scholarly journals American Geriatrics Society and National Institute on Aging Bench-to-Bedside Conference: Sensory Impairment and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 2052-2058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather E. Whitson ◽  
Alice Cronin-Golomb ◽  
Karen J. Cruickshanks ◽  
Grover C. Gilmore ◽  
Cynthia Owsley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
American Geriatrics Society ◽  
Sensory Impairment

scholarly journals Social Isolation and Loneliness: Moderators of the Relationship Between Sensory Impairment and Cognition

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 474-474
Author(s):  
Alison Huang ◽  
George Rebok ◽  
Bonnielin Swenor ◽  
Jayant Pinto ◽  
Linda Waite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Sensory Impairment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Hearing and vision impairment have been independently linked to accelerated cognitive decline in older adults, however there is limited evidence on the effect of dual sensory impairment (DSI) (both hearing and vision impairment) on cognition. Additionally, the impact of social isolation and loneliness, both correlates of DSI and independent risk factors for cognitive decline, on the DSI-cognition relationship has yet to be studied. Using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N=3,091), multivariable linear regression models were used to describe the cross-sectional relationship between self-reported functional sensory impairment (none, hearing only, vision only, DSI) and cognitive function, measured by the survey adapted Montreal Cognitive Assessment. We also included an interaction term in the model to investigate whether cognition is worse among older adults with sensory impairment who also are socially isolated or lonely. Participants in this sample are between 62-91 years with 15% reporting hearing impairment, 11% reporting vision impairment, and 7% reporting DSI. DSI was associated with significantly lower global cognitive function compared to no sensory impairment (-0.31 standard deviations (SD), 95% CI:-0.44 to-0.18), hearing impairment alone (-0.29 SD, 95% CI: -0.44 to -0.15), and vision impairment alone (-0.22 SD, 95% CI: -0.39 to -0.06). Furthermore, cognitive function was significantly worse among older adults with both DSI and smaller social networks (p-interaction <0.05). No differences in the DSI-cognition relationship were observed by level of loneliness. These findings add to the limited research on the relationship between DSI, social isolation and loneliness, and cognition.

Longitudinal Association Between Self-Reported Sensory Impairments and Episodic Memory among Older Adults in China: A Prospective Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 089198872110064
Author(s):  
Xiaochen Ma ◽  
Jingkai Wei ◽  
Nathan Congdon ◽  
Yan Li ◽  
Lu Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Sensory Impairment ◽  
Hearing Impairments ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Sensory Impairments ◽  
Longitudinal Association

Sensory impairments, such as visual and hearing impairments, and cognitive decline are prevalent among mid-age and older adults in China. With 4-year longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we assessed the association between self-reported sensory impairments and episodic memory. Multivariate linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the association of baseline sensory impairment in 2011-2012 with cognitive decline at 2- and 4-year follow-up visits. Among the 13,097 participants, longitudinal associations were identified between having hearing loss (β = -0.14, 95% CI: -0.22, -0.05), having both poor hearing and vision (β = -0.14, 95% CI: -0.23, -0.04) and decline in immediate word recall over 4 years, compared to those without self-reported sensory impairment. In addition, these associations were more significant among those aged 60 and older and among women. Further research is needed to investigate these associations in the longer term, providing evidence to support interventions that can prevent or delay sensory impairments and preserve cognitive functions in older adults.

scholarly journals Understanding the Sensory Loss–Cognitive Function Relationship in Older Adults: Biomarker or Causal Risk Factor?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 804-804
Author(s):  
Jennifer Deal ◽  
Heather Whitson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Microvascular Disease ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Sensory Loss ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Sensory Impairment ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Function Relationship

Abstract Sensory impairment in older adults is common, over 55% of Americans 60 years and older have either hearing or vision impairment, and it is linked to accelerated cognitive decline and increased risk of incident dementia in population-based observational studies. However, whether sensory impairment is a marker or a cause of cognitive decline and dementia is unknown. Both sensory impairment and cognitive decline/dementia may be caused by a common underlying pathology (e.g., microvascular disease), or sensory impairment may be a marker of dementia-related pathological changes in the brain. Alternatively, causal mechanisms include increased cognitive load, changes brain structure/function, depression, social isolation and/or reduced activity. This session will investigate the role of sensory impairment in cognitive decline and dementia in older adults and discuss the ramifications of these different possibilities for risk prediction and stratification, and potentially, for disease prevention. The co-occurrence of multiple sensory deficits will be described, and the potential utility of the use of retinal signs as predictive markers for cognitive decline/dementia will be discussed. We will also describe current evidence for both non-causal and causal relationships between sensory impairment and cognition with a focus on hearing impairment. Finally, we will describe the relationship of dual sensory (both hearing and vision) impairment on cognitive performance and dementia in a biracial population-based study.

