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Internet use in old age predicts smaller cognitive decline only in men.

ABSTRACT: Internet use provides cognitive stimulation and thereby may contribute to the accumulation of cognitive reserve that is proposed to be instrumental for maintaining cognitive health in ageing. As the first study so far, we examined possible gender differences in the relationship between Internet use and subsequent cognitive decline over six years assessed through changes in Trail Making Test (TMT) accomplishment time in 897 older adults. Latent change score modelling (taking into account baseline cognitive level, chronic diseases, age, and central contributions to cognitive reserve through education, profession, and leisure engagement) revealed a significant interaction of frequency of Internet use and gender. More frequent Internet use in the first wave of data collection significantly predicted a smaller subsequent augmentation in TMT accomplishment time (i.e., a smaller subsequent cognitive decline) only in men, but not in women. In conclusion, frequent Internet use may contribute to the accumulation of cognitive reserve. The gender difference noted highlights an advantage for males. While this finding could be interpreted as gender-specific, it may be that the Internet activities males engage in differ from those of females, calling for a fine-grained investigation of Internet-based activities in future studies.

SUBMITTER: Ihle A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7265498 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Internet use in old age predicts smaller cognitive decline only in men.

Ihle Andreas A Bavelier Daphne D Maurer Jürgen J Oris Michel M Kliegel Matthias M

Scientific reports 20200602 1

Internet use provides cognitive stimulation and thereby may contribute to the accumulation of cognitive reserve that is proposed to be instrumental for maintaining cognitive health in ageing. As the first study so far, we examined possible gender differences in the relationship between Internet use and subsequent cognitive decline over six years assessed through changes in Trail Making Test (TMT) accomplishment time in 897 older adults. Latent change score modelling (taking into account baseline ...[more]

PMID: 32488153

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Project description:ImportanceCognitive decline is a leading cause of disability and death in old age but its neurobiological bases are not well understood.ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is related to late-life cognitive decline.Design, setting, and participantsLongitudinal clinical-pathologic cohort study involving more than 40 Catholic groups across the United States. A total of 130 older Catholic nuns, priests, and monks underwent annual clinical evaluations, including detailed cognitive testing, for a mean of 10.1 years prior to death. On neuropathologic examination, we collected semiquantitative measures of TDP-43 pathology, density of neuronal neurofibrillary tangles, area occupied by amyloid-beta plaques, and the presence of alpha-synuclein Lewy bodies from multiple brain regions. Gross and microscopic cerebral infarcts and hippocampal sclerosis were also identified.Main outcomes and measuresAnnual rate of change in a previously established composite measure of global cognition during a mean of 10.1 years of annual observation before death.ResultsTransactive response DNA-binding protein 43 pathology, ranging from sparse to severe, was identified in 46% of participants and was associated with amyloid plaques, tangles, and hippocampal sclerosis but not neocortical Lewy bodies or cerebral infarcts. After controlling for amyloid plaques, tangles, and hippocampal sclerosis, TDP-43 pathology was associated with more rapid cognitive decline and accounted for nearly as much of the variability in rates of global cognitive decline as did tangles. Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 pathology had a distinct cognitive profile that differed from other neuropathologic processes (related to decline in episodic and working memory but not in other cognitive domains), and it was elevated in those who developed dementia but not in those with mild cognitive impairment.Conclusion and relevanceThe results suggest that TDP-43 is an important brain pathology underlying cognitive decline and dementia in old age.

Project description:Preclinical studies demonstrate that generalized endothelial cell dysfunction and microvascular impairment are potentially reversible causes of age-related vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that severity of age-related macro- and microvascular dysfunction measured in the peripheral circulation is an independent predictor of cognitive performance in older adults. In this study, we enrolled 63 healthy individuals into young (< 45 years old) and aged (> 65 years old) groups. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to construct a comprehensive peripheral vascular health index (VHI) encompassing peripheral microvascular reactivity, arterial endothelial function, and vascular stiffness, as a marker of aging-induced generalized vascular dysfunction. Peripheral macrovascular and microvascular endothelial function were assessed using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and laser speckle contrast imaging tests. Pulse waveform analysis was used to evaluate the augmentation index (AIx), a measure of arterial stiffness. Cognitive function was measured using a panel of CANTAB cognitive tests, and PCA was then applied to generate a cognitive impairment index (CII) for each participant. Aged subjects exhibited significantly impaired macrovascular endothelial function (FMD, 5.6 ± 0.7% vs. 8.3 ± 0.6% in young, p = 0.0061), increased arterial stiffness (AIx 29.3 ± 1.8% vs 4.5 ± 2.6% in young, p < 0.0001), and microvascular dysfunction (2.8 ± 0.2 vs 3.4 ± 0.1-fold change of perfusion in young, p = 0.032). VHI showed a significant negative correlation with age (r = - 0.54, p < 0.0001) and CII significantly correlated with age (r = 0.79, p < 0.0001). VHI significantly correlated with the CII (r = - 0.46, p = 0.0003). A decline in peripheral vascular health may reflect generalized vascular dysfunction and predict cognitive impairment in older adults.

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Internet use in old age predicts smaller cognitive decline only in men.

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Internet use in old age predicts smaller cognitive decline only in men.

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