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Li L, Zheng X, Ma H, Zhu M, Li X, Feng X. Correlation of cognitive impairment with Mediterranean diet and mortality: a prospective cohort study. Front Aging Neurosci 2025; 17:1556608. [PMID: 40271182 PMCID: PMC12014611 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1556608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2025] [Accepted: 03/27/2025] [Indexed: 04/25/2025] Open
Abstract
Background and aim Long-term adherence to the Mediterranean Diet has been shown to improve cognitive function in patients. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the impact of the Mediterranean diet and cognitive impairment on long-term mortality outcomes. This study aims to explore whether there is an interaction between the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cognitive impairment on long-term mortality outcomes. Methods The study included 2,520 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2014. The adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed using the 9-point alternative Mediterranean diet index (aMED index). Cognitive function was assessed using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's disease (CERAD), the Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and the Digital Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). By accessing public records from the National Death Index (NDI), NHANES participants' information was linked to death certificate records to determine mortality and causes of death during the follow-up period, up to December 31, 2019, with causes specified according to ICD-10. Participants were categorized based on the median aMED score into low adherence (scores 0-3), moderate adherence (score 4), and high adherence (scores 5-9) groups. Cognitive impairment was assessed by calculating the arithmetic mean of standardized scores (Z-scores) for each cognitive test. Participants with scores below the first quartile of the arithmetic mean were considered to have cognitive impairment. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the relationship between cognitive impairment, aMED, and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality outcomes. Additionally, the interaction between cognitive impairment and aMED on these outcomes was evaluated. Results The study included 2,520 participants, with 481 deaths during the follow-up period, of which 129 (26.8%) were cardiovascular-related. The median aMED score in the population was 4, and 632 individuals (25.1%) were considered to have cognitive impairment. A higher aMED score was associated with a reduced risk of long-term all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.52-0.81, p < 0.001; HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.47-0.91, p = 0.039). Cognitive impairment was associated with an increased risk of long-term all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.46-2.18, p < 0.001; HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.22-2.64, p = 0.003). Individuals with both lower aMED scores and cognitive impairment had higher risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Subgroup analysis indicates that only in the cognitive impairment subgroup is a higher Mediterranean diet score associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality. There is an interaction between lower aMED scores and cognitive impairment in increasing cardiovascular-related mortality (p for interaction = 0.028). Conclusion There is an interaction between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cognitive impairment concerning cardiovascular-related mortality, but not all-cause mortality. Among individuals with cognitive impairment, adherence to the Mediterranean diet has a more significant impact on cardiovascular-related mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Xinhong Feng
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Everard G, Declerck L, Lejeune T, Edwards MG, Bogacki J, Reiprich C, Delvigne K, Legrain N, Batcho CS. A Self-Adaptive Serious Game to Improve Motor Learning Among Older Adults in Immersive Virtual Reality: Short-Term Longitudinal Pre-Post Study on Retention and Transfer. JMIR Aging 2025; 8:e64004. [PMID: 40053708 PMCID: PMC11914841 DOI: 10.2196/64004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 12/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2025] [Indexed: 03/09/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite their potential, the use of serious games within immersive virtual reality (iVR) for enhancing motor skills in older adults remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we developed a self-adaptive serious game in iVR called REAsmash-iVR. This game involves swiftly locating and striking a digital mole presented with various distractors. OBJECTIVE This short-term longitudinal pre-post study aims to evaluate REAsmash-iVR's efficacy in promoting motor learning in older adults. Specifically, we seek to determine the transfer and retention of motor learning achieved through REAsmash-iVR to other iVR tasks. METHODS A total of 20 older adults participated in the study, engaging with REAsmash-iVR over 7 consecutive days. The evaluation included iVR tests such as KinematicsVR and a VR adaptation of the Box and Block Test (BBT-VR). KinematicsVR tasks included drawing straight lines and circles as fast and as accurately as possible, while BBT-VR required participants to move digital cubes as quickly as possible within 60 seconds. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention, with a follow-up at 1 week post intervention. The primary outcome focused on evaluating the impact of REAsmash-iVR on speed-accuracy trade-off during KinematicsVR tasks. Secondary outcomes included analyzing movement smoothness, measured by spectral arc length, and BBT-VR scores. RESULTS Results revealed significant improvements in speed-accuracy trade-off post intervention compared to that before the intervention, with notable retention of skills for straight lines (t19=5.46; P<.001; Cohen d=1.13) and circle drawing (t19=3.84; P=.001; Cohen d=0.787). Likewise, there was a significant enhancement in spectral arc length, particularly for circle drawing (χ²2=11.2; P=.004; ε2=0.23), but not for straight-line drawing (χ²2=2.1; P=.35; ε2=0.003). Additionally, participants demonstrated transfer with significant improvement (q=5.26; P<.001; Cohen r=0.678) and retention (q=6.82; P<.001; Cohen r=0.880) in BBT-VR skills. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide perspectives for the use of iVR to improve motor learning in older adults through delivering self-adaptive serious games targeting motor and cognitive functions. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04694833; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04694833.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauthier Everard
