Dual Trajectories of Social Isolation and Dementia in Older Adults: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Xiang X
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7855508 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Background and objectivesIn the next few decades, the number of Mexican American older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders will increase dramatically. Given that this population underutilizes formal care services, the degree of care responsibilities in Mexican American families is likely to increase at the same time. However, little is known about the changing need for assistance with instrumental day-to-day activities and emotional support by long-term patterns of cognitive impairment.Research design and methodsWe use 7 waves of the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (1992/1993-2010/2011) and trajectory modeling to describe long-term patterns of perceived emotional and instrumental support, and dementia.ResultsResults revealed 2 latent classes of both emotional and instrumental support trajectories: low and high support. Specifically, those living alone were more likely to belong to the group with low support than to that with high support. Three latent classes for likely dementia were also revealed: likely dementia, increasing impairment, and no impairment. Those living alone were more likely to belong to the increasing impairment and likely dementia groups. The dual trajectory of emotional and instrumental support with likely dementia revealed that the probability of belonging to the low-support group was highest for those with increasing impairment.Discussion and implicationsThese findings highlight the risk and vulnerability of those who live alone concerning perceived social support and dementia. Implications of the findings for the potential dependency burden on Latino caregivers are discussed.
| S-EPMC8023375 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo examine the relationships over time between dual trajectories of depressive symptoms and several cognitive domains.MethodsIn a 5-year longitudinal study, 1,978 randomly selected individuals aged 65+ years at recruitment were assessed annually. Repeated measures were of depressive symptoms on the modified Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and composite scores in the cognitive domains of attention, executive function, memory, language, and visuospatial function. Latent class trajectories were identified for depression and for each cognitive domain and their associations investigated using dual trajectory modeling. Cognitive trajectories with z scores below -1 were designated as persistently low.ResultsFive depressive symptom trajectories were observed: rarely depressed (60.5%); low-grade, decreasing symptoms (18.5%); low-grade, increasing symptoms (9.6%); moderate-grade symptoms (7.4%); and consistent higher-grade symptoms (4.0%). For each cognitive domain six trajectories were observed. The rarely depressed and low-grade decreasing symptom groups were the least likely to have persistently low cognition. The symptom trajectory most strongly associated with persistently low functioning in each domain was not the higher-grade group but rather the low-grade increasing group in the case of attention and the moderate-grade trajectory in the other four domains.ConclusionConsistently higher-grade depressive symptoms are less strongly associated with poor cognitive functioning than with either moderate- or low-grade increasing depressive symptom trajectories, over time and across different domains. Examining both depression and cognition longitudinally allows heterogeneity of both to be addressed, revealing latent groups with potential diagnostic and prognostic implications.
| S-EPMC4841743 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveSocial isolation and loneliness have been linked to numerous determinants of health and well-being. However, the effects of social isolation and loneliness on oral health remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of social isolation and loneliness on the number of remaining teeth and the rate of tooth loss over time among Chinese older adults.MethodsWe used three waves of data (2011/2012, 2014 and 2018) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey with 4268 older adults aged 65 and older who were interviewed in at least two waves. The number of remaining teeth was first evaluated at baseline and then subsequently at follow-up visits. Mixed-effects Poisson regression was used to examine the associations between social isolation, loneliness, and both the number of remaining teeth and the rate of tooth loss.ResultsSocial isolation was associated with fewer remaining teeth (β = -.06, 95% CI = -0.13 to 0.00, p < .05) and accelerated tooth loss (β = -.02, 95% CI = -0.02 to -0.01, p < .01) after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviours, physical and cognitive health, and loneliness. Loneliness was neither associated with the number of remaining teeth (β = .15, 95% CI = -0.01 to 0.30, p = .06) nor with the rate of tooth loss (β = -.01, 95% CI = -0.02 to 0.00, p = .16) after adjusting for all other factors.ConclusionsThis study provides strong evidence that social isolation was associated with fewer remaining teeth and accelerated tooth loss among Chinese older adults. These findings expand our knowledge about the impact of social disconnection on tooth loss. More future studies are needed to further examine the associations between social connections and oral conditions using longitudinal cohort studies and intervention studies.
| S-EPMC9288561 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate cognitive aging trajectories, the associated sociodemographic characteristics, and the association of these trajectories with dementia.MethodsGenerally healthy older adults (n = 19,114) were followed for up to 7 years, with regular cognitive assessments. Group-based trajectory modeling identified distinct cognitive trajectories.ResultsFour to seven trajectories were identified per cognitive domain. Stable trajectories were observed across domains. Improvement in verbal fluency and minor psychomotor slowing were common. Substantial decline in global cognition and episodic memory were observed in a small proportion of individuals. Older, less educated participants and men were more common in lower-functioning trajectories (p < .001). The highest proportions of dementia cases were in trajectories with major decline in global cognition (56.9%) and memory (33.2%).DiscussionInter-individual variability in cognitive trajectories was observed across all domains. Some individuals appear resilient to cognitive decline even with advancing age. Further research into factors promoting cognitive resilience is needed.
