Cognitive leisure activities in later older adulthood may protect against accelerated rates of memory decline
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background The effects of mental activities in early and midlife (e.g., educational attainment, occupational complexity) may be associated with delayed onset and faster rates of cognitive decline afterwards, as predicted by the cognitive reserve hypothesis (Stern, 2002, 2009). Importantly, continued mental activities in later life may help protect cognitive abilities from further decline (Use it or lose it hypothesis). The aim of the current study is to examine the effects of late‐life cognitive leisure activity on rates of cognitive decline over and above the effects of education and occupational complexity. Method The sample consisted of 687 individuals (mean age=78.5, mean follow‐up=2.9 years; 66.3% female; 59.2% Whites, 31.5% African Americans) enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study. Information on years of education, midlife occupation information, and participation in late life cognitive leisure activities (in the previous month prior to the clinic visit) were collected at baseline. Using mixed models, we assessed the influence of education, occupation, and late‐life leisure activities on levels and rates of decline in three cognitive domains: memory, executive function, and processing speed. Result More years of education, higher occupational complexity, and more frequent participation in late‐life cognitive leisure were associated with higher levels of cognition in most cognitive domains (Table 1). Education was associated with faster rates of cognitive decline in all three domains of cognition (ps<.05). Late‐life cognitive leisure activity was associated with slower cognitive decline in memory domain (p<.001). To rule out the possibility of reverse causation (i.e., cognitive impairment results in less frequent participation in cognitive leisure activity), we removed individuals who developed mild cognitive impairment within the first two consecutive annual clinic visits, and the findings did not change. Conclusion The results suggest that mental activities may protect against late‐life cognitive impairment in varying ways. Although the effects of distal mental activity (e.g., education) may be accumulated decades ago and delay the onset of cognitive impairment in late life, the effects of proximal mental activity (e.g., late‐life cognitive leisure) may have continuing benefits in buffering rapid memory decline.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
DOI: 10.1002/alz.041512
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W3111482905