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Louise Declerck
- Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry Lejeune
- Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Services de Médecine Physique et Réadaptation, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
- Louvain Bionics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-neuve, Belgium
| | - Martin Gareth Edwards
- Louvain Bionics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-neuve, Belgium
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute (IPSY), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-neuve, Belgium
| | - Justine Bogacki
- Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cléo Reiprich
- Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kelly Delvigne
- Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Legrain
- Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charles Sebiyo Batcho
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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Xu X, Catts VS, Harris K, Wang N, Numbers K, Trollor J, Brodaty H, Sachdev PS, Schutte AE. The contribution of cumulative blood pressure load to dementia, cognitive function and mortality in older adults. J Hypertens 2024; 42:1922-1931. [PMID: 38989713 PMCID: PMC11451970 DOI: 10.1097/hjh.0000000000003808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies evaluated the contribution of long-term elevated blood pressure (BP) towards dementia and deaths. We examined the association between cumulative BP (cBP) load and dementia, cognitive decline, all-cause and cardiovascular deaths in older Australians. We also explored whether seated versus standing BP were associated with these outcomes. METHODS The Sydney Memory and Aging Study included 1037 community-dwelling individuals aged 70-90 years, recruited from Sydney, Australia. Baseline data was collected in 2005-2007 and the cohort was followed for seven waves until 2021. cSBP load was calculated as the area under the curve (AUC) for SBP ≥140 mmHg divided by the AUC for all SBP values. Cumulative diastolic BP (cDBP) and pulse pressure (cPP) load were calculated using thresholds of 90 mmHg and 60 mmHg. Cox and mixed linear models were used to assess associations. RESULTS Of 527 participants with both seated and standing BP data (47.7% men, median age 77), 152 (28.8%) developed dementia over a mean follow-up of 10.5 years. Higher cPP load was associated with a higher risk of all-cause deaths, and cSBP load was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular deaths in multivariate models ( P for trend < 0.05). Associations between cPP load, dementia and cognitive decline lost statistical significance after adjustment for age. Differences between sitting and standing BP load were not associated with the outcomes. CONCLUSION Long-term cPP load was associated with a higher risk of all-cause deaths and cSBP load associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular deaths in older Australians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Xu
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health
- The George Institute for Global Health
| | - Vibeke S. Catts
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine
| | | | | | - Katya Numbers
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine
| | - Julian Trollor
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine
- National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney
| | - Henry Brodaty
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine
| | - Perminder S. Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine
| | - Aletta E. Schutte
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health
- The George Institute for Global Health
- Hypertension in Africa Research Team; Medical Research Council Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
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Yamada Y, Okuda T, Uchida T, Ikenoue T, Fukuma S. Monitoring reaction time to digital device in the very-old to detect early cognitive decline. NPJ AGING 2024; 10:40. [PMID: 39242589 PMCID: PMC11379679 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-024-00167-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Early detection of cognitive decline is essential for timely intervention and effective management of age-related impairments. We monitored repetitive reaction times to a simple task on senior-friendly tablet computers among 72 functionally independent older adults, with a mean age of 82, ranging up to 100 years, within natural settings over two years. Functional principal component analyses revealed a consistent decrease in reaction time in line with their task experience among those without subjective cognitive decline. Conversely, individuals reporting subjective cognitive decline showed no consistent trend and exhibited wide variability over time. These distinctive reaction time trajectories in very old adults suggest the potential for monitoring as a non-invasive, convenient method for early detection of cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukari Yamada
- Health Data Implementation Science, Fukuma Research Group, Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tadahisa Okuda
- Health Data Implementation Science, Fukuma Research Group, Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Health Data Science, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoe Uchida
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Health Informatics, School of Public Health, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tatsuyoshi Ikenoue
- Health Data Implementation Science, Fukuma Research Group, Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Data Science and AI Innovation Research Promotion Center, Shiga University, Shiga, Japan
| | - Shingo Fukuma
- Health Data Implementation Science, Fukuma Research Group, Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
- Department of Epidemiology Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Hiroshima University Graduate school of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan.
