OBJECTIVE:Extensive research has established relationships between depression and inflammation, yet greater attention is needed to elucidate mechanisms through which these processes unfold across multiple levels of analysis and time scales. This cohort panel study evaluated the role of daily affect dynamics in bidirectional and longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and inflammation. METHODS:Using data from the second and third waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, the sample included 563 adults (M age =52.4; 57% female; 84% White). During the Biomarker Project, depressive symptoms were assessed at a single time point using the CESD-20, and the inflammatory markers were collected, including CRP and 4 cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, IL-10). During the Daily Diary Project, daily affect and stress were measured over 8 consecutive days. Two affect dynamics indicators were specified: affective variability and reactivity to daily stressors. Multilevel structural equation models simultaneously tested autoregressive and cross-lagged associations between depressive symptoms and inflammation at the person-level, and day-level mediated paths involving daily affect dynamics. RESULTS:Results revealed that affective variability and reactivity mediated the autoregressive paths of depressive symptoms across 2 waves. Positive affective variability mediated the pathway from heightened baseline depressive symptoms to higher CRP levels at follow-up. Negative affective reactivity to daily stressors mediated the pathway from higher baseline CRP to subsequent depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS:Findings suggest daily affective processes as potential mechanisms linking depressive symptoms and inflammation, underscoring the significance of promoting affective stability and adaptive stress responses in everyday life.

Rising rates of childhood obesity are a serious public health concern, and the family environment plays a central role in shaping early health trajectories. Less is known, however, about how early parenting adjustment and coparenting—both of which help lay the foundation for a nurturing environment—relate to children’s metabolic health. We examined the associations between first-time fathers’ and mothers’ parenting stress and parental self-efficacy during infancy and children’s metabolic health in middle childhood, and tested whether coparenting quality in toddlerhood mediated these associations. Participants were 314 families from the [masked], a randomized controlled trial on the transition to parenthood (identifier: [masked]). Parenting stress and parental self-efficacy were assessed at 10 months, coparenting quality at 24 months, and child metabolic outcomes (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], body mass index [BMI], and waist circumference) at 7 years. Greater maternal stress and lower efficacy were associated with lower mother-reported coparenting, which in turn predicted greater child HbA1c and BMI. Although paternal stress and efficacy were associated with father-reported coparenting, no significant pathways to child outcomes emerged for fathers. Findings highlight that maternal perceptions of parenting and coparenting relate to children’s metabolic health and point to the need for continued research on fathers’ roles. Programs and interventions supporting parenting adjustment among first-time parents, especially those that strengthen coparenting, may promote healthier long-term outcomes for children. First-time fathers’ and mothers’ parenting stress and parental self-efficacy in infancy were associated with coparenting quality in toddlerhood. Mother-reported coparenting quality in toddlerhood was associated with child HbA1c (glycated blood glucose) and body mass index (BMI) in middle childhood. Mother-reported coparenting quality in toddlerhood mediated associations between early parenting stress, parental self-efficacy, and child metabolic health in middle childhood.

OBJECTIVES:This paper examined how momentary negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) are linked to ambulatory cognitive performance and whether these associations vary by age. Although prior research has identified between-person associations linking affect and cognitive performance, few ecological momentary assessment studies have investigated within-person relationships across adulthood. METHODS:Data were drawn from the Effects of Stress on Cognitive Aging, Physiology, and Emotion (ESCAPE) study. Participants were 260 racially and economically diverse adults aged 25-65 (Mage = 46.5) who completed five daily assessments over 14 days. At each assessment, participants reported their current affect and completed brief, standardized cognitive tasks via smartphone. Multilevel models examined within-person associations between NA, PA and ambulatory cognitive performance (processing speed, working memory, spatial memory) and tested age as a moderator. RESULTS:Across all ages, moments of heightened NA (compared to individuals' averages) were related to worse working memory (γNA = -0.0004, SE = 0.0002, p = .02). Moments of heightened NA were related to decreases in processing speed (γNA = -0.0001, SE = 0.0000, p = .02) but only among adults around the sample mean age (46 years) and older. In contrast, moments of heightened PA were associated with decreases in working memory (γPA = -0.0003, SE = 0.0002, p = .04) only among adults under the sample mean age. No significant associations were observed between momentary affect and spatial memory. CONCLUSION:These results indicate that within-person associations between affect and cognition in daily life vary as a function of age-related contextual and behavioral factors. These findings suggest potential clinical implications for cognition, particularly during periods of elevated NA in later midlife.

