time.ConclusionItems appeared to assess two different dimensions of SM when examining within-person changes in SM across time; however, the item structure suggested no other items covaried systematically within persons over time. In contrast to the conceptualization of SM as a multidimensional construct, our findings suggest that when measuring SM between individuals, SM items tend to capture a single dimension underlying SM. This may be due to the long retrospection period of items assessing perceived memory ability. A single item assessing perceived memory decline in older adults without evidence of objective cognitive impairment may be sufficient to monitor memory change in clinical or research settings.

AbstractObjectivesMethodResultsConclusionThis study investigated the relationship between older adults’ expectations regarding aging and subjective cognition. Specifically, we examined whether the three domains of aging expectations (physical health, mental health, and cognitive function) were associated with two aspects of subjective cognition: current subjective cognition and subjective cognitive decline (SCD).An online survey was conducted among U.S. adults aged 65-90 (N = 581; Mage=71.4, SD ± 4.81; 51% female). Measures included the 12-item Expectations Regarding Aging scale, the 8-item PROMIS Cognitive Abilities scale (current subjective cognition), and the 12-item Everyday Cognition scale (SCD). We used generalized linear models to examine associations between overall aging expectations and its three domains with current subjective cognition ratings and SCD.We found that more positive expectations regarding physical health, mental health, and cognitive function in aging were associated with higher ratings of current subjective cognition as well as lower SCD. The magnitude of effects across aging expectations domains were similar for both aspects of subjective cognition.Aging expectations are malleable and influence an individual’s perceptions of their cognitive functioning. Modifying older adults’ aging expectations could support healthier cognitive aging through increased awareness and accurate assumptions about the aging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundIncreasing evidence has promoted the clinical utility of self-reported memory problems for detecting early impairment associated with Alzheimer disease (AD). However, previous studies investigating memory problems often conflated the types of problems (ie, retrospective and prospective) with their features (ie, frequency and consequences). This bias limits the specificity of traditional measures of memory problems and minimizes their ability to detect differential trajectories associated with cognitive decline. In this study, we use a novel measure of self-reported memory problems that uses daily reports of memory lapses to disentangle types from features for analyzing the impact of each dimension in two longitudinal data sets. Furthermore, this study explores the individual difference factors of age and gender as potential moderators of the relationships between self-reported memory lapses and objective cognitive decline. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe the protocol for a secondary data analysis project that explores the relationship between experiences of daily memory lapses and their associations with cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults. MethodsThis study uses multilevel, coordinated analyses across two measurement burst data sets to examine the links between features and consequences of memory lapses (retrospective and prospective) and their association with objective cognitive decline. This study’s sample (N=392; aged 50-85 years; n=254, 64.8% women) is drawn from two ongoing, nationally funded research studies: The Effects of Stress on Cognitive Aging, Physiology, and Emotion study and the Einstein Aging Study. Both studies assess the daily experience of memory lapses, including the type as well as the emotional and functional outcomes, and objective measures of cognition, such as processing speed and episodic memory. We will use multilevel modeling to test our conceptual model demonstrating that differences in frequency and types of memory lapses show differential trends in their relationships with cognitive decline and that these relationships vary by the age and gender of participants. ResultsThis project was funded in August 2019. The approval for secondary data analysis was given by the institutional review board in February 2020. Data analysis for this project has not yet started. ConclusionsThe early and accurate identification of individuals most at risk for cognitive decline is of paramount importance. Previous research exploring self-reported memory problems and AD is promising; however, limitations in measurement may explain previous reports of inconsistences. This study addresses these concerns by examining daily reports of memory lapses, how these vary by age and gender, and their relationship with objective cognitive performance. Overall, this study aims to identify the key features of daily memory lapses and the differential trajectories that best predict cognitive decline to help inform future AD risk screening tools. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/25233

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to explore potential gender differences in the relationship of dementia severity, age, APOE status, cognitive reserve and co-morbidity (two potentially modifiable factors), to delirium severity in older adults. Baseline data from an ongoing clinical trial and a Poisson regression procedure were used in the analyses. Participants were 148 elderly individuals with dementia and delirium admitted to post-acute care. In women, delirium severity was related to dementia severity (p=0.002) and co-morbidity moderated that effect (p=0.03). In men, education was marginally associated with delirium severity (p=0.06). Implications for research are discussed.