| S-EPMC8088593 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe inter-individual variability in cognitive changes may be early indicators of major health events. We aimed to determine whether late-life cognitive trajectories were associated with incident dementia, persistent physical disability and all-cause mortality.MethodsData came from a cohort of older community-dwelling individuals aged 70 years or above in Australia and the United States. Global cognition, verbal fluency, episodic memory and psychomotor speed were assessed regularly at up to seven waves between 2010 and 2017. Dementia, disability in activities of daily living, and death were adjudicated between 2017 and 2020. Latent classes of cognitive trajectories over seven years were determined using group-based trajectory modeling. Multivariable logistic regression was used for the prospective associations between cognitive trajectories and these outcomes.ResultsCognitive trajectories were defined for 16,174 participants (mean age: 78.9 years; 56.7% female) who were alive and without incident dementia or disability by 2017, among which 14,655 participants were included in the association analysis. Between three and five trajectory classes were identified depending on the cognitive test. Cognitive trajectories were strongly associated with the risk of dementia. For example, compared to those in the highest-functioning trajectory, the worst performers of episodic memory had a 37-fold increased risk of dementia (95% CI: 17.23-82.64). The lowest trajectories of both global cognition and episodic memory also predicted increased mortality risk (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.28-2.52; OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.09-2.36, respectively), while only slow psychomotor speed was marginally associated with physical disability (OR: 2.39, 95% CI: 0.99-5.77).ConclusionsIn older individuals, cognitive trajectories appear to be early indicators of clinically relevant health outcomes. Systematic cognitive assessments as part of routine geriatric evaluation may facilitate early identification and interventions for those individuals at highest risk.
| S-EPMC9271785 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Depression has been identified as a risk factor for dementia. However, most studies have measured depressive symptoms at only one time point, and older adults may show different patterns of depressive symptoms over time.To investigate the association between trajectories of depressive symptoms and risk of dementia in older adults.This was a prospective cohort investigation of black and white community-dwelling older adults in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study. Participants were enrolled between May 1997 and June 1998 and followed up through 2001-2002. The dates of this analysis were September 2014 to December 2015. The setting was community research centers in Memphis, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Trajectories of depressive symptoms were assessed from baseline to year 5. Symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Short Form, and trajectories were calculated using latent class growth curve analysis.Incident dementia through year 11, determined by dementia medication use, hospital records, or significant cognitive decline (?1.5 SD race-specific decline on the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination). We examined the association between depressive symptom trajectories and dementia incidence using Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for demographics, health factors that differed between groups, and cognition during the depressive symptom assessment period (baseline to year 5).The analytic cohort included 2488 black and white older adults with repeated depressive symptom assessments from baseline to year 5 who were free of dementia throughout that period. Their mean (SD) age at baseline was 74.0 (2.8) years, and 53.1% (n?=?1322) were female. The following 3 depressive symptom trajectories were identified: consistently minimal symptoms (62.0% [n?=?1542] of participants), moderate and increasing symptoms (32.2% [n?=?801] of participants), and high and increasing symptoms (5.8% [n?=?145] of participants). Compared with the consistently minimal trajectory, having a high and increasing depressive symptom trajectory was associated with significantly increased risk of dementia (fully adjusted hazard ratio, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.30-2.90), while the moderate and increasing trajectory was not associated with risk of dementia after full adjustment. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the high and increasing trajectory was associated with dementia incidence, while depressive symptoms at individual time points were not.Older adults with a longitudinal pattern of high and increasing depressive symptoms are at high risk for dementia. Individuals' trajectory of depressive symptoms may inform dementia risk more accurately than one-time assessment of depressive symptoms.
| S-EPMC5082978 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe dynamic nature of sarcopenia, including possible transitions between its different stages, is currently unknown. We aimed to explore 12 year transitions through sarcopenia stages and identify factors associated with different sarcopenia trajectories in older adults.MethodsWe included 3219 participants (aged ≥60 years, 35.8% men, 96.4% community-dwelling) from the SNAC-K study. No sarcopenia (normal muscle strength and mass), probable sarcopenia (low muscle strength and normal muscle mass), and sarcopenia (low muscle strength and mass) were assessed at baseline and up to 12 years. Such conditions were defined based on a modified version of the EWGSOP2 criteria with muscle strength evaluated through handgrip or chair stand tests, and muscle mass from calf circumference. We estimated 1, 5, and 10 year transition probabilities through continuous-time multistage Markov modelling. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and medical factors associated with the likelihood of different transitions were evaluated with proportional intensity models, and the associations' strength was expressed as hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsParticipants with no sarcopenia had 10-year probabilities of 17.1% and 5.1% to develop probable sarcopenia and sarcopenia, and a 40.4% chance of not transitioning. Those with probable sarcopenia had similar 5-year chances of developing sarcopenia (10.3%) and reverting to no sarcopenia (10.7%). Participants with sarcopenia had chances to revert to probable sarcopenia ranging from 8.2% (at 5 years) to 4.7% (at 10 years), and a 70.9% chance of dying after 10 years. Older age (HR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.07-1.14), male sex (HR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.16-2.91), current smoking (HR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.16-2.91), and higher number of chronic diseases (HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00-1.14) were associated with sarcopenia development, while higher levels of physical activity (HR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.19-2.84) and cognitive function (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.05-1.31 per each 1-point increase in the Mini-Mental State Examination) were associated with subsequent higher reversion rates from probable sarcopenia to no sarcopenia (P < 0.05 for all). None of the explored characteristics were associated with sarcopenia reversion to healthier stages.ConclusionsSarcopenia appears to be a dynamic condition with possible two-way transitions between different sarcopenia stages, especially the earliest ones. Timely interventions to improve physical and cognitive function and better control individuals' chronic conditions could help counteract sarcopenia progression.
