Public Health

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Poverty and homelessness are linked to premature cognitive impairment and aging.
• Biological deterioration may lead to early onset dementia in vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between psychosocial stress and accelerated aging in homeless individuals.
• To evaluate cognitive health, health literacy, and biological health in homeless and non-homeless adults.

Main Methods:

• Employed validated assessment tools and biomedical analyses for cognitive function (MoCA, HVLT, C-TMT), cognitive load (eye tracking), grip strength, and telomere length.
• Compared 60 homeless adults with 45 non-homeless adults on cognitive and physical health metrics.

Main Results:

• Homeless individuals scored significantly lower on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) and Comprehensive Trail Making Test (C-TMT).
• The homeless group demonstrated higher cognitive load during health literacy tests and weaker grip strength, correlating with cognitive decline.
• Mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were substantially lower in the homeless group (20.1) compared to the non-homeless group (26.4).

Conclusions:

• Psychosocial stress in homeless individuals is associated with accelerated aging and premature cognitive decline.
• Findings suggest chronic stress impacts cognitive function and contributes to frailty.
• This pilot study highlights the need for interventions addressing stress and aging in the homeless population.