IntroductionExposure to discrimination is associated with greater use of anger suppression (anger-in) and outward expression (anger-out), both of which are reflexive anger expression styles that are linked with relationship difficulties and poorer health. Social cognitive processes, such as heightened vigilance for social threats and rumination, may link discrimination to mental health, but little is known about the role of social cognition in the associations of discrimination to anger expression.MethodA racially diverse community sample (nanalytic = 155, 67% women, 39% Black, 39% Latino/a, Mage = 39) self-reported racial discrimination (including two racial discrimination subtypes – stigmatization and physical threat), social vigilance, discrimination-based rumination, and discrimination-related anger expression at one time point.ResultsTotal (overall) discrimination was positively associated with reflexive but not reflective (anger-control) anger-expression. Tests of statistical mediation revealed significant indirect effects of rumination, but not social vigilance in the association of each type of discrimination to anger-out. Rumination also had a significant indirect effect in the relations of stigmatization to anger-in. In contrast, social vigilance demonstrated significant indirect associations between physical threat and anger-in.DiscussionAlthough the present work was cross-sectional and thus preliminary, findings suggest that racial discrimination is associated with anger expression styles via social cognitive factors. The pathways vary depending on the type of discrimination and the type of anger expression. Future work should include longitudinal studies to test mediation pathways. Examining social cognitive mediators of different types of discriminatory experiences to anger expression may guide the development of interventions to reduce the social costs of discrimination.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) oxylipins are potent inflammatory mediators. HDL dyshomeostasis and inflammation increase mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia risk, which vary by gender and race/ethnicity. It is unknown whether and how HDL oxylipin profiles differ between non-MCI and MCI individuals, or if potential differences are gender- and/or race/ethnicity dependent. In this targeted lipidomics study, we profiled plasma HDL oxylipins in older (70+) adults (N = 222) with or without MCI to determine how HDL oxylipin composition relates to cognitive impairment status. HDL oxylipin concentrations were analyzed by cognitive status, gender, and race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white). We found a gender- and race/ethnicity-specific association between MCI and lower HDL oxylipin content, which was independent of overall HDL-c concentrations. The HDL of MCI men contained lower amounts of anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory omega (ω)3 EPA C20:5ω3-derived hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acids (HEPEs) and DHA C22:6ω3-derived hydroxydocosahexaenoic acids than that of non-MCI men. Similarly, Hispanic participants with MCI had lower HDL concentrations of EPA C20:5ω3-derived HEPEs and DHA C22:6ω3-derived hydroxydocosahexaenoic acids than non-MCI Hispanic participants. Higher HDL concentrations of EPA C20:5ω3-derived HEPEs appeared protective against MCI in both men and Hispanic individuals. Further, higher oxylipin concentrations within HDL correlated with better cognition in non-Hispanic white women. This work identifying altered HDL oxylipin composition in MCI highlights a novel dysregulated lipid signaling pathway in cognitive decline. Reduced anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory ω3 oxylipins within HDL in MCI men and Hispanic individuals provide molecular evidence linking together HDL functionality, inflammation, and dementia risk.

