Cognition in Successful Aging: Systematic Review and Future Directions

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cognitive Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Successful aging (SA) definitions increasingly incorporate cognitive function.
• Understanding the role of cognition in SA is crucial for healthy aging research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and characterize how cognition is included in definitions of successful aging.
• To identify trends and gaps in the empirical literature on cognition and SA.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of empirical studies.
• Searched ISI Web of Knowledge for relevant peer-reviewed publications.

Main Results:

• 74 studies were included; 87.8% analyzed cognition within multicomponent SA models.
• 9 studies (12.2%) focused exclusively on successful cognitive aging (SCA).
• Emerging techniques and research in pathological populations were identified.

Conclusions:

• Cognition is integrated into SA definitions with varying complexity.
• Research on SA in pathological and at-risk groups is emerging but underutilized.
• Current findings offer options for evaluating successful aging and suggest its possibility in diverse populations.