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Salmi J, Merzon L, Eräste T, Seesjärvi E, Huhdanpää H, Aronen ET, Mannerkoski M, MacInnes WJ, Laine M. Fluctuations of Attention During Self-paced Naturalistic Goal-Directed Behavior in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. JAACAP OPEN 2024; 2:188-198. [PMID: 39552815 PMCID: PMC11562430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaacop.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2024]
Abstract
Objective Temporal fluctuations of attention detected with strictly controlled neuropsychological tests is an important objective behavioral marker for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined whether intraindividual variability in response latencies is also detectable in more realistic open-ended virtual contexts where the participants can freely interact with the surroundings when performing instructed everyday tasks from memory. Method Three ex-Gaussian parameters, μ, σ, and τ, were derived from response latencies in 2 tasks obtained from 2 datasets comprising 9- to 13-year-old children (72 with ADHD and 71 typically developing controls). In the Executive Performance in Everyday LIving (EPELI) task, participants performed instructed household chores in a virtual apartment. In the other task, a continuous performance test (CPT), was used to examine whether previous findings were replicated in this sample. Results Children with ADHD had shorter response latencies than controls in the EPELI task, while group differences in τ reflecting occasional sluggish responses depended on whether the trials were task-relevant (smaller τ in children with ADHD) or task-irrelevant (larger τ in children with ADHD). CPT results replicated previous observations of longer response latencies and larger τ in children with ADHD compared with control children. Intraindividual variability in the naturalistic EPELI task, however, explained more of the symptom variability than the CPT. Conclusion This study demonstrates that task context and stimulus relevance considerably influence how intraindividual variability in attention is manifested in children with ADHD. Virtual reality tasks provide a promising avenue for ecologically relevant quantification of this common cognitive deficit in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Erik Seesjärvi
- University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Huhdanpää
- University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Pediatric Research Center, New Children’s Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eeva T. Aronen
- University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minna Mannerkoski
- University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
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Parker RMA, Tilling K, Terrera GM, Barrett JK. Modeling Risk Factors for Intraindividual Variability: A Mixed-Effects Beta-Binomial Model Applied to Cognitive Function in Older People in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Am J Epidemiol 2024; 193:159-169. [PMID: 37579319 PMCID: PMC10773480 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwad169] [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: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive functioning in older age profoundly impacts quality of life and health. While most research on cognition in older age has focused on mean levels, intraindividual variability (IIV) around this may have risk factors and outcomes independent of the mean value. Investigating risk factors associated with IIV has typically involved deriving a summary statistic for each person from residual error around a fitted mean. However, this ignores uncertainty in the estimates, prohibits exploring associations with time-varying factors, and is biased by floor/ceiling effects. To address this, we propose a mixed-effects location scale beta-binomial model for estimating average probability and IIV in a word recall test in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. After adjusting for mean performance, an analysis of 9,873 individuals across 7 (mean = 3.4) waves (2002-2015) found IIV to be greater at older ages, with lower education, in females, with more difficulties in activities of daily living, in later birth cohorts, and when interviewers recorded issues potentially affecting test performance. Our study introduces a novel method for identifying groups with greater IIV in bounded discrete outcomes. Our findings have implications for daily functioning and care, and further work is needed to identify the impact for future health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M A Parker
- Correspondence to Dr. Richard M. A. Parker, Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS8 2BN, United Kingdom (e-mail: )
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Caballero HS, McFall GP, Gee M, MacDonald S, Phillips NA, Fogarty J, Montero-Odasso M, Camicioli R, Dixon RA. Cognitive Speed in Neurodegenerative Disease: Comparing Mean Rate and Inconsistency Within and Across the Alzheimer's and Lewy Body Spectra in the COMPASS-ND Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 100:579-601. [PMID: 38875040 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body disease (LBD) are characterized by early and gradual worsening perturbations in speeded cognitive responses. Objective Using simple and choice reaction time tasks, we compared two indicators of cognitive speed within and across the AD and LBD spectra: mean rate (average reaction time across trials) and inconsistency (within person variability). Methods The AD spectrum cohorts included subjective cognitive impairment (SCI, n = 28), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 121), and AD (n = 45) participants. The LBD spectrum included Parkinson's disease (PD, n = 32), mild cognitive impairment in PD (PD-MCI, n = 21), and LBD (n = 18) participants. A cognitively unimpaired (CU, n = 39) cohort served as common benchmark. We conducted multivariate analyses of variance and discrimination analyses. Results Within the AD spectrum, the AD cohort was slower and more inconsistent than the CU, SCI, and MCI cohorts. The MCI cohort was slower than the CU cohort. Within the LBD spectrum, the LBD cohort was slower and more inconsistent than the CU, PD, and PD-MCI cohorts. The PD-MCI cohort was slower than the CU and PD cohorts. In cross-spectra (corresponding cohort) comparisons, the LBD cohort was slower and more inconsistent than the AD cohort. The PD-MCI cohort was slower than the MCI cohort. Discrimination analyses clarified the group difference patterns. Conclusions For both speed tasks, mean rate and inconsistency demonstrated similar sensitivity to spectra-related comparisons. Both dementia cohorts were slower and more inconsistent than each of their respective non-dementia cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Sebastian Caballero