Negative perceptions of aging and older adulthood, including the idealization of youth, are common in the United States. Past work has found that holding negative perceptions of aging is closely associated with poor mental and physical health consequences, yet few studies have examined how these perceptions impact day-to-day experiences. The current study had two objectives: (1) investigate whether age discrepancy (specifically desiring to be younger than one's chronological age) was related to daily negative affect and (2) examine whether this relationship changed as participants aged over time. We utilized the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) diary study, a longitudinal measurement burst study with three waves of 8-day daily diaries indexing approximately 20 years. Participants (N = 2398; Mage [baseline] = 46.85, SD = 12.24; 54.7% women; 92.4% White) reported their desired age as well as daily negative affect at each wave. Using multilevel modeling, we examined whether age discrepancy predicted daily negative affect across 3 waves of observation. Results supported a significant relationship between age discrepancy and daily negative affect. However, no interactions among age discrepancy and baseline age or time across study were found. This suggests that the relationship between age discrepancy and daily negative affect was consistent across waves and participants over a 20-year period and provides evidence for the pernicious effect of deidentifying with one's real age on daily life. Daily experiences can act as potential risk or protective factors and shape developmental trajectories. Reducing ageism through societal interventions or increasing personal acceptance of aging through targeted interventions are two potential pathways of promoting health and well-being across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memory lapses (e.g., forgetting a medication) are common for most people, yet past methods of assessment relied upon retrospective reports from long recall windows. Recently, researchers have incorporated daily diary methods to capture memory lapse frequency closer to the experience in real-world environments. This study describes the utility of the Daily Memory Lapses Checklist using data from two 14-day diary studies (Combined Sample = 467; 66% women). Frequency and impact (i.e., irritation and interference) of prospective and retrospective memory lapses were assessed at both individual- and daily levels. Across studies, memory lapses occurred on more than one-third of assessment days. Retrospective lapses were reported more frequently than prospective; however, both lapses had a similar impact. The Daily Memory Lapses Checklist represents a flexible measure that separates the occurrence of a memory lapse from its impact on daily life: metrics that will enhance our understanding of daily experiences of cognitive functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many types of items are used to measure self-reported cognition, resulting in heterogeneity across studies. Certain cognitive self-report measure types may be more predictive of future decline. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to compare whether specific types of cognitive self-report measures better predict risk for cognitive decline over time when measures are directly compared within the same study. The PRISMA criteria guided the review. Eligibility criteria included: longitudinal studies, outcome of cognitive decline, at least 2 different cognitive self-report measures, and no cognitive impairment at baseline. Nineteen studies were included in the final review. A narrative synthesis of results was completed, resulting in 3 thematic groups of comparisons across self-reported measure types. Self-reported memory decline with worry and peer perceptions of memory were associated with the highest risk for cognitive decline. Future longitudinal investigations of self-reported cognitive problems should focus on using measures that may be most sensitive to predicting cognitive decline risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Associations among psychological health and memory concerns in older adults are well‐established, but much of this research is quantitative. Objectives: This study examined how memory problems influence emotional well‐being in older adults without dementia, and whether this differs by cognitive status and current depressive or anxiety symptoms. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used to examine our research questions. Community‐dwelling older adults without dementia (n = 49, Mage = 74.5[10.1], 63% women) completed a cognitive assessment, questionnaires and two semi‐structured interviews. Content analysis was used to code and categorise the transcribed interview data, then identify themes within and across participant groups. Results: Five themes described the influence of memory problems on emotional well‐being: Evoking Emotions, Fearing Future, Undermining Self, Normalising Problems and Adjusting Thinking. Memory problems' impact on emotional well‐being varied by current anxiety symptoms, characteristics of the problem and personal experience with dementia. Conclusion: The emotional impact of memory problems tended to differ by affective symptoms, not cognitive status. Older adults who report memory concerns without objective evidence of impairment may be at risk for negative impacts to mental health and well‐being. Implications for practice: Cognitive screening guidelines should consider best practices for responding to memory concerns when cognitive testing results are normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) among a representative sample of the adult US population. