MIDLIFE COGNITION: BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MECHANISM

在整个生命周期中保持有效的认知功能是个人幸福和在社会中独立发挥作用的能力的重要组成部分。尽管有大量关于成年期认知表现的文献，但关于中年期认知功能的信息有限。这项拟议中的研究将通过描述中年和老年人对关键领域的认知来满足这一需求，这些领域被假设为对年龄效应敏感，包括言语记忆，工作记忆，执行功能，推理和处理速度。认知测试将通过电话访谈进行，作为 MIDUS II研究。这将创造一个独特的机会，在一个大规模的，具有全国代表性的样本中检查中年人的表现。此外，MIDUS研究将提供丰富的数据库，使我们能够检查编码性能和各种生物心理社会因素之间的关系。目的是确定有效认知功能的前因，以确定那些可能在维持心理能力方面起保护作用的因素，以及那些作为风险因素的因素。 加剧了认知能力的下降我们将调查认知表现和感兴趣的变量之间的联系，包括SES，健康，控制信念，压力生活事件和绝经状态。具体来说，我们预测，累积优势（包括高SES，良好的身心健康状况，适应性健康行为，低压力，以及强烈的掌握和控制感）将作为中年和晚年认知表现年龄下降的保护性缓冲。相反，我们认为累积的逆境 （包括低社会经济地位、长期健康状况不佳、心理社会资源有限）将与更易患认知缺陷相关。我们还将研究与更年期相关的变化是否与认知老化有关。最后一个目标是进行纵向分析，从波士顿地区，在1996年测试的多因素认知电池，压力反应措施，和控制信念的过样本。这将提供有关压力和心理社会变量随时间变化如何影响中年认知表现变化的宝贵信息。了解中年适应性认知功能的途径可能有助于早期发现和预防与衰老相关的认知功能下降。

The maintenanceof effectivecognitivefunctioningacross the lifespan is a crucial componentof an individual's well-beingandability to function independentlyin society.Althoughthere isa large literatureon cognitive performancein cider adulthood,there is limited nformation about cognitivefunctioning inmidlife. The proposed research will address that need by characterizing cognition across midlife and into old age on key domains that are hypothesizedto be sensitive to age effects, including verbal memory, working memory, executive function, reasoning,and speed of processing. Cognitive testing will be carried out through telephone interviews as part of the MIDUS II study. This will create a unique opportunity to examine the performance of middle-aged adults in a large-scale, nationally representative sample. In addition, the MIDUS study will provide a rich data base that will enable us to examine the relationship betweencognitive performance and a variety of biopsychosocial factors. The goal is to identify antecedents of effective cognitive function, in order to determine those factors that may serve a protective role in maintaining mental abilities, as well as those factors that serve as risk factors for exacerbating cognitive declines. We will investigate the links between cognitive performance and variables of interest, including SES, health, control beliefs, stressful life events, and menopausal status. Specifically, we predict that cumulative advantage (including high SES, good physical and mental health status, adaptive health behaviors, low stress, and a strong sense of mastery and control) will serve as a protective buffer against age decrements in cognitive performance in midlife and later life. Conversely, we expect that cumulative adversity (including low SES, chronic poor health, limited psychosocial resources) will be associated with greater vulnerability for cognitive deficits. We also will examine whether changes associated with the menopause are related to cognitive aging. A final goal is to carry out longitudinal analyses with an oversample from the Boston area, tested in 1996 on a multi-factor cognitive battery, stress reactivity measures, and control beliefs. This will provide valuable information on how changes over time in stress and psychosocial variables impact changes in cognitive performance during midlife. Understandingthe pathways to adaptive cognitive functioning in midlife may contribute to early detection and possible prevention of aging-related cognitive decline.