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - G Peggy McFall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Myrlene Gee
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Stuart MacDonald
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Richard Camicioli
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Roger A Dixon
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Cho H, Pilloni G, Tahsin R, Best P, Krupp L, Oh C, Charvet L. Moving intra-individual variability (IIV) towards clinical utility: IIV measured using a commercial testing platform. J Neurol Sci 2023; 446:120586. [PMID: 36812823 PMCID: PMC11650692 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2023.120586] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Intra-individual variability (IIV), measured across repeated response times (RT) during continuous psychomotor tasks, is an early marker of cognitive change in the context of neurodegeneration. To advance IIV towards broader application in clinical research, we evaluated IIV from a commercial cognitive testing platform and compared it to the calculation approaches used in experimental cognitive studies. METHODS Cognitive assessment was administered in participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) during the baseline of an unrelated study. Cogstate was used for computer-based measures providing three timed-trial tasks measuring simple (Detection; DET) and choice (Identification; IDN) RT and working memory (One-Back; ONB). IIV for each task was automatically output by the program (calculated as a log10-transformed standard deviation or "LSD"). We calculated IIV from the raw RTs using coefficient of variation (CoV), regression-based, and ex-Gaussian methods. The IIV from each calculation was then compared by rank across participants. RESULTS A total of n = 120 participants with MS aged 20-72 (Mean ± SD, 48.99 ± 12.09) completed the baseline cognitive measures. For each task, the interclass correlation coefficient was generated. Each ICC showed that LSD, CoV, ex-Gaussian, and regression methods clustered strongly (Average ICC for DET: 0.95 with 95% CI [0.93, 0.96]; Average ICC for IDN: 0.92 with 95% CI [0.88 to 0.93]; Average ICC for ONB: 0.93 with 95% CI [0.90 to 0.94]). Correlational analyses indicated the strongest correlation between LSD and CoV for all tasks (rs ≥ 0.94). CONCLUSION The LSD was consistent with research-based methods for IIV calculations. These findings support the use of LSD for the future measurement of IIV for clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyein Cho
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, USA
| | - Giuseppina Pilloni
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, USA; NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, USA
| | - Raisa Tahsin
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, USA
| | - Pamela Best
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, USA
| | - Lauren Krupp
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, USA; NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, USA
| | - Cheongeun Oh
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, USA
| | - Leigh Charvet
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, USA; NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, USA.
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Zou T, Cao S, Liu W, Li L, Jiang J, Wu L. Is simple reaction time or choice reaction time an indicator of all-cause mortality or CVD mortality? Public Health 2021; 199:34-41. [PMID: 34534888 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.07.045] [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: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Simple reaction time (SRT) and choice reaction time (CRT) have been shown to be good indicators for quantitatively assessing the level of human cognitive impairment, but these parameters have also been linked to the risk of human death. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the independent predictive value of SRT or CRT for all-cause mortality or cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality by conducting a meta-analysis of prospective studies. STUDY DESIGN The study design of this study is a prospective cohort study. METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis by combining hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of SRT or CRT with all-cause mortality or CVD mortality in healthy community residents aged 18 and over. Heterogeneity was evaluated by using Q statistics and Cochrane's I2 statistics. RESULTS A total of seven prospective studies that examined all-cause mortality and CVD mortality were included. The pooled HR of all-cause mortality in SRT was 1.099 (1.065-1.134, I2 = 11.9%), and an increased risk of CVD mortality was associated with lower SRT (HR = 1.186, 95% CI = 1.137-1.236; I2 = 52.4%). Similarly, the pooled HR of all-cause mortality in CRT was 1.140 (95% CI = 1.085-1.197, I2 = 33.7%). However, lower CRT was not statistically associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality. CONCLUSION SRT may be a predictor of all-cause-mortality and CVD mortality, and CRT is significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Zou
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, 461 BaYi St, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; Department of Health, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, 318 BaYi St, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - S Cao
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, PR China
| | - W Liu
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, 461 BaYi St, Nanchang, 330006, PR China.
| | - L Li
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, 461 BaYi St, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - J Jiang
- New York University, 6 Metro Tech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - L Wu
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, 461 BaYi St, Nanchang, 330006, PR China.
