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Pflanz CP, Künzi M, Gallacher J, Bauermeister S. Distress and neuroticism as mediators of the effect of childhood and adulthood adversity on cognitive performance in the UK Biobank study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8108. [PMID: 38582859 PMCID: PMC10998912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58510-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity and adulthood adversity affect cognition later in life. However, the mechanism through which adversity exerts these effects on cognition remains under-researched. We aimed to investigate if the effect of adversity on cognition was mediated by distress or neuroticism. The UK Biobank is a large, population-based, cohort study designed to investigate risk factors of cognitive health. Here, data were analysed using a cross-sectional design. Structural equation models were fitted to the data with childhood adversity or adulthood adversity as independent variables, distress and neuroticism as mediators and executive function and processing speed as latent dependent variables that were derived from the cognitive scores in the UK Biobank. Complete data were available for 64,051 participants in the childhood adversity model and 63,360 participants in the adulthood adversity model. Childhood adversity did not show a direct effect on processing speed. The effect of childhood adversity on executive function was partially mediated by distress and neuroticism. The effects of adulthood adversity on executive function and processing speed were both partially mediated by distress and neuroticism. In conclusion, distress and neuroticism mediated the deleterious effect of childhood and adulthood adversity on cognition and may provide a mechanism underlying the deleterious consequences of adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Patrick Pflanz
- Dementias Platform UK, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
| | - Morgane Künzi
- Dementias Platform UK, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Centre the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - John Gallacher
- Dementias Platform UK, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Sarah Bauermeister
- Dementias Platform UK, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
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Stephan Y, Sutin AR, Luchetti M, Aschwanden D, Terracciano A. Personality and Cognition: The Mediating Role of Inflammatory Markers. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2024; 79:gbad152. [PMID: 37813576 PMCID: PMC10745263 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Five-Factor Model personality traits are associated consistently with cognition. Inflammation has been hypothesized as a biological pathway in this association, but this assumption has yet to be tested. The present study tested inflammatory markers as mediators between personality traits and cognition. METHODS Participants were from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 4,364; 60% women; mean age = 64.48 years, standard deviation = 8.79). Personality traits and demographic factors were assessed in 2010/2012. Data on inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6], soluble tumor necrosis factor 1 (sTNFR1), interleukin-10 [IL-10], interleukin-1 receptor antagonist [IL-1Ra], and transforming growth factor [TGF]-β1) were obtained in 2016 from the HRS Venuous Blood Study. Cognition was assessed in 2020 using the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. RESULTS Higher neuroticism was related to lower cognition at follow-up, whereas higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with better cognition. Higher extraversion and higher conscientiousness were related to lower hsCRP, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1Ra, and sTNFR1, and higher openness was associated with lower IL-10, IL-1Ra, and sTNFR1 and to higher soluble TGF-β1. Lower sTNFR1 partially mediated the associations between conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness and cognition at follow-up, explaining an estimated 4%-12% of these associations. The mediating role of sTNFR1 persisted when physical activity and depressive symptoms were included as additional mediators. DISCUSSION The present study provides new evidence on personality and inflammatory markers. Consistent with the inflammation hypothesis, the sTNFR1 finding supports a potential biological pathway between personality and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angelina R Sutin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Martina Luchetti
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Damaris Aschwanden
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Geriatrics, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Antonio Terracciano
- Department of Geriatrics, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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Park H, Forthman KL, Kuplicki R, Victor TA, Yeh HW, Thompson WK, Howlett JR, Guinjoan S, Paulus MP. Polygenic risk for neuroticism is associated with less efficient control in more difficult situations. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 335:111716. [PMID: 37717543 PMCID: PMC10841151 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Neuroticism is a heritable trait and a risk factor for mental health due to its relevance to poor control of negative events. To examine the relationship between genetic propensity for neuroticism and control processing, we used the polygenic risk score (PRS) approach and a stop signal task during fMRI. We hypothesized that genetic propensity for neuroticism may moderate control processing as a function of control difficulty. PRSs for neuroticism were computed from a transdiagnostic group of individuals (n=406) who completed the stop signal task. The level of control difficulty was a function of the stop signal asynchrony: shorter asynchrony allows easier stopping whereas longer asynchrony makes stopping difficult. The relationship between PRS for neuroticism and neural activity for controlling responses was examined by the stop signal asynchrony. Although PRS for neuroticism did not relate to the overall inhibitory control, individuals with high PRS for neuroticism showed greater activity in left dorsal prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and dorsal posterior cingulate cortex for difficult control. Thus, the genetic propensity for neuroticism affects neural processing in a difficult control context, which may help to explain why individuals with high levels of neuroticism exert poor control of negative events in difficult situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heekyeong Park
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas at Dallas, TX 75241, USA; Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK 74136, USA.
