BACKGROUND:Social relationship factors have been linked with cardiovascular health in older adulthood, and epidemiological studies indicate that the association may vary for different constructs of social relationships. This study aims to investigate associations between three social relationship measurements including loneliness, social isolation, and social support and psychophysiological stress response among older adults, with a focus on gender differences. METHODS:Ninety older adults (34 males, mean age ± SD = 66.31 ± 5.43) completed measures of social relationships and two stress-inducing tasks including mirror tracing and Stroop-color naming. Heart rate (HR) was monitored throughout the laboratory session. RESULTS:For male participants, social support was significantly associated with a lower stress HR response (β = -0.181, t = -2.44, p = .022), and this association remained significant (β = -0.174, t = -2.33, p = .029) even after all the other covariates including loneliness and social isolation were taken into account. For female participants, no significant association was found between the three social relationship constructs and stress HR response. No significant result was found for psychological stress response for either male or female participants. CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest gender differences in the association between specific social relationship constructs and physiological stress response in older adults.
BACKGROUND:A variety of factors influence a person's language abilities. We investigated possible relationships between age, musicianship, and spoken word recognition. METHODS:Participants heard words and nonwords in the presence of background noise and made lexical decision responses. Participants were categorized as either a musician or a nonmusician. RESULTS:Results indicate that both younger and older adult musicians had more efficient responses than nonmusicians. Participants were more efficient at responding to easy than hard words. Interestingly, older adults had significantly more accurate responses than younger adults. CONCLUSIONS:The results further our understanding of the connections between age, musicianship, and spoken word recognition.
BACKGROUND:Cognitive performance in later life is shaped by both central processing declines and sensorimotor limitations. This study examined the impact of simulated sensory and motor constraints on Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) performance and compared younger adults under such constraints with older adults. METHODS:84 young adults (19-37 years) were assigned to one of four conditions: no constraints, visual impairment glasses, motor constraints (gloves), or both. 20 older adults (60-75 years) completed the task without restrictions. Participants practiced the DSST over six weeks and completed recognition and reconstruction tasks assessing symbol-digit memory. RESULTS:Older adults consistently performed worse than all younger groups across pre- and posttest, practice and memory tasks, confirming age-related declines in processing speed and memory. Younger adults largely compensated for simulated constraints, with no significant overall performance difference between constrained and unconstrained groups. However, the constraints affected practice-related improvement: constrained younger adults showed a flatter linear increase and a stronger leveling off of performance gains across sessions than unconstrained younger adults. Recognition and reconstruction were unaffected by restrictions among younger adults. CONCLUSIONS:Overall, in DSST-like tasks, age influenced overall performance and memory more than temporary peripheral limitations. Younger adults' cognitive-motor resources could offset moderate constraints, although these altered learning trajectories.
BACKGROUND:Aging is associated with progressive alterations in synaptic plasticity, NMDA receptor function, and neurotransmitter signaling that render the aging brain disproportionately vulnerable to anesthetic-associated cognitive disturbances. Propofol has been associated with hippocampus-dependent memory impairment in aged experimental models, yet pharmacological strategies to mitigate this vulnerability remain insufficiently explored. METHODS:Twenty-eight aged BALB/C mice were randomly assigned to four groups: control, propofol (75 mg/kg), amantadine (20 mg/kg), and propofol+amantadine (n = 7 each). Anesthetic induction and recovery were assessed using loss and return of the righting reflex. Locomotor activity and nociceptive responses were evaluated using the open-field and hot plate tests. Spatial memory was assessed using the Morris water maze at three time points following drug administration. RESULTS:Time to loss of righting reflex did not differ between propofol-treated groups, whereas recovery from anesthesia occurred significantly earlier in animals receiving amantadine with propofol. Locomotor activity was comparable among groups. Propofol exposure was associated with significantly impaired spatial memory, while animals receiving amantadine with propofol demonstrated markedly better performance across all assessment time points. CONCLUSIONS:Amantadine may mitigate anesthetic-associated spatial memory impairment and facilitate anesthetic recovery in the aging brain, supporting further investigation of neuromodulatory strategies targeting cognitive vulnerability in aged populations.