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Bonnechère B, Klass M, Langley C, Sahakian BJ. Brain training using cognitive apps can improve cognitive performance and processing speed in older adults. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12313. [PMID: 34112925 PMCID: PMC8192763 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91867-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Managing age-related decrease of cognitive function is an important public health challenge, especially in the context of the global aging of the population. Over the last years several Cognitive Mobile Games (CMG) have been developed to train and challenge the brain. However, currently the level of evidence supporting the benefits of using CMG in real-life use is limited in older adults, especially at a late age. In this study we analyzed game scores and the processing speed obtained over the course of 100 sessions in 12,000 subjects aged 60 to over 80 years. Users who trained with the games improved regardless of age in terms of scores and processing speed throughout the 100 sessions, suggesting that old and very old adults can improve their cognitive performance using CMG in real-life use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Bonnechère
- REVAL Rehabilitation Research Center, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
| | - Malgorzata Klass
- Laboratory of Applied Biology and Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christelle Langley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
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Paraskevopoulou SE, Coon WG, Brunner P, Miller KJ, Schalk G. Within-subject reaction time variability: Role of cortical networks and underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118127. [PMID: 33957232 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Variations in reaction time are a ubiquitous characteristic of human behavior. Extensively documented, they have been successfully modeled using parameters of the subject or the task, but the neural basis of behavioral reaction time that varies within the same subject and the same task has been minimally studied. In this paper, we investigate behavioral reaction time variance using 28 datasets of direct cortical recordings in humans who engaged in four different types of simple sensory-motor reaction time tasks. Using a previously described technique that can identify the onset of population-level cortical activity and a novel functional connectivity algorithm described herein, we show that the cumulative latency difference of population-level neural activity across the task-related cortical network can explain up to 41% of the trial-by-trial variance in reaction time. Furthermore, we show that reaction time variance may primarily be due to the latencies in specific brain regions and demonstrate that behavioral latency variance is accumulated across the whole task-related cortical network. Our results suggest that population-level neural activity monotonically increases prior to movement execution, and that trial-by-trial changes in that increase are, in part, accounted for by inhibitory activity indexed by low-frequency oscillations. This pre-movement neural activity explains 19% of the measured variance in neural latencies in our data. Thus, our study provides a mechanistic explanation for a sizable fraction of behavioral reaction time when the subject's task is the same from trial to trial.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William G Coon
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Peter Brunner
- National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neurology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA.
| | - Kai J Miller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Physiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Gerwin Schalk
- National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Science, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
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12
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Iconaru EI, Ciucurel MM, Georgescu L, Tudor M, Ciucurel C. The Applicability of the Poincaré Plot in the Analysis of Variability of Reaction Time during Serial Testing. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18073706. [PMID: 33918138 PMCID: PMC8037580 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: This study aims to put into evince the relationship between the variability of the reaction time (RT) during repeated testing, expressed through indicators extracted by the Poincaré plot method, and the age of the participants, their self-reported health (SRH), and level of perceived anxiety. (2) Methods: The study was performed using computerized RT testing software. An observational cross-sectional study was performed on a group of 120 subjects (mean age 42.33 ± 21.12 years), sex ratio men to women 1.14:1. Data were processed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The Poincaré plot method was applied in the analysis of the RT series of data, by calculating the indicators SD1, SD2, SD1/SD2, and area of the fitting ellipse (AFE) (3) Results: We provided evidence of the excellent reliability of the web-based RT serial testing (Cronbach’s Alpha 0.991) with this sample group. Our results showed that age is an important predictor for mean values of RT, while SD1, SD2, and AFE indicators are for SRH (p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: the variability of RT, expressed by the Poincaré plot indicators, reflects the health status rather than the aging of the subjects and is barely influenced by their level of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Ioana Iconaru
- Department of Medical Assistance and Physical Therapy, University of Pitesti, 110040 Pitesti, Romania; (M.T.); (C.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-740-137-453
| | - Manuela Mihaela Ciucurel
- Department of Psychology and Communication Sciences, University of Pitesti, 110040 Pitesti, Romania;
| | - Luminita Georgescu
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Pitesti, 110040 Pitesti, Romania;
| | - Mariana Tudor
- Department of Medical Assistance and Physical Therapy, University of Pitesti, 110040 Pitesti, Romania; (M.T.); (C.C.)
| | - Constantin Ciucurel
- Department of Medical Assistance and Physical Therapy, University of Pitesti, 110040 Pitesti, Romania; (M.T.); (C.C.)