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 82,688, ≥45 years). Adverse childhood experiences included sexual, physical/psychological and environmental ACEs, and a score. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between ACEs and SCD, and SCD-related outcomes. Results: Sexual (adjusted OR (aOR: 2.83; 95% CI: 2.42–3.31)), physical/psychological (aOR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.83–2.29), and environmental (aOR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.74–2.16) ACEs were associated with SCD in the past year. There was also a dose-response relationship between ACE score and SCD. Conclusion: ACEs were associated with SCD. Interventions to maximize cognitive health in aging and prevent future cognitive impairment should consider the potential role of ACEs among affected populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The current study examined within-person associations of self-reports of impaired current memory functioning and perceived decline with depressive symptoms in older adults without cognitive impairment, and whether these associations were moderated by individuals' levels of neuroticism, conscientiousness, and extraversion. Methods Samples were drawn from the Einstein Aging Study, Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP), Minority Aging Research Study (MARS), Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), with over 8,000 participants (65+ years) included across data sets. In a series of coordinated analyses, multilevel linear models tested within-person relationships over periods of up to 22 years. Results Across HRS and NHATS samples, self-reports of impaired current memory functioning covaried with depressive symptoms over time. This association was moderated by neuroticism, such that the association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of neuroticism. Across all samples, perceived memory decline covaried with depressive symptoms over time. This association was moderated by neuroticism in MAP/MARS, HRS, and NHATS, such that the association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of neuroticism. Discussion Self-reports of impaired current memory functioning and perceived memory decline are important determinants of older adults' psychological well-being. In our results, at times when older adults perceive poorer memory functioning or decline, they also tend to report more depressive symptoms. Further, results from two larger data sets suggest that individuals' level of neuroticism may determine the extent to which self-reports of memory impairment and depressive symptoms covary over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determine the association between depression and SCD-related outcomes by age and gender. Using 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey data, crude and multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between depression and SCD-related outcomes by age and gender. Among respondents 45 to 69, depression was associated with SCD [adjusted OR (aOR): 4.36; 95% CI: 3.24–5.86]; needing assistance with activities due to confusion/memory loss (aOR: 2.38; 95% CI: 1.26 − 4.51); needing help with activities and the help is not available (aOR: 4.46; 95% CI: 1.31 − 15.2); and having discussed confusion/memory loss with a health care professional (aOR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.09 − 3.23). However, among respondents 70 and older, depression was associated with SCD (aOR): 3.52; 95% CI: 2.06–6.02); needing help with activities and the help is not available (aOR: 0.09; 95% CI: 0.01–0.56); confusion/memory loss interfering with work/social activities (aOR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.03–5.79); and having discussed confusion/memory loss with a health care professional (aOR): 2.99; 95% CI: 1.20–7.40). Depression was positively associated with SCD among men (aOR): 3.68; 95% CI: 2.52–5.38) and women (aOR): 4.76; 95% CI: 3.29–6.87; and was positively associated with all SCD-related outcomes among men except for confusion/memory loss interfering with work/social activities and given up chores. Depression was positively associated with the latter among women (aOR): 2.10; 95% CI: 1.09–4.06). SCD interventions should include assessment of and intervention for depression, and consider age and gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives 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. Research Design and Methods 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. Results 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. Discussion and Implications 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports of memory problems are associated with cognitive decline risk and other adverse health outcomes, and the personality trait of neuroticism is known to influence these reports. Since women tend to have higher neuroticism as well as a unique risk profile for cognitive decline, we examined the relationship between neuroticism and responses to two memory self-report items (self- and age-anchored comparisons) among women (n = 1,132; Mage = 52.71; SD = 13.99) in the Midlife in the United States Refresher Study. Multivariate regression demonstrated that women lower in neuroticism may be more likely to make a distinction between self-comparisons vs. age-anchored comparisons of memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]