Prospective memory (PM; i.e., memory for future actions or events) lapses, such as forgetting to attend an appointment or take medication on time, may be one of the earliest indicators of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD). Yet, limited work has examined links between PM and biomarkers of ADRD such as neurodegenerative biomarkers. Determining such associations may be crucial in early identification of MCI and ADRD risk. The present work addressed this gap by examining self-reported PM lapses and blood-based levels of β-amyloid and tau biomarkers among older adults. Older adults ( N = 275, Mage=77.02, 68% female, non-Hispanic White) enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study completed a two-week protocol, that included blood draws for biomarker assays of β-amyloid (Aβ40, Aβ42, Aβ42:Aβ40) and phosphorylated tau (pTau181). Participants reported PM lapses at the end of each day of the two-week period via study-provided smartphones. Independent regression analyses examined links between neurodegenerative biomarkers and PM lapses (daily reports averaged across the two weeks) within the full sample and stratified by gender. Covariates included age and educational attainment. Higher levels of pTau181 were associated with reporting more PM lapses on average across the two weeks ( b = 0.01, p = .005). When examined within gender, this effect appeared to be driven by women: higher levels of pTau181 were associated with reporting more PM lapses among women ( n = 186, b = 0.02, p < .001) but not men ( n = 89, b = 0.00, p = .678). No significant relationships emerged with β-amyloid ( p s>.123). The present findings indicate that in older adults, PM lapses are related to elevated levels of pTau181 in women by not men. This finding is noteworthy, as markers of pTau181 are detectable in blood in preclinical Alzheimer's disease and increases correlate with risk of disease progression. As such, women experiencing more frequent PM forgetting and elevated levels of pTau181 may be at risk for future pathology. However, longitudinal research is needed to determine whether this relationship persists across time and its association with objective cognitive decline. Continued research in this area may inform early risk detection for MCI and ADRD.

Loneliness is a worldwide concern with significant health implications that may be a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In light of the importance of detecting early cognitive changes and risk factors influencing cognitive health, this study examined whether chronic loneliness predicted cognitive changes among young and middle-aged adults. This study utilizes data from a longitudinal measurement burst study spanning over two years, comprising three waves of data collection. A systematically recruited young to mid-life adult sample (25- 65 years) included 172 racially and economically diverse participants who provided information about loneliness for at least two consecutive waves. Chronic loneliness was defined based on the validated multi-item PROMIS Social Isolation scale. We assessed working memory, processing speed, and spatial memory in a measurement burst design using mobile cognitive assessments. Multilevel growth models were conducted to examine whether chronic loneliness was associated with changes in cognitive performance during the study period of up to two years. Results revealed that chronic loneliness was not associated with baseline performance of working memory, processing speed, spatial memory or global cognitive performance, but chronic loneliness was associated with differential cognitive trajectories, specifically a lack of retest related improvement. There were no significant changes in cognitive performance for the chronic loneliness group across waves, whereas significant improvements were observed in those who were not chronically lonely. This study offers insights into the impact of chronic loneliness on cognitive changes in young and middle-aged adults, revealing that chronically lonely individuals did not exhibit the practice-related improvements that are commonly observed in longitudinal studies. Findings suggest the potential significance of identifying and addressing chronic loneliness promptly to prevent potential cognitive consequences of chronic loneliness.

The present study examined the role of first-time fathers' parenting stress during infancy in relation to children's mean blood glucose via glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels during middle childhood while also exploring the mediating role of child sleep problems in this association. A total of 306 fathers self-reported on parenting stress when their children were 10 months old (49% of girls). Fathers also reported on child sleep problems when their children were 24 months old. Peripheral blood samples were collected via dried blood spots from children when they were ∼7 years old to assess HbA1c, a marker of diabetes risk. Our results revealed that greater paternal parenting stress predicted father-reported child sleep problems. Furthermore, child sleep problems were associated with greater HbA1c levels in children. Although the direct association between paternal parenting stress and child HbA1c levels was nonsignificant, a significant indirect effect was observed from paternal parenting stress to child HbA1c levels via father-reported child sleep problems. These results highlight a potential pathway through which paternal parenting stress may impact child metabolic health, highlighting the potential value of interventions in early childhood targeting both paternal well-being and child sleep problems to mitigate the transmission of paternal parenting stress and associated risks on children's health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

The interpersonal consequences of anger coping (i.e., anger-in, anger-out, anger-control) in everyday life are unclear. This ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study tested whether momentary variations in anger coping style were associated with the perceived quality of subsequent interpersonal interactions throughout the day. Lifetime discrimination and race were tested as moderators of these associations. A sample of 518 Black and Latinx participants (age range = 23-65, M = 38.9; 50.4% men, 49.6% women) completed surveys measuring demographics and perceived discrimination, and EMAs of anger coping and perceptions of interpersonal interaction quality every 20 minutes during waking hours. At a between-person level, those who reported more frequent use of either anger-in or anger-out also reported more negative interactions throughout the day. At the within-person level, observations during which people reported using anger-in (vs. anger-out or anger-control) were negatively associated with the quality of the interpersonal interaction on the subsequent observation 20 minutes later. Discrimination moderated the effects of anger coping. For individuals who reported experiencing higher levels discrimination, observations in which they held anger-in (vs. did not) were associated with worse subsequent interpersonal interaction quality. In contrast, for those who reported experiencing lower levels of discrimination, observations in which they expressed anger-outwardly (vs. did not) were associated with worse subsequent interpersonal interaction quality. This study provides evidence of person by context interactions in the interpersonal consequences of anger expression and may inform the development of culturally sensitive interventions to mitigate the effects of discrimination.