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13
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Richards E, Bayer A, Tree JJ, Hanley C, Norris JE, Tales A. Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Insights from Reaction Time Measures. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 72:845-857. [PMID: 31594238 PMCID: PMC6918912 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study, reaction time (RT), intraindividual variability (IIV), and errors, and the effects of practice and processing load upon such function, were compared in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment (SIVCI) [n = 27] and cognitively healthy older adults (CH) [n = 26]. Compared to CH aging, SIVCI was characterized by a profile of significantly slowed RT, raised IIV, and higher error levels, particularly in the presence of distracting stimuli, indicating that the integrity and/or accessibility of the additional functions required to support high processing load, serial search strategies, are reduced in SIVCI. Furthermore, although practice speeded RT in SIVCI, unlike CH, practice did not lead to an improvement in IIV. This indicates that improvement in RT in SIVCI can in fact mask an abnormally high degree of IIV. Because IIV appears more related to disease, function, and health than RT, its status and potential for change may represent a particularly meaningful, and relevant, disease characteristic of SIVCI. Finally, a high level of within-group variation in the above measures was another characteristic of SIVCI, with such processing heterogeneity in patients with ostensibly the same diagnosis, possibly related to individual variation in pathological load. Detailed measurement of RT, IIV, errors, and practice effects therefore reveal a degree of functional impairment in brain processing not apparent by measuring RT in isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Richards
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.,Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Antony Bayer
- Department of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy J Tree
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Claire Hanley
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - Andrea Tales
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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14
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Lacking Pace but Not Precision: Age-Related Information Processing Changes in Response to a Dynamic Attentional Control Task. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10060390. [PMID: 32575518 PMCID: PMC7349744 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10060390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related decline in information processing can have a substantial impact on activities such as driving. However, the assessment of these changes is often carried out using cognitive tasks that do not adequately represent the dynamic process of updating environmental stimuli. Equally, traditional tests are often static in their approach to task complexity, and do not assess difficulty within the bounds of an individual’s capability. To address these limitations, we used a more ecologically valid measure, the Swansea Test of Attentional Control (STAC), in which a threshold for information processing speed is established at a given level of accuracy. We aimed to delineate how older, compared to younger, adults varied in their performance of the task, while also assessing relationships between the task outcome and gender, general cognition (MoCA), perceived memory function (MFQ), cognitive reserve (NART), and aspects of mood (PHQ-9, GAD-7). The results indicate that older adults were significantly slower than younger adults but no less precise, irrespective of gender. Age was negatively correlated with the speed of task performance. Our measure of general cognition was positively correlated with the task speed threshold but not with age per se. Perceived memory function, cognitive reserve, and mood were not related to task performance. The findings indicate that while attentional control is less efficient in older adulthood, age alone is not a defining factor in relation to accuracy. In a real-life context, general cognitive function, in conjunction with dynamic measures such as STAC, may represent a far more effective strategy for assessing the complex executive functions underlying driving ability.
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Cognitive Function and Mortality: Results from Kaunas HAPIEE Study 2006-2017. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17072397. [PMID: 32244660 PMCID: PMC7178058 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the association between cognitive function and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality during 10 years of the follow-up. Methods: 7087 participants were assessed in the baseline survey of the Health Alcohol Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study in 2006–2008. During 10 years of follow-up, all-cause and CVD mortality risk were evaluated. Results: During 10 years of follow-up, 768 (23%) men and 403 (11%) women died (239 and 107 from CVD). After adjustment for sociodemographic, biological, lifestyle factors, and illnesses, a decrease per 1 standard deviation in different cognitive function scores increased risk for all-cause mortality (by 13%–24% in men, and 17%–33% in women) and CVD mortality (by 19%–32% in men, and 69%–91% in women). Kaplan-Meier survival curves for all-cause and CVD mortality, according to tertiles of cognitive function, revealed that the lowest cognitive function (1st tertile) predicts shorter survival compared to second and third tertiles (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this follow-up study suggest that older participants with lower cognitive functions have an increased risk for all-cause and CVD mortality compared to older participants with a higher level of cognitive function.
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Netz Y, Lidor R, Ziv G. Small samples and increased variability - discussing the need for restricted types of randomization in exercise interventions in old age. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act 2019; 16:17. [PMID: 31673298 PMCID: PMC6815362 DOI: 10.1186/s11556-019-0224-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Randomization provides an equal chance for participants to be allocated to intervention groups, in order to create an equal distribution of all variables at baseline in all groups. However, this is not guaranteed, particularly if the groups are too small, or if the researched groups consist of older adults. The aims of this commentary are to discuss the increased variability in old age which intensifies the risk of baseline inequalities, to elaborate on the need to estimate potential baseline group differences in small samples of older participants in exercise intervention, to discuss alternative procedures for creating equal groups at baseline and to provide specific guidelines for selecting the design of small studies. Main body Small groups with increased inter-individual differences may lead to reduced power, thus differences that truly exist may not be detected, or false group differences may appear in the outcome following the treatment. Studies