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Discrepancies between cognition and decision making in older adults
S Duke Han1,2,3,4, Patricia A Boyle5,6, Bryan D James6,7,8
1Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. duke_han@rush.edu.
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
|May 22, 2015
Summary
In older adults, nearly a quarter showed differences between decision-making (DM) and cognition (COG) abilities. Older age and non-white race were linked to poorer DM than COG, while being male was linked to better DM than COG.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuropsychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Clinical and legal interest in cognitive and decision-making discrepancies in aging is growing.
- Older adults face decisions with significant consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency and correlates of discrepancies between decision-making ability and cognition in non-demented older adults.
- To examine factors associated with decision-making ability (DM) being lower or higher than global cognition (COG).
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 689 non-demented older adults in the Rush Memory and Aging Project.
- Assessed decision-making ability (DM) and global cognition (COG) using neuropsychological tests.
- Employed logistic regression to identify correlates of DM-COG discrepancies.
Main Results:
- 23.9% of participants exhibited a significant discrepancy between DM and COG.
- 12.9% had DM < COG; 11.0% had DM > COG.
- Older age, non-white race, greater temporal discounting, and risk aversion were associated with DM < COG. Male sex was associated with DM > COG. Only demographic factors remained significant after full adjustment.
Conclusions:
- Decision-making ability and cognition should be considered potentially separate constructs.
- Demographic factors significantly influence the relationship between decision-making and cognition in older adults.
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