INTRODUCTION:Chronological age is a particularly well-known indicator of variability in systemic inflammation. Other pertinent aspects of age (or "age proxies") - subjective or epigenetic age - may offer nuanced information about age and inflammation associations. Using the Midlife in the United States Study, we explored how chronological, subjective, and epigenetic age were associated with inflammation. Further, we tested whether chronological age remained a unique predictor of inflammation after accounting for the variance of subjective and epigenetic age. Using an intersectionality framework, we also tested whether associations differed by race and gender. METHOD:1,307 (85.39% White, 52.99% men) participants reported on their chronological and subjective age and provided blood from which epigenetic DNA and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, IL-8, fibrinogen, TNF-α, and E-selectin) were determined. RESULTS:Linear regressions showed that being chronologically older was related to higher levels of inflammation. Being biologically older (higher epigenetic age or pace of aging) was also related to higher levels of all but IL-8. Subjective age was related to inflammatory biomarkers but only for people who identified their racial identity as White. Gender differences emerged, primarily with biological and chronological age. With all age indicators in one model, chronological age remained a unique indicator of inflammation in the sample, as similar to or a better predictor than biological age. CONCLUSION:The current study provides a better scientific understanding of the relative association of chronological age versus subjective and epigenetic age on inflammation with evidence suggesting that chronological age provides novel information above and beyond other proxies of age.

There is growing interest in examining loneliness using intensive repeated assessment methods in daily life; however, much remains unknown regarding variation in loneliness at the within- and between-person level. Better characterizing dynamic daily experiences of loneliness will help clarify the nature of loneliness experiences that may be indicative of current and future risk for chronic loneliness and provide information to inform future study designs. We characterized daily loneliness among an online sample of 98 adults (23-78 years, 55% women, generally healthy) who completed daily surveys for 14 consecutive days (Nobservations = 1,330). Participants were systematically recruited in 2024 based on loneliness status categories (41 chronically lonely, 27 acutely lonely, and 30 nonlonely) derived from Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measure scores and self-reported duration. We compared the following for each group: (a) average levels of daily loneliness, (b) the proportion of within- versus between-person variance in daily loneliness, and (c) indicators of within- and between-person daily loneliness variability. Analyses revealed that lonely individuals overall (both chronic and acute) reported higher levels of average daily loneliness than nonlonely individuals. Furthermore, despite self-reporting similar levels of traitlike loneliness (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measure) and average daily loneliness as acutely lonely individuals, chronically lonely individuals had a higher proportion of within-person variance and greater within-person variability in daily loneliness. Findings offer a starting point to disentangle how within-person variability of loneliness in daily life may play a role in the development and maintenance of chronic loneliness over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to examine the longitudinal connections between early observed parenting and coparenting relationship quality and children's later cardiometabolic health outcomes. METHOD:Structural equation modeling was used to examine (a) the associations between fathers' and mothers' sensitive engagement with their children and competitive-withdrawn coparenting during infancy (10 months) and toddlerhood (24 months); (b) the extent to which these parenting and coparenting factors predicted four markers of children's cardiometabolic health in middle childhood (∼7 years); and (c) indirect pathways from parenting and coparenting at 10 months to cardiometabolic markers (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6, total cholesterol, and glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]) at 7 years, via parenting and coparenting at 24 months, within a longitudinal, cross-lagged framework. The sample comprised 292 child-father-mother triads from a randomized trial of Family Foundations, a preventive intervention focused on enhancing coparenting interactions between first-time parents. RESULTS:Fathers' sensitive engagement at 10 months was negatively associated with their competitive-withdrawn coparenting at 24 months, which subsequently predicted lower levels of child CRP and HbA1c. Furthermore, fathers' competitive-withdrawn coparenting at 24 months explained the association between their sensitive engagement at 10 months and later child CRP and HbA1c. These associations were not significant in a parallel model for mothers. CONCLUSION:These findings highlight the influence of child-father interactions and coparenting dynamics on long-term child health. Promoting supportive coparenting and positive paternal involvement may represent valuable preventive strategies for reducing child cardiometabolic risk. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Loneliness is linked with risk for cognitive decline and dementia among older adults, but the degree to which it predicts future risk is unclear. To investigate if loneliness acts as a predictor of cognitive decline, this study employed a measurement burst design using data from the Einstein Aging Study, where loneliness and cognition were repeatedly assessed daily, for several days, across several years. In this type of data, a major challenge to detecting subtle cognitive changes is the presence of retest/practice effects. We employed a novel process modeling approach (Bayesian Double Exponential Model; BDEM) to distinguish retest learning effects from genuine longitudinal cognitive changes. Participants (n = 313; English-speaking, community-residing adults aged ≥70) underwent up to six waves of annual assessments. Each wave included a 16-day ambulatory ecological momentary assessment (EMA) burst on mobile phones. Ambulatory assessments consisted of self-report (including a question about feeling lonely now) and cognitive tests, conducted multiple times daily. This study analyzed the spatial working memory task. Cognitive parameters capturing retest learning rate, peak performance (disentangled from retest learning) and long-term changes in peak performance were estimated simultaneously using the BDEM. Regression analyses examined associations between mean and standard deviation (SD) of EMA loneliness at baseline and cognitive markers, controlling for demographics and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) status at baseline. A higher mean and a higher variability (SD) of EMA loneliness at baseline predicted higher baseline asymptotic (peak) performance, suggesting worse peak cognitive performance at baseline. However, neither mean level nor variability of EMA loneliness at baseline predicted changes in peak performance after baseline. Notably, a higher variability of EMA loneliness was also associated with slower learning rates from repeated testing across bursts. This study reveals that the level and variability of loneliness in daily life, measured in near-real time, predict concurrent peak performance and long-term learning rates in working memory among older adults. Results, particularly regarding loneliness variability, suggest that the experience of loneliness has implications for long-term learning rates. Not only the mean level of loneliness, but also variations in loneliness, have separate predictive value for cognitive performance over time.

