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Updated: Aug 27, 2026

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
Chronic stress, social support, and domain-specific cognitive decline in HABS-HD
Jillian K Lee1, Leigh Johnson2, James R Hall2
1Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Introduction:
Few studies have examined the longitudinal associations between chronic stress, social support, and cognitive decline or whether sociodemographic factors modify associations.
Methods:
We included 3873 older adults enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD). Longitudinal mixed-effects models were used to examine associations of baseline chronic stress and social support with changes in domain-specific cognitive z-scores (attention, memory, executive functioning, language). Interactions between baseline chronic stress or social support and gender or race/ethnicity in relation to cognitive decline were also assessed.
Results:
Higher baseline chronic stress was associated with greater decline in attention and language for women compared to men and greater decline in memory for Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Higher baseline social support was associated with less decline in attention; results did not differ by gender or race/ethnicity.
Discussion:
Sociodemographic factors warrant consideration when examining associations of chronic stress or social support with cognitive decline.
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