| S-EPMC8818646 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAlthough multiple medications are often utilized to achieve optimal treatment outcomes, polypharmacy (use of five or more medications) among older population is associated with several detrimental effects. Trajectories of polypharmacy among older population over time has not been described.ObjectiveThis study estimated polypharmacy prevalence and clusters of individuals with similar patterns of change in polypharmacy among a cohort of older Australian women with and without dementia.MethodLongitudinal prospective cohort data from the oldest birth cohort (1921-1926) of the Australian Longitudinal Study on women's Health (ALSWH) were analysed. Survey data were linked with Pharmaceutical Benefit Schemes (PBS) data to obtain information about the type and number of prescription medications for each year 2003-2015. Group based trajectory modelling was used to identify distinct trajectory groups, based on the presence of polypharmacy for each year of observation. Trajectories were named based on distinctive and meaningful subgroups that followed approximately the same developmental course and probability assignment rule. Generalized estimating equation was used to identify factors associated with polypharmacy.ResultsA total of 10,372 women were eligible for the inclusion in the study. Prevalence of polypharmacy increased over time and reached as high as 71.19% and 71.29% in 2014 for women with and without dementia, respectively. Four distinct polypharmacy trajectories were identified: 'Consistent Polypharmacy' (55.88%);'Low Polypharmacy' (24.52%); 'Rapid Increasing Polypharmacy' (12.50%); and 'Moderate Polypharmacy' (7.12%). Dementia, Residential Aged Care (RAC), frailty and comorbid condition were the key drivers of polypharmacy in this cohort.ConclusionThe prevalence of polypharmacy among older women increased over time, with most women have a pattern of consistent polypharmacy or rapidly increasing polypharmacy. Appropriate, sustainable, and effective strategies for reducing medication use should be implemented for women as they age, and particularly for those with dementia and those in residential care.
| S-EPMC9031090 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Social isolation (SI) is a state of low social interaction with peers associated with various adverse health consequences in older adults living in the community. SI is most often assessed through retrospective self-reports, which can be prone to recall or self-report biases and influenced by stigma. Ambient and wearable sensors have been explored to objectively assess SI based on interactions of a person within the environment and physiological data. However, because this field is in its infancy, there is a lack of clarity regarding the application of sensors and their data in assessing SI and the methods to develop these assessments. To understand the current state of research in sensor-based assessment of SI in older adults living in the community and to make recommendations for the field moving forward, we conducted a scoping review. The aims of the scoping review were to (i) map the types of sensors (and their associated data) that have been used for objective SI assessment, and (ii) identify the methodological approaches used to develop the SI assessment. Using an established scoping review methodology, we identified eight relevant articles. Data from motion sensors and actigraph were commonly applied and compared and correlated with self-report measures in developing objective SI assessments. Variability exists in defining SI, feature extraction and the use of sensors and self-report assessments. Inconsistent definitions and use of various self-report scales for measuring SI create barriers to studying the concept and extracting features to build predictive models. Recommendations include establishing a consistent definition of SI for sensor-based assessment research and development and consider capturing its complexity through innovative domain-specific features.
| S-EPMC9969951 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDiabetes has been linked to dementia risk; however, the cognitive trajectories in older adults with diabetes remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of prediabetes and diabetes on cognitive trajectories among cognitively intact older adults in a long-term follow-up study.MethodsWithin the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging, 793 cognitively intact older adults aged ≥50 were identified at baseline and followed for up to 23 years. Based on standardized scores from 11 cognitive tests, administered at baseline and up to seven follow-ups, four cognitive domains (verbal abilities, spatial/fluid, memory, perceptual speed) were identified by principal-component analysis. Prediabetes was defined according to blood glucose levels in diabetes-free participants. Diabetes was ascertained based on self-report, hypoglycemic medication use and blood glucose levels. Data were analyzed with linear mixed-effect models adjusting for potential confounders.ResultsAt baseline, 68 participants (8.6%) had prediabetes and 45 (5.7%) had diabetes. Compared to diabetes-free individuals, people with diabetes had a steeper decline over time in perceptual speed and verbal abilities. The annual declines in these domains were greater than the annual decline in memory. Prediabetes was associated with lower performance in memory in middle-age, but also associated with a less steep memory decline over the follow-up.ConclusionsDiabetes is associated with a faster decline in perceptual speed and verbal abilities, while prediabetes is associated with lower memory performance in middle-age. However, the detrimental effects of hyperglycemia seem to not affect memory over time.
| S-EPMC5861913 | biostudies-literature