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运作能力的关键组成部分。尽管有大量关于苹果机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。拟议的研究将通过描述对年龄影响敏感的关键领域（包括言语记忆、工作记忆、执行功能、推理和处理速度）从中年到老年的认知特征来解决这一需求。认知测试将通过电话访谈进行，作为测试的一部分

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.