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Associations Between Declining Physical and Cognitive Functions in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The ageing process is characterized by declines in physical and cognitive function. However, the relationship between these trajectories remains a topic of investigation. METHODS:Using four data waves collected triennially between ages 70 and 79, we tested for associations between multiple cognitive ability domains (verbal memory, processing speed, and visuospatial ability) and physical functions (walking speed, grip strength, and lung function). We first tested for associations between linear declines in physical and cognitive functions over the entire 9-year study period, and then, for lead-lag coupling effects between 3-year changes in cognitive and physical functions. RESULTS:Steeper linear decline in walking speed was moderately correlated with steeper linear declines in each cognitive domain. Steeper linear decline in grip strength was moderately correlated with steeper linear declines in verbal memory and processing speed. Lead-lag coupling models showed that decline in verbal memory was preceded by declines in walking speed and grip strength. By contrast, decline in grip strength was preceded by declines in processing speed and visuospatial ability, and decline in walking speed was preceded by decline in visuospatial ability. Following additional adjustment for covariates, only coupling effects from earlier decline in processing speed to later decline in grip strength remained significant (? = 0.545, p = .006). CONCLUSION:Our findings provide further evidence of an association between cognitive and physical declines and point to the potential order in which these changes occur. Decline in processing speed in particular may serve as a unique early marker of declining upper body strength.

SUBMITTER: Okely JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7447860 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Associations Between Declining Physical and Cognitive Functions in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

Okely Judith A JA Deary Ian J IJ

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences 20200601 7

<h4>Background</h4>The ageing process is characterized by declines in physical and cognitive function. However, the relationship between these trajectories remains a topic of investigation.<h4>Methods</h4>Using four data waves collected triennially between ages 70 and 79, we tested for associations between multiple cognitive ability domains (verbal memory, processing speed, and visuospatial ability) and physical functions (walking speed, grip strength, and lung function). We first tested for ass ...[more]

PMID: 31957799

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Project description:[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported online in Psychology and Aging on Mar 5 2020 (see record 2020-16850-001). This article should have been published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0). Therefore, the article was amended to list the authors as copyright holders, and information about the terms of the CC BY 3.0 was added to the author note. In addition, the article is now open access. All versions of this article have been corrected.] It is unclear how scores on self-report resilience scales relate to key ageing-related domains in older age and if they truly measure resilience. We examined antecedents and outcomes of age-76 Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) scores in participants of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 655). We found bivariate associations between age-76 BRS scores and ageing-relevant antecedent variables measured at least 3 years earlier, from domains of cognitive ability, physical fitness, and wellbeing and, additionally, sociodemographics and personality (absolute r's from .082 to .49). Biological health variables were not associated with BRS scores. Age-73 cognitive ability (largest β = 0.14), physical fitness (largest β = 0.084), and wellbeing variables (largest β = 0.26) made positive independent contributions to age-76 BRS scores in multivariate models. In a conservative model including all variables as covariates, corrected for multiple comparisons, only emotional stability (neuroticism) significantly independently contributed to BRS score (β = 0.33). An exploratory backward elimination model indicated more wellbeing and personality associates of BRS scores (βs from .087 to .32). We used latent difference score modeling to assess outcomes of BRS scores; we examined associations between age-76 BRS and change in latent factors of age-related domains between age 76 and 79. Whereas BRS scores were related cross-sectionally to levels of latent cognitive ability (r = .19), physical fitness (r = .20), and wellbeing (r = .60) factors, they were not related to declines in these domains. The independence of the BRS construct from established wellbeing and personality factors is unclear. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

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Dataset Information

Associations Between Declining Physical and Cognitive Functions in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

Publications

Associations Between Declining Physical and Cognitive Functions in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

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