Perceived discrimination has been linked with neurocognitive disparities between Black and White adults. Yet, cognitive assessments outside of laboratory settings and the relevance of perceived reasons for discrimination require additional attention. The present work addressed associations between discrimination and ambulatory cognitive performance (i.e., spatial working memory, short-term memory binding, processing speed) in ecological settings among older Black and White adults enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study. Consistent with past laboratory-based research, Black adults exhibited worse ambulatory cognitive performance and reported more frequent discrimination compared to White adults. Racially stratified analyses examined characteristics (i.e., number and type) of the perceived reasons for discrimination as moderators in relation to discrimination frequency and cognition. For Black adults who endorsed zero or one reason for discrimination compared to those who endorsed multiple reasons, discrimination frequency was associated with worse spatial working memory. Additionally, among Black participants who did not attribute discrimination to their race compared to those who endorsed racial discrimination, discrimination frequency related to worse spatial working memory. For White adults, cognitive performance was largely unrelated to discrimination frequency and characteristics. Findings highlight the value of examining discrimination and cognition in daily life, and the importance of assessing characteristics of discriminatory experiences within racial groups.

Inflammation is a risk factor for cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While past research in laboratory settings suggests that inflammation relates to cognitive decline and MCI status, more research is needed to examine such associations in everyday life. The present work addressed this gap by examining MCI and gender stratified links between circulating inflammatory biomarkers and self-reported prospective memory (PM; i.e., memory for future events) and retrospective memory (RM; i.e., memory for past events/information) lapses measured at the end of each day via daily dairies. Older adults (n=270, Mage=76.97, 68% female) enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study were classified with or without MCI using Jak/Bondi criteria. Participants completed a two-week protocol, including two blood draws (at the start and end of the protocol) from which circulating (basal) cytokines were quantified (interleukin [IL]-1b, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]). Each night, participants completed reports of PM and RM lapses that had occurred that day via smartphones. Correlations between inflammatory markers (averaged across the two draws) and memory lapses stratified by MCI status and gender were estimated. Among those with MCI, men (n=23) exhibited higher levels of circulating IL-10 in association with more frequent PM lapses (r=.47, p=.025) and women (n=55), exhibited higher circulating IL-6 in association with more frequent RM lapses (r=.28, p=.035). Among those without MCI higher levels of IL-8 correlated with more frequent PM lapses only in men (n=64; r=.39, p=.002). Findings held when controlling for BMI, age, and education. The present research suggests that MCI- and gender-dependent links between inflammation and everyday memory lapses may be restricted to certain inflammatory cytokines. IL-10 and IL-6 may play a role in MCI-related daily forgetting among men and women, respectively. However, these findings should be replicated within a larger sample of individuals experiencing MCI. Additionally, longitudinal research is needed to determine whether IL-8 is indicative of early cognitive decline prior to MCI in men. Longitudinal examinations will better elucidate the links between inflammation, memory lapses, and MCI, and might ultimately inform early risk detection for MCI and AD.

