Lower executive functioning predicts steeper subsequent decline in well-being only in young-old but not old-old age

Abstract

<jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives:</jats:title><jats:p> From a longitudinal perspective, the direction of the relationship between cognitive functioning and well-being in old age, both conceptually and empirically, is still under debate. Therefore, we aimed to disentangle the different longitudinal relationship patterns proposed and whether those differed between young-old and old-old adults. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods:</jats:title><jats:p> We used latent change score modeling based on longitudinal data from 1,040 older adults ( M = 74.54 years at Time 1 [T1], median = 73 years) to analyze reciprocal lead–lag relationships over 6 years in executive functioning (trail making test [TMT] completion time) and well-being (life satisfaction), taking into account chronological age, sex, education, leisure activities, and chronic diseases. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results:</jats:title><jats:p> In young-old adults (&lt;73 years), longer TMT completion time at T1 (i.e., lower executive functioning status) significantly predicted steeper subsequent decline in well-being. This was not the case for old-old adults (≥73 years), for whom this relationship was significantly different from that of the young-old (moderation effect). In either group, well-being status at T1 did not predict changes in TMT completion time. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion:</jats:title><jats:p> Lower executive functioning may predict a subsequent decline in well-being in young-old adults only. Wider implications in a context of promotion of healthy aging are discussed. </jats:p></jats:sec>

Cognitive Functioning Mediates the Association of Cognitive Reserve with Health-Related Quality of Life

“…Bivariate associations between the analyzed variables are in line with prior research. Specifically, our observations that better cognitive functioning was associated with higher scores in the physical and mental HRQoL components corroborate prior evidence for the association between cognitive functioning with quality of life and well-being in old age [6,7]. Second, our observed associations of longer education and a high cognitive level of work with better cognitive functioning are consistent with the cognitive reserve concept [8] and empirical research showing that these cognitive reserve markers are key predictors of cognitive functioning in old age [10][11][12][13].…”

“…This study included adherence to the declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the local ethics commission before the start of the assessments (ethics committee name: The Research Ethics Committee-Human Beings; approval code: CAAE: 56519616. 6 [20] of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12 [5]). The SF-12 questionnaire includes eight dimensions, namely physical functioning (PF), role physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role emotional (RE), and mental health (MH).…”

“…The sustainability of quality of life and well-being in old age is strongly related to the sustainability of cognitive functioning during this life phase [6,7]. With regard to the sustainability of cognitive functioning in old age, the cognitive reserve concept [8] proposes that education in early life and cognitively demanding work in midlife build up a buffer that helps to compensate for neurological loss and pathological decline such as dementia [9].…”

Cognitive and structural predictors of novel task learning, and contextual predictors of time series of daily task performance during the learning period

“…Sleep quality and duration are positively related to multiple cognitive abilities (Holanda Júnior and de Almondes, 2016; Lo et al, 2016;Rana et al, 2018;Zavecz et al, 2020), but stress negatively impacts working memory and cognitive control (Shields et al, 2016;Plieger and Reuter, 2020). Subjective wellbeing is also a positive correlate of working memory and cognitive control (Luerssen and Ayduk, 2017;Ihle et al, 2021). A secondary goal of this study was to examine how these contextual factors contribute to day-to-day performance on the training task.…”

Life satisfaction prevents decline in working memory, spatial cognition, and processing speed: Latent change score analyses across 23 years

“…Likewise, using hierarchical linear modeling, within persons , an 8-year decrease in psychological well-being was correlated with reductions in processing speed, memory, and global cognition among English midlife and older community adults during that period [ 30 ]; despite that, lead–lag relations were not examined in the study. A Switzerland-based study [ 31 ] that tested lead–lag associations showed that reduced LS predicted a 6-year decline in set-shifting (i.e., the adeptness to change from one mental mode to another [ 32 ]); however, due to its two-wave design, change -to-future change relations could not be inferred. Relatedly, within persons, a lower prior level of LS resulted in a greater 1.5–2-year decline in perceptual speed among older German adults across six waves of assessment [ 33 ].…”