OBJECTIVES:This study examined longitudinal changes in episodic memory performance in SuperAgers (SAs) and typical older adults (TOAs), focusing on whether SAs avoid age-related decline or show a slower rate of decline. METHODS:Data were drawn from the Yakumo Study. Participants who completed episodic memory assessments on at least two occasions between ages 60 and 85 were classified as SAs or TOAs based on Logical Memory Test performance. Age-related changes were analyzed using regression models including age, group, and their interaction. RESULTS:SAs performed significantly better than TOAs across the observed age range. A significant Age × Group interaction was found, indicating different rates of decline between groups (F(1, 678) = 7.26, p = .007). Although memory performance declined significantly in both groups, the decline was less pronounced in SAs (β = -0.164) than in TOAs (β = -0.316). Analyses of standardized scores further showed that SAs maintained their relative cognitive standing more effectively than TOAs. CONCLUSIONS:SAs are not immune to age-related decline but exhibit a significantly attenuated rate of decline. These findings suggest that super-aging reflects both superior baseline memory performance and greater preservation over time, consistent with Brain Maintenance and Cognitive Reserve frameworks.
BACKGROUND:Negative aging stereotypes are pervasive and have adverse effects on the well-being of older adults. We studied the consequences of negative stereotypes about the mental health of older adults on their moods, risk tolerance, and patience. METHODS:In a randomized controlled experiment, participants (mean age = 68.9) were exposed to negative (stereotype threat), accurate (inoculation), and control information regarding the mental health of older adults. Participants' moods were tracked throughout the experiment, and their risk tolerance and patience were measured using incentive-compatible procedures after exposure. RESULTS:When exposed to inoculation information, participants experienced positive changes in their moods and avoided the negative mood changes that were experienced by participants in the control and stereotype threat groups. We find no changes in the average levels of risk tolerance or patience due to either treatment condition. CONCLUSIONS:Positive and accurate information regarding aging and mental health stabilizes mood, risk tolerance, and patience, indicating that inoculation campaigns on aging may be beneficial to public health.
BACKGROUND:This study examined age-related differences in repetition-related adaptation and attentional modulation of cortical auditory evoked potentials elicited by meaningful speech stimuli. METHODS:Younger (18-35 years) and older (50-70 years) adults with clinically normal hearing were tested under active and passive listening conditions. N1 peak amplitudes were analyzed across early (first 30) and late (last 30) stimulus trials. RESULTS:Repetition-related reductions in N1 amplitude were observed in both groups, indicating preserved adaptation. However, younger adults showed significant attentional enhancement of N1 amplitude, whereas older adults did not. CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest that aging selectively reduces top-down attentional modulation while preserving repetition-related sensory adaptation.
PURPOSE:To what extent do individual cognitive biases in anticipating position stability reflect and reproduce structural socioeconomic inequalities? MATERIAL AND METHOD:The Korean Longitudinal Survey on Aging 2006-2020 allows estimating the probability of keeping one's position six years ahead at each wave. Respondents are also asked to anticipate their probability of remaining in position five years ahead. The gap between these two underlying log-hazard rates quantifies agents' error regarding their professional future. RESULTS:With age, both anticipated hazards and underestimation increase. Underestimation increases over anticipation time. Unpaid family workers are influenced by family environment and residence; self-employed workers by housing, siblings and the suitability of their education for the position held; daily wage earners by children, consumption, savings and sector of activity; temporary wage earners by variables linked to extended family; regular wage earners by personal success variables. CONCLUSIONS:A recommendation is to provide tables for position retention by covariate built from a representative longitudinal survey, such as the one used.