| | | | - Rayus Kuplicki
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK 74136, USA
| | | | - Hung-Wen Yeh
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK 74136, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | | | - Jonathon R Howlett
- Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Salvador Guinjoan
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK 74136, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center at Tulsa, OK 74107, USA
| | - Martin P Paulus
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK 74136, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Oxley College of Health Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74119, USA
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Terracciano A, Cenatus B, Zhu X, Karakose S, Stephan Y, Marcolini S, De Deyn PP, Luchetti M, Sutin AR. Neuroticism and white matter hyperintensities. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 165:174-179. [PMID: 37506413 PMCID: PMC10528519 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Neuroticism is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This study investigates whether neuroticism is associated with white matter hyperintensities and whether this measure of brain integrity is a mediator between neuroticism and cognitive function. Middle-aged and older adults from the UK Biobank (N = 40,602; aged 45-82 years, M = 63.97, SD = 7.66) provided information on demographic and health covariates, completed measures of neuroticism and cognition, and underwent magnetic resonance imaging from which the volume of white matter hyperintensities was derived. Regression analyses that included age and sex as covariates found that participants who scored higher on neuroticism had more white matter hyperintensities (β = 0.024, 95% CI 0.015 to 0.032; p < .001), an association that was consistent across peri-ventricular and deep brain regions. The association was reduced by about 40% when accounting for vascular risk factors (smoking, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, angina, and stroke). The association was not moderated by age, sex, college education, deprivation index, or APOE e4 genotype, and remained unchanged in sensitivity analyses that excluded individuals with dementia or those younger than 65. The mediation analysis revealed that white matter hyperintensities partly mediated the association between neuroticism and cognitive function. These findings identify white matter integrity as a potential neurobiological pathway that accounts for a small proportion of the association between neuroticism and cognitive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Terracciano
- Department of Geriatrics, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| | - Bertin Cenatus
- Department of Geriatrics, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Xianghe Zhu
- Department of Psychology, School of Mental Health, Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Affiliated Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China; Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Selin Karakose
- Department of Geriatrics, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | | | - Sofia Marcolini
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter P De Deyn
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Martina Luchetti
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Angelina R Sutin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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Christensen DS, Garde E, Siebner HR, Mortensen EL. Midlife perceived stress is associated with cognitive decline across three decades. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:121. [PMID: 36870969 PMCID: PMC9985854 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-03848-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research indicates detrimental effects of stress on brain health and cognitive functioning, but population-based studies using comprehensive measures of cognitive decline is lacking. The present study examined the association of midlife perceived stress with cognitive decline from young adulthood to late midlife, controlling for early life circumstances, education and trait stress (neuroticism). METHODS The sample consisted of 292 members of the Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort (1959-1961) with continued participation in two subsequent follow-up studies. Cognitive ability was assessed in young adulthood (mean age 27 years) and midlife (mean age 56 years) using the full Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), and perceived stress was measured at midlife using the Perceived Stress Scale. The association of midlife perceived stress with decline in Verbal, Performance and Full-Scale IQ was assessed in multiple regression models based on Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation. RESULTS Over a mean retest interval of 29 years, average decline in IQ score was 2.42 (SD 7.98) in Verbal IQ and 8.87 (SD 9.37) in Performance IQ. Mean decline in Full-scale IQ was 5.63 (SD 7.48), with a retest correlation of 0.83. Controlling for parental socio-economic position, education and young adult IQ, higher perceived stress at midlife was significantly associated with greater decline in Verbal (β = - 0.012), Performance (β = - 0.025), and Full-scale IQ (β = - 0.021), all p < .05. Across IQ scales, additionally controlling for neuroticism in young adulthood and change in neuroticism had only minor effects on the association of midlife perceived stress with decline. CONCLUSIONS Despite very high retest correlations, decline was observed on all WAIS IQ scales. In fully adjusted models, higher midlife perceived stress was associated with greater decline on all scales, indicating a negative association of stress with cognitive ability. The association was strongest for Performance and Full-scale IQ, perhaps reflecting the greater decline on these IQ scales compared to Verbal IQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinne Skjærlund Christensen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural Science, Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology (Epos), Aarhus University, Bartholins Alle 11, Bld. 1351, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark. .,Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Blvd. 99, 8200, Aarhus, Denmark. .,Department of Public Health, Section of Environmental Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2700, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Ellen Garde
- Department of Public Health, Section of Environmental Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2700, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Kettegård Allé 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Kettegård Allé 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Erik Lykke Mortensen
- Department of Public Health, Section of Environmental Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2700, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Migeot J, Calivar M, Granchetti H, Ibáñez A, Fittipaldi S. Socioeconomic status impacts cognitive and socioemotional processes in healthy ageing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6048. [PMID: 35410333 PMCID: PMC9001669 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09580-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) negatively impacts cognitive and executive functioning in older adults, yet its effects on socioemotional abilities have not been studied in this population. Also, evidence on neurocognitive processes associated with ageing primarily comes from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) populations, hindering the generalization of findings to persons from upper-middle- and low-middle-income countries, such as those of Latin America. Here, we compared the performance of low- and high-SES older adults from Argentina in cognitive state, executive functions, social cognition (emotion recognition and theory of mind), and counter-empathic social emotions (envy and Schadenfreude; displeasure at others' fortune and pleasure at others' misfortune, respectively). Subsequently, we developed a path analysis to test the relationship among those variables in a theoretically plausible model and tested the main paths via multiple regression analyses. Relative to the high-SES group, low-SES older adults showed poorer performance on all assessed domains. Convergent evidence from covariance analysis, path analysis, and linear regressions suggested that low-SES impact on socioemotional processes was not primary but mediated by cognitive and executive impairment. These findings offer the first characterization of SES impacts on cognitive and socioemotional processes in a non-WEIRD population and have relevant equity-related implications for brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Migeot
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Mariela Calivar
- Centro de Atención Primaria de la salud Zonda, Ministerio de Salud Pública de La Provincia de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Hugo Granchetti
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Victoria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
- Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sol Fittipaldi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés, Victoria, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
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