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Bidirectional relation between affective symptoms and cognitive function from middle to late adulthood: a
Amber John1, Jennifer Rusted2, Marcus Richards3
1EDGE Lab, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
Aging & Mental Health
|May 5, 2020
Summary
Affective symptoms negatively impact cognitive functions like verbal memory and processing speed over time. However, cognitive decline does not appear to worsen affective symptoms in later adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Affective symptoms and cognitive function are linked, but the directionality is unclear.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for interventions in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bidirectional relationship between affective symptoms and cognitive function.
- To examine how affective symptoms influence verbal memory and processing speed from middle to late adulthood.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), a prospective birth cohort.
- Employed latent scores and cross-lagged models to analyze affective symptoms, verbal memory, and processing speed at ages 53, 60-64, and 69.
Main Results:
- Affective symptoms were inversely associated with verbal memory and processing speed at age 53.
- Affective symptoms at age 53 predicted lower verbal memory at age 60-64.
- Affective symptoms at age 60-64 predicted lower verbal memory and processing speed at age 69.
Conclusions:
- Affective symptoms predict declines in verbal memory and processing speed over a 16-year period.
- Cognitive function did not predict subsequent affective symptoms in this cohort.
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