that focused exclusively on older adults have found increased variability in advanced age. Therefore, baseline group differences are more common in older adults as compared to younger persons, and may lead to misinterpretation of the intervention′s results. Imbalances can be reduced by covariate-adaptive randomization procedures, such as stratified permuted-block randomization or minimization. Specific guidelines are provided for selecting a randomization procedure by assessing the probability of unequal groups at baseline in typical, widely used functional tests in old age. A calculation of the required number of participants for creating equal groups for these functional tests is provided, and can be used when increasing the number of participants is possible. R-scripts specifically created for assessing the probability of unequal groups, or for determining the sample size assuring equal groups, are recommended. Conclusions In exercise interventions assessing older adults, it is recommended to have a sample large enough for creating equal groups. If this is not possible, as is the case quite often in intervention studies in old age, it is recommended to assess the probability of inequality in the study groups and to apply an alternative randomization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Netz
- The Academic College at Wingate, Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel
| | - Ronnie Lidor
- The Academic College at Wingate, Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel
| | - Gal Ziv
- The Academic College at Wingate, Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel
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17
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Bento-Torres J, Bento-Torres NVO, Stillman CM, Grove GA, Huang H, Uyar F, Watt JC, Wollam ME, Erickson KI. Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, intraindividual variability in behavior, and cingulate cortex in younger adults. JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2019; 8:315-324. [PMID: 31333884 PMCID: PMC6620364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and greater amounts of physical activity have been associated with lower intraindividual variability (IIV) in executive function in children and older adults. In the present study, we examined whether CRF, measured as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and daily volume of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) were associated with IIV of reaction time during performance of the incongruent condition of the Stroop task in younger adults. Further, we examined whether the thickness of the cingulate cortex was associated with regulating variability in reaction time performance in the context of CRF or physical activity. METHODS CRF (measured as VO2max), accelerometry-measured MVPA, Stroop performance, and thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) derived from magnetic resonance imaging data were collected in 48 younger adults (age = 24.58 ± 4.95 years, mean ± SD). Multiple regression was used to test associations between IIV during the Stroop task and CRF, MVPA, and rACC thickness. Mediation was tested using maximum likelihood estimation with bootstrapping. RESULTS Consistent with our predictions, higher VO2max was associated with greater rACC thickness for the right hemisphere and greater daily amounts of MVPA were associated with greater rACC thickness for both the left and right hemispheres. Greater thickness of the right rACC was associated with lower IIV for the incongruent condition of the Stroop task. CRF and MVPA were not directly associated with IIV. However, we did find that IIV and both CRF and MVPA were indirectly associated via the thickness of the right rACC. CONCLUSION These results indicate that higher CRF and greater daily volume of MVPA may be associated with lower IIV during the Stroop task via structural integrity of the rACC. Randomized controlled trials of MVPA would provide crucial information about the causal relations between these variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Bento-Torres
- Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil
| | | | - Chelsea M. Stillman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - George A. Grove
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Haiqing Huang
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Fatma Uyar
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Jennifer C. Watt
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Mariegold E. Wollam
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Kirk I. Erickson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Corresponding author.
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18
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Basoudan N, Torrens-Burton A, Jenkins A, Thornton IM, Hanley C, Tree JJ, Thomas S, Tales A. Sequential Information Processing: The "Elevated First Response Effect" Can Contribute to Exaggerated Intra-Individual Variability in Older Adults. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 92:13-20. [PMID: 30923469 PMCID: PMC6430171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study we examined attention-related reaction time (RT) and intra-individual variability (IIV) in younger and older adults using an iPad-based visual search test, in which, for each trial, participants were required to sequentially press a series of on-screen stimuli numbered from 1 to 8. Although overall performance RT was significantly slower, with greater IIV for the older compared to the younger adult group, there was also a disproportionately slowed RT and greater IIV for the first item in the series compared to all other responses within the trial. When the response to the first stimulus was removed from statistical analysis, the significant age-related RT slowing effect remained, but IIV was no longer significantly greater for the older compared to the younger adults. This pattern of results reveals a dichotomy between the preservation of RT and IIV in aging, and one that is strongly related to research methodology. A finding that may account, at least in part, for the outcome heterogeneity in the study of IIV in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasreen Basoudan
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | | | - Amy Jenkins
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | | | - Claire Hanley
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - Jeremy J. Tree
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | | | - Andrea Tales
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
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19
