@article {11707, title = {Self-reported sense of purpose in life and proxy-reported behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in the last year of life.}, journal = {Aging and Mental Health}, volume = {26}, year = {2022}, pages = {1693-1698}, abstract = {

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are among the most challenging aspects of dementia for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Identifying factors associated with resilience to BPSD may inform interventions to reduce them. The present research examines whether purpose in life is associated with BPSD in the last year of life.Participants from the Health and Retirement Study were selected if they reported on their sense of purpose, had evidence of a memory impairment, died across the follow-up, and a proxy completed the End of Life survey that included BPSD ( = 2473). Self-reported sense of purpose was tested as a predictor of the sum of symptoms and each indivdual symptom in the last year of life.Purpose in life was associated with fewer BPSD overall. Of the individual symptoms, purpose was associated with less risk of psychological symptoms, specfiically less depression, periodic confusion, uncontrolled temper, but not with motor or perceptual symptoms. These results are consistent with growing evidence that purpose is associated with better cognitive outcomes. Purpose may be a useful target of intervention to improve outcomes across the spectrum of dementia.

}, keywords = {Behavioral Symptoms, BPSD, Dementia, end of life, Purpose in life}, issn = {1364-6915}, doi = {10.1080/13607863.2021.1937055}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {12227, title = {Sense of Purpose in Life and Markers of Hearing Function: Replicated Associations across Two Longitudinal Cohorts.}, journal = {Gerontology}, volume = {68}, year = {2022}, pages = {943-950}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: A sense of purpose in life is a psychological resource that is associated with healthier outcomes. The present research examines whether a greater sense of purpose in life is associated with subjective and objective markers of hearing health and whether hearing acuity contributes to the association between purpose and episodic memory. We sought to evaluate whether these associations were replicable across 2 independent samples.

METHODS: Participants in the Health and Retirement Study (N = 14,291) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N = 8,844) reported on their purpose in life and perceived hearing quality at baseline. Hearing acuity was measured using an audiometer 2-4 years later, and episodic memory was measured at baseline and 6-8 years later.

RESULTS: In both samples, higher purpose in life was associated with better hearing quality measured concurrently, lower risk of either subjective or objective hearing impairment, and hearing acuity accounted for some of the longitudinal relation between sense of purpose and better episodic memory.

DISCUSSION: Across samples, measures, and analytical approaches, the present research indicates replicable associations between sense of purpose in life and hearing health. It further indicates that hearing may be one factor that associates purpose with better episodic memory.

}, keywords = {Episodic Memory, hearing acuity, Hearing loss, Replication, Sense of purpose}, issn = {1423-0003}, doi = {10.1159/000521257}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {11693, title = {Self-Rated Health and Incident Dementia over Two Decades: Replication Across Two Cohorts}, journal = {Journal of Psychiatric Research}, volume = {143}, year = {2021}, pages = {462-466}, abstract = {This prospective study examined the association between self-rated health and incident dementia in two large cohorts of middle-aged and older adults. Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N= 13,839, Mean Age= 64.32, SD= 9.04) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, N=4649, Mean Age = 64.44, SD= 9.97). Self-rated health and covariates were assessed at baseline in 1998 and 2002, and cognitive status was tracked for up to 21 years in HRS and 17 years in ELSA, respectively. Controlling for demographic factors, poorer self-rated health was associated with higher risk of incident dementia in HRS (HR: 1.18, 95\%CI: 1.12-1.24, p<.001) and ELSA (HR: 1.38, 95\%CI: 1.23-1.55, p<.001). These associations remained significant when diabetes, hypertension, smoking, physical inactivity, depressive symptoms, personality, and polygenic risk for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease were included as additional covariates or when cases occurring within the first ten years of follow-up were excluded from the analyses. There was no replicable evidence that age, sex, education, race or ethnicity moderated the association. Self-rated health is a long-term, replicable predictor of incident dementia that is independent of genetic, clinical, and behavioral risk factors.}, keywords = {Dementia, longitudinal, Risk Factors, Self-rated health}, isbn = {0022-3956}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.036}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {10999, title = {Subjective age and informant-rated cognition and function: A prospective study.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {338-343}, abstract = {

