Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older Adults
Research supporting cognitive reserve theory suggests that engaging in a variety of cognitive, social, and physical activities may serve as protective factors against age-related changes in mental functioning, especially if the activities are cognitively engaging. Individuals who participate in a va...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.620867/full |
| _version_ | 1819140031788351488 |
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| author | Alexandria N. Weaver Susanne M. Jaeggi |
| author_facet | Alexandria N. Weaver Susanne M. Jaeggi |
| author_sort | Alexandria N. Weaver |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research supporting cognitive reserve theory suggests that engaging in a variety of cognitive, social, and physical activities may serve as protective factors against age-related changes in mental functioning, especially if the activities are cognitively engaging. Individuals who participate in a variety of cognitive activities have been found to be more likely to maintain a higher level of cognitive functioning and be less likely to develop dementia. In this study, we explore the relationship between engaging in a variety of activities and cognitive performance amongst 206 healthy older adults between the ages of 65–85. Age and years of education were found to be the most significant predictors of a global composite representing cognitive performance, consistent with previous work linking these variables to age-related changes in cognition and the cognitive reserve. We interpret these results to suggest that age and education are better predictors of global cognitive performance in older adults than self-reported activity engagement. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T11:32:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ad9246ce6e5479990572d91033327e6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T11:32:06Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ad9246ce6e5479990572d91033327e62022-12-21T18:27:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-03-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.620867620867Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older AdultsAlexandria N. WeaverSusanne M. JaeggiResearch supporting cognitive reserve theory suggests that engaging in a variety of cognitive, social, and physical activities may serve as protective factors against age-related changes in mental functioning, especially if the activities are cognitively engaging. Individuals who participate in a variety of cognitive activities have been found to be more likely to maintain a higher level of cognitive functioning and be less likely to develop dementia. In this study, we explore the relationship between engaging in a variety of activities and cognitive performance amongst 206 healthy older adults between the ages of 65–85. Age and years of education were found to be the most significant predictors of a global composite representing cognitive performance, consistent with previous work linking these variables to age-related changes in cognition and the cognitive reserve. We interpret these results to suggest that age and education are better predictors of global cognitive performance in older adults than self-reported activity engagement.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.620867/fullactivity engagementcognitive performancecognitive reserveagingeducation |
| spellingShingle | Alexandria N. Weaver Susanne M. Jaeggi Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older Adults Frontiers in Psychology activity engagement cognitive performance cognitive reserve aging education |
| title | Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older Adults |
| title_full | Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older Adults |
| title_fullStr | Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older Adults |
| title_short | Activity Engagement and Cognitive Performance Amongst Older Adults |
| title_sort | activity engagement and cognitive performance amongst older adults |
| topic | activity engagement cognitive performance cognitive reserve aging education |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.620867/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexandrianweaver activityengagementandcognitiveperformanceamongstolderadults AT susannemjaeggi activityengagementandcognitiveperformanceamongstolderadults |