Cognitive Aging Comes of Age

Deborah M. Burke; Donald G. Mackay

doi:10.1037/033981

Activity Engagement in Cognitive Aging: A Review of the Evidence

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld23.1.35 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yvonne Rogalski ◽

Muriel Quintana

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cognitive Aging ◽

Social Activity ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Neuroprotective Effects ◽

Activity Engagement ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline

The population of older adults is rapidly increasing, as is the number and type of products and interventions proposed to prevent or reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Advocacy and prevention are part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) scope of practice documents, and speech-language pathologists must have basic awareness of the evidence contributing to healthy cognitive aging. In this article, we provide a brief overview outlining the evidence on activity engagement and its effects on cognition in older adults. We explore the current evidence around the activities of eating and drinking with a discussion on the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, alcohol, and coffee. We investigate the evidence on the hypothesized neuroprotective effects of social activity, the evidence on computerized cognitive training, and the emerging behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on physical activity. We conclude that actively aging using a combination of several strategies may be our best line of defense against cognitive decline.

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Use It and Still Lose It?

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000020 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 169-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Adrian Schwaninger ◽

Diana Hardmeier ◽

Judith Riegelnig ◽

Mike Martin

Keyword(s):

Object Recognition ◽

Cognitive Development ◽

Recognition Test ◽

Cognitive Aging ◽

Recognition Task ◽

Airport Security ◽

Visual Object ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Object Recognition Test ◽

X Ray

In recent years, research on cognitive aging increasingly has focused on the cognitive development across middle adulthood. However, little is still known about the long-term effects of intensive job-specific training of fluid intellectual abilities. In this study we examined the effects of age- and job-specific practice of cognitive abilities on detection performance in airport security x-ray screening. In Experiment 1 (N = 308; 24–65 years), we examined performance in the X-ray Object Recognition Test (ORT), a speeded visual object recognition task in which participants have to find dangerous items in x-ray images of passenger bags; and in Experiment 2 (N = 155; 20–61 years) in an on-the-job object recognition test frequently used in baggage screening. Results from both experiments show high performance in older adults and significant negative age correlations that cannot be overcome by more years of job-specific experience. We discuss the implications of our findings for theories of lifespan cognitive development and training concepts.

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Modeling Within-Person Variance in Reaction Time Data of Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000045 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 169-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Philippe Rast ◽

Daniel Zimprich

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Cognitive Aging ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Reaction Time Task ◽

Reaction Time Data ◽

Scale Model ◽

Time Data ◽

Time Task ◽

The Mean ◽

Second Wave

In order to model within-person (WP) variance in a reaction time task, we applied a mixed location scale model using 335 participants from the second wave of the Zurich Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging. The age of the respondents and the performance in another reaction time task were used to explain individual differences in the WP variance. To account for larger variances due to slower reaction times, we also used the average of the predicted individual reaction time (RT) as a predictor for the WP variability. Here, the WP variability was a function of the mean. At the same time, older participants were more variable and those with better performance in another RT task were more consistent in their responses.

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Cognitive Aging in a Precision Sport Context

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040.1.3.166 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 166-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Bo Molander ◽

Lars Bäckman

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Cognitive Aging ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Intervention Programs ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

High Arousal ◽

Memory And Attention ◽

Age Related ◽

Principal Finding

Highly skilled miniature golf players were examined in a series of field and laboratory studies. The principal finding from these studies is that young and young adult players (range = 15-38 years) score equally well or better in competition than in training whereas older adult players (range = 46-73 years) perform worse in competitive events than under training conditions. It was also found that the impairment in motor performance on the part of the older players is associated with age-related deficits in basic cognitive abilities, such as memory and attention. These results support the hypothesis that older players may be able to compensate for age-related deficits under relaxed conditions, but not under conditions of high arousal. The possibility of improving the performance of the older players in stressful situations by means of various intervention programs is discussed.

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Slow Down You’re Moving Too Fast

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications ◽

10.1027/1864-1105/a000130 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 53-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Annie Lang ◽

Nancy Schwartz ◽

Sharon Mayell

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Aging ◽

Attention And Memory ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Media Messages ◽

Two Factors ◽

The Difference

The study reported here compared how younger and older adults processed the same set of media messages which were selected to vary on two factors, arousing content and valence. Results showed that older and younger adults had similar arousal responses but different patterns of attention and memory. Older adults paid more attention to all messages than did younger adults. However, this attention did not translate into greater memory. Older and younger adults had similar levels of memory for slow-paced messages, but younger adults outperformed older adults significantly as pacing increased, and the difference was larger for arousing compared with calm messages. The differences found are in line with predictions made based on the cognitive-aging literature.

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