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Bento-Torres NVO, Bento-Torres J, Tomás AM, Souza LGTD, Freitas JOD, Pantoja JADS, Picanço-Diniz CW. WATER-BASED EXERCISE AND RESISTANCE TRAINING IMPROVE COGNITION IN OLDER ADULTS. REV BRAS MED ESPORTE 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/1517-869220192501190627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Introduction: Physical exercise has been associated with maintenance of physical abilities and the reduction of age-related cognitive decline, and is considered both a low-cost primary prevention strategy and a non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive dysfunction in older people. However, the contribution of each type of physical exercise to the cognitive health of the elderly population has not yet been fully investigated. Objective: This study investigated the possible influences of water-based and resistance training exercises on the cognitive performance of healthy older adults in automated tests, and investigated which test(s) would be the most effective indicator of differences in aging cognitive performance. Methods: Three groups of community-dwelling healthy older adults: water-based exercise group, resistance training group and sedentary group, were assessed using an automated set of neuropsychological tests (CANTAB) and tests to assess functional exercise capacity. Results were compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson linear correlation. Results: The water-based exercise group had the best functional exercise capacity scores and the best performance in the reaction time evaluation (response and movement latencies). The resistance training group had less movement latency than the sedentary group. Functional mobility was positively correlated with response and movement latency. Conclusions: Taken together our findings show that physical exercise contributes to the preservation of cognitive function in healthy older adults and that water-based exercise has better results than resistance training in terms of reaction time. Moreover, the changes related to reaction time function were detected before the changes in working memory functions, sustained attention and learning in the sedentary participants, suggesting that this variable could be an early sensitive indicator of subtle cognitive changes associated with aging. Level of Evidence II; Retrospective study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - João Bento-Torres
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil
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20
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Grady CL, Garrett DD. Brain signal variability is modulated as a function of internal and external demand in younger and older adults. Neuroimage 2018; 169:510-523. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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21
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Fagot D, Mella N, Borella E, Ghisletta P, Lecerf T, De Ribaupierre A. Intra-Individual Variability from a Lifespan Perspective: A Comparison of Latency and Accuracy Measures. J Intell 2018; 6:jintelligence6010016. [PMID: 31162443 PMCID: PMC6480759 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence6010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Within-task variability across trials (intra-individual variability (IIV)) has been mainly studied using latency measures but rarely with accuracy measures. The aim of the Geneva Variability Study was to examine IIV in both latency and accuracy measures of cognitive performance across the lifespan, administering the same tasks to children, younger adults, and older adults. Six processing speed tasks (Response Time (RT) tasks, 8 conditions) and two working memory tasks scored in terms of the number of correct responses (Working Memory (WM)—verbal and visuo-spatial, 6 conditions), as well as control tasks, were administered to over 500 individuals distributed across the three age periods. The main questions were whether age differences in IIV would vary throughout the lifespan according (i) to the type of measure used (RTs vs. accuracy); and (ii) to task complexity. The objective of this paper was to present the general experimental design and to provide an essentially descriptive picture of the results. For all experimental tasks, IIV was estimated using intra-individual standard deviation (iSDr), controlling for the individual level (mean) of performance and for potential practice effects. As concerns RTs, and in conformity with a majority of the literature, younger adults were less variable than both children and older adults, and the young children were often the most variable. In contrast, IIV in the WM accuracy scores pointed to different age trends—age effects were either not observed or, when found, they indicated that younger adults were the more variable group. Overall, the findings suggest that IIV provides complementary information to that based on a mean performance, and that the relation of IIV to cognitive development depends on the type of measure used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Fagot
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES-Overcoming Vulnerability, Life Course Perspectives, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Nathalie Mella
- Cognitive Aging Lab, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Erika Borella
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy.
| | - Paolo Ghisletta
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES-Overcoming Vulnerability, Life Course Perspectives, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
- Swiss Distance Learning University, 3900 Brig, Switzerland.
| | - Thierry Lecerf
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
- Swiss Distance Learning University, 3900 Brig, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Anik De Ribaupierre
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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Intraindividual Variability in Inhibition and Prospective Memory in Healthy Older Adults: Insights from Response Regularity and Rapidity. J Intell 2018; 6:jintelligence6010013. [PMID: 31162440 PMCID: PMC6480743 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence6010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful prospective memory (PM) performance relies on executive functions, including inhibition. However, PM and inhibition are usually assessed in separate tasks, and analytically the focus is either on group differences or at most on interindividual differences. Conjoint measures of PM and inhibition performance that take into account intraindividual variability (IIV) are thus missing. In the present study, we assessed healthy older adults' level of performance and IIV in both inhibition and PM using a classical Go/NoGo task. We also created a prospective Go/NoGo version that embeds a PM component into the task. Using dynamic structural equation modeling, we assessed the joint effects of mean level (μ), an indicator of amplitude of fluctuations in IIV (or net IIV; intraindividual standard deviation, iSD), and an indicator of time dependency in IIV (the autoregressive parameter ϕ) in reaction times (RTs) on inhibition and PM performance. Results indicate that higher inhibition failure, but not IIV, predicted PM errors, corroborating the current literature on the involvement of prepotent response inhibition in PM processes. In turn, fastest RT latency (μ) and increased net IIV (iSD) were consistently associated with prepotent response inhibition failure, while coherence in RT pattern (ϕ) was beneficial to inhibition performance when the task was novel. Time-dependent IIV (ϕ) appears to reflect an adaptive exploration of strategies to attain optimal performance, whereas increased net IIV (iSD) may indicate inefficient sustained cognitive processes when performance is high. We discuss trade-off processes between competing tasks.
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