The present study examined whether subjective age is related to informant-rated cognition. Participants were adults ( = 2,337, mean age = 69.84 years, = 7.45) from the Health and Retirement Study who provided subjective age and demographic factors in 2008/2010 and informant-rated cognition in 2016 as part of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol. An older subjective age was associated with informant reports of steeper cognitive decline, worse cognitive function, lower ability, and loss of ability to do everyday activities. The present study indicates that subjective age predicts cognitive function in everyday life as observed by knowledgeable informants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Cognition, HCAP, Subjective age}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000566}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2021110616, title = {Subjective age and multiple cognitive domains in two longitudinal samples}, journal = {Journal of Psychosomatic Research}, volume = {150}, year = {2021}, pages = {110616}, abstract = {Objective Subjective age is consistently related to memory performance and global cognitive function among older adults. The present study examines whether subjective age is prospectively related to specific domains of cognitive function. Method Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2549, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 69.66, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 7.36) and the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS, N{\^A} ={\^A} 2499, Mean Age{\^A} ={\^A} 46.24, SD{\^A} ={\^A} 11.25). In both samples, subjective age, depressive symptoms, chronic conditions, and demographic factors were assessed at baseline. Four domains of cognition were assessed 8{\^A} years later in the HRS and almost 20{\^A} years later in the MIDUS: episodic memory, speed-attention-executive, verbal fluency, and numeric reasoning. HRS also assessed visuospatial ability. Results Regression analysis revealed that an older subjective age was related to worse performance in the domains of episodic memory and speed-attention-executive in both samples. The effect size for the difference between a younger and an older subjective age was d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.14 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.24 (HRS) for episodic memory and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25 (MIDUS) and d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.33 (HRS) for speed-attention-executive. Feeling older was related to lower verbal fluency in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.30) but not in MIDUS, whereas no association was found with numeric reasoning in either sample. An older subjective age was related to lower visuospatial ability in HRS (d{\^A} ={\^A} 0.25). Conclusion Subjective age is prospectively related to performance in different cognitive domains. The associations between subjective age and both episodic memory and speed-attention-executive functions were replicable and robust over up to 20{\^A} years of follow-up.}, keywords = {Adulthood, Cognition, Executive function, Memory, numeric reasoning, Subjective age, verbal fluency, Visuospatial ability}, issn = {0022-3999}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110616}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {STEPHAN2021104527, title = {Subjective Age and Verbal Fluency among Middle Aged and Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Five Cohorts}, journal = {Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics}, volume = {97}, year = {2021}, pages = {104527}, abstract = {Objectives This study aimed to examine the relation between subjective age and verbal fluency in five large samples of older adults to advance knowledge on the role of subjective age in a complex cognitive function that is an intermediate marker of cognitive impairment and dementia risk. Methods Participants (N > 27,000), aged 32 to 99 years old, predominantly white, were from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate (WLSG) and Siblings (WLSS) samples, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). They provided complete data on subjective age, demographic factors and verbal fluency. Estimates from each sample were combined in a meta-analysis. Results Across each of the five samples and in the meta-analysis, an older subjective age was related to lower performance on the verbal fluency task. This association was independent of chronological age and was not moderated by age, sex, nor education. The difference in fluency between individuals with an older and younger subjective age ranged from d= .09 to d= .37 across the five samples. Conclusions This study found replicable evidence for an association between an older subjective age and lower verbal fluency, extending knowledge about an intermediate marker of cognitive function.}, keywords = {Adulthood, ELSA, Sister studies, Subjective age, verbal fluency}, issn = {0167-4943}, doi = {10.1016/j.archger.2021.104527}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Antonio Terracciano} } @article {9296, title = {Self-reported personality traits are prospectively associated with proxy-reported behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia at the end of life.}, journal = {International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {33}, year = {2018}, pages = {489-494}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are among the most challenging aspects of Alzheimer disease for patients and their families. Previous studies have found associations between informant-reported retrospective personality and BPSD; we test whether prospective, self-reported personality predicts who will experience these symptoms.

METHODS: Deceased participants from the Health and Retirement Study who had evidence of cognitive impairment at the end of life (N~=~1988) were selected to examine whether self-reported five-factor model personality traits, measured up to 8~years before death, were associated with proxy-reported BPSD.

RESULTS: Neuroticism was associated with increased risk of the 7 BPSD: got lost in familiar places, wandered off, were not able to be left alone, experienced hallucinations, suffered from depression, had periodic confusion, and an uncontrolled temper. These associations were not moderated by age, gender, race, or education. Conscientiousness was associated with fewer symptoms overall and especially with lower risk of getting lost in familiar places and not being able to be left alone.

CONCLUSIONS: The present research indicates that self-reported personality, particularly Neuroticism, is associated prospectively with risk for a wide range of behavioral symptoms for individuals who had cognitive impairment at the end of life. The use of self-reported personality traits can help aid in identifying who is most at risk for behavioral symptoms. Such information may be useful for nonpharmacological interventions tailored to the individual{\textquoteright}s personality to reduce the prevalence and burden of these BPSD.

}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Dementia, Personality, Self-reported health}, issn = {1099-1166}, doi = {10.1002/gps.4782}, author = {Angelina R Sutin and Yannick Stephan and Martina Luchetti and Antonio Terracciano} }