Population aging poses mental health challenges, particularly regarding depression. This study explores the relationship between transdiagnostic variables (self-esteem, intolerance of uncertainty), self-defining memory characteristics, and depressive symptoms in 225 young (M = 22.8) and 225 older adults (M = 68.4). Older adults reported higher depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and intolerance of uncertainty, as well as more specific, positive, and identity-relevant memories. Young adults' memories showed more guilt/shame and anger. In older adults, lower self-esteem, higher intolerance of anxiety, more memory detail, and external guilt/shame predicted greater depressive symptoms. These results highlight the role of memory and emotional processing in understanding depression in later life.
OBJECTIVES:The concept of healthy aging and its impact on spatial navigation and memory ability is well-established in the literature. However, the neural basis of these age-related changes is not well understood. There is limited research that examines the impact of healthy aging on the neural mechanisms underlying spatial memory retrieval for memories encoded recently (24 hours ago) compared to those encoded remotely (1 month ago). METHODS:This study explores the neural basis of recent and remote spatial memory during navigation in older (n = 16) compared to younger adults (n = 30) using electroencephalography (EEG) and a virtual Morris water task. RESULTS:Our results suggest that though recent and remote memories were poorer in older compared to younger adults, older adults' remote memories were preserved. We showed reduced high-frequency oscillations in older adults for recent and remote conditions compared to younger adults. Specifically, older adults showed decreased activation at 15-30 Hz (beta) as well as failure to increase activation at 30-40 Hz (gamma) compared to younger adults. While remote memory evoked increases in delta and theta (2-7 Hz) frequencies compared to recent memories in both age groups, older adults showed significantly less increase. DISCUSSION:The results are discussed in terms of age-related compensation for spatial navigation skills in healthy aging.
BACKGROUND:Motor learning in older adults may be influenced by both practice structure and individual personality traits. Contextual interference (CI) theory and personality-based arousal regulation accounts suggest that introversion and extraversion could moderate the effects of blocked versus random practice. OBJECTIVE:To examine whether personality traits (introversion vs. extraversion) moderate the impact of practice structure (blocked vs. random) on motor learning in older women. METHODS:Forty-eight women (mean age = 68 years) were classified as introverted or extroverted. Participants completed golf putting tasks under either blocked or random practice schedules. Performance was assessed across four phases: pretest, acquisition, transfer, and retention. RESULTS:Extroverted women practicing under random schedules demonstrated superior performance in delayed transfer compared to other groups. Conclusions: Findings diverge from evidence in younger adults, suggesting that aging may alter the interaction between personality and CI. Results highlight the importance of lifespan-sensitive approaches to individualized motor learning interventions.
BACKGROUND:The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of anxiolytics, antidepressants, and hypnotics on working memory in individuals who use these drugs to alleviate minor symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, respectively, but who are not affected by any major disease. METHODS:In a sample of 1656 participants between the ages of 21 and 80 years, 87 had exclusively taken anxiolytics, 88 had taken only antidepressants, and 36 had taken only hypnotics but had not taken them for at least six months. These groups were compared with individuals who had never taken any of these medications and were matched by sex, age, and years of education. Working memory was examined in the spatial and verbal domains at two levels of difficulty. RESULTS:Spatial working memory performance was observed to be lower in anxiolytic and antidepressant users compared with nonusers. In addition, we observed that longer and more frequent uses of anxiolytics, antidepressants, and hypnotics resulted in worsened spatial working memory. CONCLUSIONS:The effects of these drugs on spatial working memory occur across all ages in the adult lifespan. Spatial working memory is crucial for performing numerous everyday activities and preserving autonomy.
