Bryan D. James

Late-Life Social Activity and Cognitive Decline in Old Age

We examined the association of social activity with cognitive decline in 1138 persons without dementia at baseline with a mean age of 79.6 (SD = 7.5) who were followed for up to 12 years (mean = 5.2; SD = 2.8). Using mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, race, social network size, depression, chronic conditions, disability, neuroticism, extraversion, cognitive activity, and physical activity, more social activity was associated with less cognitive decline during average follow-up of 5.2 years (SD = 2.7). A one point increase in social activity score (range = 1-4.2; mean = 2.6; SD = 0.6) was associated with a 47% decrease in the rate of decline in global cognitive function (p < .001). The rate of global cognitive decline was reduced by an average of 70% in persons who were frequently socially active (score = 3.33, 90th percentile) compared to persons who were infrequently socially active (score = 1.83, 10th percentile). This association was similar across five domains of cognitive function. Sensitivity analyses revealed that individuals with the lowest levels of cognition or with mild cognitive impairment at baseline did not drive this relationship. These results confirm that more socially active older adults experience less cognitive decline in old age.

The ability of persons with Alzheimer disease (AD) to make a decision about taking an AD treatment.

Objective: To examine the severity of impairments in the decision-making abilities (understanding, appreciation, reasoning, and choice) and competency to make a decision to use an Alzheimer disease (AD)-slowing medication in patients with AD and the relationships between these impairments, insight, and overall cognition. Methods: Semistructured in-home interviews were conducted with 48 patients with very mild to moderate AD and 102 family caregivers of patients with mild to severe AD recruited from the Memory Disorders Clinic of an AD center. The interview measured performance on the decision-making abilities and three expert psychiatrists’ judgment of competency based on their independent review of the patient interviews. Results: There was considerable variation in patients’ performance on the measures of decision-making abilities. Three expert raters found 19 of 48 (40%) of the subjects competent. Competent patients were more likely to show awareness of their symptoms, prognosis, and diagnosis. A sensitivity analysis suggests that a MMSE score is helpful in discriminating capacity from incapacity only when below 19 or above 23. Conclusions: Persons with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD) have notable impairments in their ability to make an AD treatment decision, especially persons with moderate AD and persons who lack awareness of symptoms, prognosis, or diagnosis.

Relation of Late-Life Social Activity With Incident Disability Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

BACKGROUND We tested the hypothesis that a higher level of social activity was associated with decreased risk of incident disability in older adults. METHODS Data came from older adults in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of aging. Analyses were restricted to persons without clinical dementia and reporting no need for help performing any task in the particular functional domain assessed. Participants were followed for an average of 5.1 years (SD = 2.5). Social activity, based on 6 items (visiting friends or relatives; going to restaurants, sporting events, or playing games; group meetings; church/religious services; day or overnight trips; unpaid community/volunteer work), was assessed at baseline. Disability in basic activities of daily living, mobility disability, and instrumental activities of daily living was assessed annually. Proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, and education were used to examine the association between social activity and incident disability. Fully adjusted models included terms for depression, vascular diseases and risk factors, body mass index, social networks, and self-reported physical activity. RESULTS In fully adjusted models, among 954 persons without baseline disability, the risk of developing disability in activities of daily living decreased by 43% (hazard ratio = 0.57, 95% confidence interval = 0.46, 0.71) for each additional unit of social activity. Social activity was also associated with decreased risk of developing mobility disability (hazard ratio = 0.69, 95% confidence interval = 0.54, 0.88) and disability in instrumental activities of daily living (hazard ratio = 0.71, 95% confidence interval = 0.55, 0.93). CONCLUSIONS Social activity is associated with a decreased risk of incident disability in activities of daily living, mobility, and instrumental activities of daily living, among community-dwelling older adults.

Contribution of Alzheimer disease to mortality in the United States

Objective: To assess the burden of mortality attributable to Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia in the United States. Methods: Data came from 2,566 persons aged 65 years and older (mean 78.1 years) without dementia at baseline from 2 cohort studies of aging with identical annual diagnostic assessments of dementia. Because both studies require organ donation, ascertainment of mortality was complete and dates of death accurate. Mortality hazard ratios (HRs) after incident AD dementia were estimated per 10-year age strata from proportional hazards models. Population attributable risk percentage was derived to estimate excess mortality after a diagnosis of AD dementia. The number of excess deaths attributable to AD dementia in the United States was then estimated. Results: Over an average of 8 years, 559 participants (21.8%) without dementia at baseline developed AD dementia and 1,090 (42.4%) died. Median time from AD dementia diagnosis to death was 3.8 years. The mortality HR for AD dementia was 4.30 (confidence interval = 3.33, 5.58) for ages 75–84 years and 2.77 (confidence interval = 2.37, 3.23) for ages 85 years and older (too few deaths after AD dementia in ages 65–74 were available to estimate HR). Population attributable risk percentage was 37.0% for ages 75–84 and 35.8% for ages 85 and older. An estimated 503,400 deaths in Americans aged 75 years and older were attributable to AD dementia in 2010. Conclusions: A larger number of deaths are attributable to AD dementia in the United States each year than the number (<84,000 in 2010) reported on death certificates.

Alzheimer's Disease Patients' and Caregivers' Capacity, Competency, and Reasons to Enroll in an Early‐Phase Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVES: To examine the capacity, competency, and reasons for enrolling of patients with Alzheimers disease (AD) and of their caregivers in an early phase AD clinical trial.