OBJECTIVE:Both age and gender have been identified as unique moderators of the association between negative interpersonal interactions and affective and physiological stress responses to these interactions. However, evidence is lacking on intersectional effects, with limited data on how gender differences in affective and physiological responses to interpersonal stress vary by age. The present study tests the hypothesis that age and gender interact to moderate the associations between acute exposure to negative interpersonal stressors and concurrent stress responses in daily life, assessed with measures of negative mood and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP). METHOD:We tested this hypothesis using data from participants (N = 644) within the New York City metropolitan area. Participants identified as either Black (51.55%) or Latinx (48.45%); the sample was approximately half men (51.55%) and ages ranged between 23 and 65 (M = 39.20, SD = 9.51). Systolic and diastolic ABP data were measured every 20 min, and real-time encounters of negative interpersonal interactions and mood were assessed using ecological momentary assessment. RESULTS:We observed that younger women, when compared to older women, showed greater mood responses to negative interpersonal interactions. In contrast, older women, in comparison to all other groups, showed greater blood pressure (BP) responses to negative interpersonal interactions. CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest that the way in which gender affects mood and BP responses to negative interpersonal interactions may vary across the lifespan. These findings provide developmental and mechanistic insight into affective and physiological responses and have implications for understanding the development of stress-related disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Previous work suggests that loneliness leads to greater affective responsivity, which is generally related to poorer emotional well-being and health. The aim of the present research was to investigate whether individual differences in loneliness moderated affective responses to everyday uplifts. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), participants (N = 240; aged 20-65 years) reported recent uplifting experiences, and their current positive and negative affective states 5x/day for 14 days. Trait loneliness was measured in the baseline survey prior to the beginning of the EMAs. Multilevel regression analyses revealed that those with higher loneliness experienced greater immediate decreases in negative affect (NA) and increases in positive affect (PA) on occasions when they reported a recent uplift, compared to those with lower loneliness. However, loneliness did not moderate lagged effects of uplifts on either NA or PA, indicating that the emotional benefits of uplifting events for lonelier individuals did not persist to the next assessment. These findings suggest that although uplifting events significantly boosted PA and reduced NA among lonely individuals in the short-term, these effects did not have a lasting impact. The immediate affective benefits of uplifts for lonelier individuals tend to be fleeting and may be insufficient to maintain mood stability, possibly leading to additional emotional strain.

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) pose a massive public health challenge, affecting over 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older—a number projected to double by 2050. Despite advances in pharmacological treatments, there remains no cure or method to reverse the disease. This paper highlights the role of psychological stress as a critical yet underappreciated risk factor for cognitive decline and reviews its complex interplay with behavioral, social, and biological mechanisms. Chronic psychological stress drives physiological and behavioral changes that are linked to accelerated cognitive deterioration, particularly in older adults. Early interventions can target stress management and behavioral prevention strategies, which include physical activity, healthy diet, and social engagement. Further, key barriers to meaningful policy change to prevent and slow ADRD include lack of public awareness, stigma around mental health and aging, and misaligned funding incentives. Policy initiatives can improve brain health literacy, increase equitable access to services, and enhance community-level and environmental factors to promote healthy aging. Prioritizing stress reduction and promoting early detection and prevention can meaningfully reduce ADRD risk and progression, improving public health broadly.