scholarly journals Dual Sensory Impairment and Cognitive Performance, MCI, and Dementia in Older Adults: The ARIC Neurocognitive Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 805-806
Author(s):  
Jennifer Deal ◽  
Junghyun Park ◽  
Nicholas Reed ◽  
Alison Abraham ◽  
Frank Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Latent Variable ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Sensory Impairment ◽  
Clinical Factors ◽  
Neurocognitive Tests ◽  
Cognitive Information ◽  
Latent Variable Methods ◽  
Dual Sensory Impairment

Abstract Dual sensory impairment (DSI) affects 11.3% of adults aged ≥80 years. Hearing and vision impairments are each associated with cognitive decline and dementia, but DSI’s impact is unknown. All-cause dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were adjudicated using longitudinal cognitive information. Ten neurocognitive tests were summarized using latent variable methods. Hearing was measured using pure tone better-ear thresholds (0.5-4 kHz) and vision with better-eye presenting distance visual acuity and/or contrast sensitivity. In 881 adults (79±4 years, 44% black, 64% female), DSI (vs. no hearing or vision impairment) was cross-sectionally associated with -0.17 standard deviations (SD) [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.32, -0.02] lower global cognitive score and an 87% increased odds (95% CI: 1.01, 3.45) of combined MCI/dementia, after full adjustment for demographic and clinical factors. Future longitudinal research should elucidate the mechanism underlying this association to determine if treatment can delay cognitive decline and MCI/dementia in older adults.

Activity Engagement in Cognitive Aging: A Review of the Evidence

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rogalski ◽  
Muriel Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The population of older adults is rapidly increasing, as is the number and type of products and interventions proposed to prevent or reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Advocacy and prevention are part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) scope of practice documents, and speech-language pathologists must have basic awareness of the evidence contributing to healthy cognitive aging. In this article, we provide a brief overview outlining the evidence on activity engagement and its effects on cognition in older adults. We explore the current evidence around the activities of eating and drinking with a discussion on the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, alcohol, and coffee. We investigate the evidence on the hypothesized neuroprotective effects of social activity, the evidence on computerized cognitive training, and the emerging behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on physical activity. We conclude that actively aging using a combination of several strategies may be our best line of defense against cognitive decline.

Cognitive Flexibility Difficulties Predict Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay R. Clark ◽  
Eric M. Fine ◽  
Gali H. Weissberger ◽  
David P. Salmon ◽  
Dean C. Delis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility

scholarly journals Social isolation, rather than loneliness, is associated with cognitive decline in older adults: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Bin Yu ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Yongjie Chen ◽  
Xiaohua Jia
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Confounding Variables

Abstract Background Social isolation and loneliness have each been associated with cognitive decline, but most previous research is limited to Western populations. This study examined the relationships of social isolation and loneliness on cognitive function among Chinese older adults. Methods This study used two waves of data (2011 and 2015) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and analyses were restricted to those respondents aged 50 and older. Social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function were measured at baseline. Follow-up measures on cognitive function were obtained for 7761 participants (mean age = 60.97, s.d. = 7.31; male, 50.8%). Lagged dependent variable models adjusted for confounding factors were used to evaluate the association between baseline isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function at follow-up. Results Loneliness was significantly associated with the cognitive decline at follow-up (episodic memory: β = −0.03, p < 0.01; mental status: β = −0.03, p < 0.01) in the partially adjusted models. These associations became insignificant after additional confounding variables (chronic diseases, health behaviors, disabilities, and depressive symptoms) were taken into account (all p > 0.05). By contrast, social isolation was significantly associated with decreases in all cognitive function measures at follow-up (episodic memory: β = −0.05, p < 0.001; mental status: β = −0.03, p < 0.01) even after controlling for loneliness and all confounding variables. Conclusions Social isolation is associated with cognitive decline in Chinese older adults, and the relationships are independent of loneliness. These findings expand our knowledge about the links between social relationships and the cognitive function in non-Western populations.

scholarly journals A Novel Touch-Screen, Dual-Language Intervention Program for Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 559-559
Author(s):  
W Quin Yow ◽  
Hui-Ching Chen ◽  
Tharshini Lokanathan ◽  
Attila Achenbach ◽  
Lucienne Blessing
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Semantic Memory ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Touch Screen ◽  
Language Intervention

Abstract Although cognitive training in healthy older adults (OA) has been controversial, specific and isolated cognitive skills such as semantic memory can be improved with appropriate designs. Semantic memory has been considered as a clinical marker for cognitive decline in dementia. The current study, as part of a larger touch-screen dual-language intervention program with cognitive training tools, aims to slow down the rate of cognitive decline in OA with dementia (OwD). A set of neuropsychological tests was conducted before and after the training program. After 24 training sessions over 8-12 weeks, OwD (11 females, 1 male, mean=85.8yo) improved significantly in their verbal working memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; RAVLT) while performance of the cognitive-healthy OA (5 females, 3 males, mean=76.3yo) remained the same post-intervention. Our findings suggest that touch-screen technology can help OwD improve their semantic memory. The strengths and limitations of our game design and intervention will be discussed. Part of a symposium sponsored by Technology and Aging Interest Group.

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