Life Space and Risk of Alzheimer Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Cognitive Decline in Old Age

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that a constricted life space, the extent of movement through the environment covered during daily functioning, is associated with increased risk of incident Alzheimer disease (AD), increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and more rapid cognitive decline in older adults. DESIGN Two prospective cohort studies. SETTING Retirement communities, community-based organizations, churches, and senior subsidized housing facilities across the Chicago metropolitan area. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1,294 community-dwelling elders without baseline clinical dementia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Detailed annual clinical evaluation to diagnose incident AD and MCI, and document change in cognitive function. RESULTS During a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.4 (1.7) years, 180 persons developed AD. In a proportional hazards model controlling for age, sex, race, and education, a more constricted life space was associated with an increased risk of AD (hazard ratio = 1.21, confidence interval: 1.08-1.36). A person with a life space constricted to their home was almost twice as likely to develop AD than a person with the largest life space (out of town). The association did not vary along demographic lines and persisted after the addition of terms for performance-based physical function, disability, depressive symptoms, social network size, vascular disease burden, and vascular risk factors. The association remained consistent after excluding persons with MCI at baseline and who developed AD in the first 2 years of observation. A constricted life space was also associated with an increased risk of MCI (hazard ratio = 1.17, confidence interval: 1.06-1.28), and a more rapid rate of global cognitive decline (estimate: -0.012, standard error: 0.003, t[5033] = -3.58, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS A constricted life space is associated with increased risk of AD, MCI, and cognitive decline among older persons.

Dementia From Alzheimer Disease and Mixed Pathologies in the Oldest Old

To the Editor: The oldest old (≥90 years of age) are the fastest growing segment of the US population and account for half of all persons with dementia. Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common pathology underlying dementia in the old (ages 65-89 years). Recent community-based autopsy studies1,2 suggest the relationship between AD pathology and expression of dementia is attenuated in the oldest old.3 Studies may be complicated by the common coexistence of AD plus infarct and/or Lewy body (LB) pathology (mixed pathologies).4 Few data exist on mixed pathologies and dementia in the oldest old.5 We examined the relationship of AD and mixed pathologies to dementia in the oldest old compared with the old. We tested the hypothesis that the clinical expression of AD and mixed pathologies differs across age groups.

Neighborhood psychosocial hazards and cardiovascular disease: The Baltimore Memory Study

OBJECTIVES We examined associations between cardiovascular disease and neighborhood psychosocial hazards, such as violent crime, abandoned buildings, and signs of incivility, to evaluate whether features of place are associated with older adult health. METHODS We analyzed first-visit data from the Baltimore Memory Study of randomly selected residents aged 50 to 70 years (n=1140) of 65 contiguous neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland. We looked for associations between self-reports of history of selected cardiovascular diseases and scores on the 12-item neighborhood psychosocial hazards scale. RESULTS After adjustment for established individual risk factors for cardiovascular disease, residents in neighborhoods with scores in the highest quartile of the psychosocial hazards scale had more than 4 times higher odds of a history of myocardial infarction and more than 3 times higher odds of myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or intermittent claudication compared with residents living in neighborhoods scoring in the lowest quartile. CONCLUSIONS Neighborhood psychosocial hazards were significantly associated with self-reported cardiovascular disease after adjustment for individual-level risk factors. This is consistent with the hypothesis that environmental stress plays a role in the etiology of cardiovascular disease.

Association Between Life Space and Risk of Mortality in Advanced Age

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between life space, a measure of functional status that describes the range of movement through the environment covered during daily functioning, and the risk of mortality in older community‐based persons.

The impact of health and financial literacy on decision making in community-based older adults.

Background: Health and financial literacy have been linked to the health and well-being of older adults, yet there are few data on how health and financial literacy actually impact decision making regarding healthcare and economic choices in advanced age. Objective: To examine the association of health and financial literacy with decision making in older adults. Method: Data came from 525 community-dwelling older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of aging. Health and financial literacy were assessed via a series of questions designed to measure comprehension of health and financial information and concepts. The two scores were averaged to yield a total literacy score. A modified, 12-item version of the Decision-Making Competence Assessment Tool was used to measure financial and healthcare decision making (6 items each), using materials designed to approximate those used in real world settings. All 12 items were summed to yield a total decision-making score. Associations were tested via linear regression models adjusted for age, sex and education. Secondary models adjusted for global cognitive function, income, depression and chronic medical conditions. Results: On average, participants correctly answered 67% of the literacy questions (health literacy = 61.6%, SD = 18.8% and financial literacy = 72.5%, SD = 16.0%). After adjustment for cognitive function, the total literacy score was positively associated with the decision-making total score (estimate = 0.64, SE = 0.08, p < 0.001), as well as healthcare (estimate = 0.37, SE = 0.5, p < 0.001) and financial decision making (estimate = 0.28, SE = 0.05, p < 0.001). Further, total literacy, health and financial literacy all were independently associated with decision making in models adjusted for covariates including income, depression, and chronic medical conditions (all p values < 0.001). Finally, there was evidence of effect modification such that the beneficial association between literacy and healthcare decision making was stronger among older persons, poorer persons and persons at the lower ranges of cognitive ability. Conclusion: Among community based older persons without dementia, higher levels of health and financial literacy were associated with better decision making, suggesting that improvements in literacy could facilitate better decision making and lead to better health and quality of life in later years.