BACKGROUND:Older adults often show memory deficits, but these deficits can be reduced when newly learned information is consistent with one's schemas (prior knowledge). For example, research has found similar memory performance for young and older adults when remembering realistic market-value grocery items and prices; however, age-related differences are more prominent for overpriced items, which are inconsistent with schemas. In the present work, we examined how labelling items as free may impact memory for prices, and if curiosity may influence how younger and older adults remember price information. Experiment 1 investigated young and older adults' memory for free, market-priced, and overpriced items. In Experiment 2, participants' curiosity for learning the items and their prices was investigated to see if curiosity can be predictive of performance accuracy for information that is consistent and inconsistent with their schemas. METHODS:In Experiment 1, participants were shown grocery store items and were tested on the exact prices of these items and the categories they belong to. In Experiment 2, participants were first shown items and asked how curious they were to learn the price of the item. Participants were then shown the grocery item's price and category label, and were later tested on the associations of these items. RESULTS:Across both experiments, older adults were more accurate in recalling market-priced and free items compared to overpriced items. In contrast, younger adults did not show significant differences across price conditions. In Experiment 2, state curiosity significantly predicted accuracy in recalling exact prices, with this relationship being particularly strong among older adults. CONCLUSION:Findings suggest that older adults benefit more from schematic support when remembering price information and that state curiosity enhances memory accuracy, especially for older adults. Schematic support and state curiosity may help mitigate age-related memory deficits.
BACKGROUND:Young and older adults are often victimized by various forms of scams and fraud. However, little research has been conducted on how a scam prevention intervention may impact young and older adults' accuracy and confidence in determining the legitimacy of emails. The present study investigated young and older adults' accuracy and confidence, as well as potential contributing factors to scam susceptibility, before and after engaging with one of three intervention activities: control (no intervention), read-only (read common scam qualities), or interactive (interactively learned scam qualities in emails). METHOD:Young and older adult participants were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions. Before and after the intervention, participants evaluated a series of legitimate and scam emails, indicating whether each email was legitimate or a scam. Participants also rated their confidence in their accuracy, the personal relevance of each email, and their curiosity about engaging further with the email. RESULTS:Both age groups showed no difference in sensitivity when determining the legitimacy of the emails before and after the interventions. Importantly, both age groups in the read-only and interactive conditions showed a bias toward labeling emails as scams, indicating a generally cautious approach. CONCLUSIONS:Although the interventions did not improve detection sensitivity, participants were more cautious when evaluating emails. This tendency may help reduce vulnerability to scams and fraud and suggests that interventions can encourage greater caution when evaluating suspicious emails across age groups.
BACKGROUND:Understanding age differences in exercise preferences is important for targeting messages to groups across the life span. This study examined how younger and older adults differed in their affective and evaluative responses to statements about different group-based exercise programs. METHOD:Younger (n = 129) and older adults (n = 125) responded to statements about exercise programs (i.e. feelings about the programs, effectiveness of the statements, and likelihood to join the programs). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:Older adults gave lower ratings to individuating versus communal programs, whereas younger adult ratings did not differ by program. As such, communally focused programs seem to be the most effective for encouraging a wide audience of age groups to participate in exercise programs.
BACKGROUND:Recent studies highlight that cognitive processes involved in learning share neural pathways with those controlling fine motor skills. Building on this insight, the mini-EDUball method was developed to integrate cognitive and motor activities directly at the classroom desk. While this approach has been applied successfully with children, its potential for older adults remains underexplored. METHODS:This preregistered study addresses this gap by examining the impact of mini-EDUballs on English vocabulary acquisition and fine psychomotor skills in seniors. Seventy-three participants aged 60+ were assigned to four groups with varying uses of mini-EDUballs and motor exercises during a 12-week English course. Vocabulary and fine motor skills were assessed before and after the intervention. RESULTS:All groups improved in vocabulary; however, gains under mini-EDUball - based instruction were not larger than those observed in the comparison groups. The findings further suggest that, when mini-EDUball is used with older adults, it may be preferable to implement simple games that engage fine motor skills alongside mental activity unrelated to the target material, rather than activities tightly coupled to the learning content. Notably, many participants reported skepticism about the ball-based methods. Additionally, fine psychomotor performance did not change significantly over time, and this lack of change was consistent across all groups. CONCLUSIONS:Overall, the study indicates that embodied, motor-enriched language instruction is feasible in older adults and may support vocabulary learning, although learner perceptions warrant careful consideration, and benefits for hand dexterity should not be inferred.
OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to examine the association between sleep duration and cognition in older adults, explore the mediating role of depression and the moderating effects of self-perceived help and self-rated health on the relationship. SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Using a nationally representative data set, China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. A total of 6832 adults aged 60 and older were selected from it. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and SPSS PROCESS Macro (Model 4, Model 59, and Model 76). RESULTS:Results showed that depression mediates the relationship between sleep duration and cognition. The indirect effect of the mediation model were moderated by self-perceived help and self-rated health, and just significantly moderated the first half of the model. The simultaneous moderation of self-perceived help and self-rated health were more significant effect of sleep duration on depression. CONCLUSIONS:Depression, self-perceived help and self-rated health may play a role in sleep and cognition. Policy interventions such as getting more help should be effective to reduce depression and improve cognition.
With the global aging trend accelerating, enhancing the user experience of older adults in smart home systems has become crucial for improving their quality of life. Existing designs often fail to adequately address the psychological and emotional needs of elderly users. This study, grounded in the theory of positive user experience, employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the needs and experiences of older adults with smart home systems. An innovative optimization framework is proposed to enhance the quality of life, social participation, and mental well-being of elderly users. The study consists of four stages: pre-experiment preparation, a smart home simulation experience, interviews, and data analysis. Participants completed nine tasks in a simulated environment, while the system recorded data on task completion time, success rates, and emotional responses. Post-simulation interviews provided additional insights. Results reveal that value recognition, emotional feedback, and community integration significantly influence elderly users' acceptance and long-term use intention. This study is the first to apply positive user experience theory in smart home design, offering valuable theoretical guidance for future product development and fostering the integration of technology with emotional care.
BACKGROUND:Empirical evidence identifies two qualitatively distinct forms of misinformation, differentiated by their relation to initial event details. Contradictory misinformation refers to suggested details that directly contrast specific details that were presented within the witnessed event. Additive misinformation refers to suggested details that supplement a witnessed event. The current study evaluated whether misinformation is reduced following a strong warning to detect misinformation compared to no warning and whether misinformation reductions depend upon misinformation type. Further, age-related detection effects were evaluated by comparing older and younger adults. METHOD:Older and younger adults viewed videos depicting everyday household scenes and were randomly assigned to receive either a detection warning or no warning. Following video exposure, participants completed memory tests assessing their recall and recognition of details from the original events. RESULTS:Older adults were more suggestible on a source-recognition test. Importantly, when older adults were given a warning to detect misinformation, they were able to reduce misinformation to the same low level as younger adults without instruction. Younger adults with detection instructions improved in correct recall for objects touched in the original event compared to younger adults without instructions as well as older adults with and without instructions. CONCLUSION:Misinformation detection instructions are effective at reducing misinformation for additive and contradictory types, and particularly so for older adults.
BACKGROUND:Part-list cuing impairment is the counterintuitive finding that presenting a subset of previously studied items as a retrieval cue can impair memory for the remaining items. This study examined the temporal persistence of part-list cuing impairment in younger and older adults. METHODS:Younger and older adults studied item lists under two encoding conditions: a single study trial versus two study-test cycles, the latter assumed to induce more associative encoding than the former. Participants then completed a critical test with part-list cues to assess the initial effect, followed by a final uncued test to assess the persistence of part-list cuing impairment. RESULTS:Part-list cuing impairment was lasting when items were encoded through a single study trial, but transient when items were encoded through two study-test cycles. This encoding-dependent dissociation was observed equally in younger and older adults. CONCLUSIONS:The present findings provide evidence for two distinct, age-invariant mechanisms underlying part-list cuing impairment in younger and older adults: lasting retrieval inhibition in low associative encoding conditions, and transient strategy disruption in higher associative encoding conditions.
