Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging

Characterizing the cognitive declines associated with aging, and differentiating them from the effects of disease in older adults, are important goals for human neuroscience researchers. This is also an issue of public health urgency in countries with rapidly aging populations. Progress toward unde...

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Main Authors: David S Geldmacher, Bonnie E Levin, Clinton B Wright
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2012-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnagi.2012.00023/full
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author David S Geldmacher
Bonnie E Levin
Clinton B Wright
author_facet David S Geldmacher
Bonnie E Levin
Clinton B Wright
author_sort David S Geldmacher
collection DOAJ
description Characterizing the cognitive declines associated with aging, and differentiating them from the effects of disease in older adults, are important goals for human neuroscience researchers. This is also an issue of public health urgency in countries with rapidly aging populations. Progress toward understanding cognitive aging is complicated by numerous factors. Researchers interested in cognitive changes in healthy older adults need to consider these complexities when they design and interpret studies. This paper addresses important factors in study design, patient demographics, co-morbid and incipient medical conditions, and assessment instruments that will allow researchers to optimize the characterization of healthy participants and produce meaningful and generalizable research outcomes from studies of cognitive aging. Application of knowledge from well-designed studies should be useful in clinical settings to facilitate the earliest possible recognition of disease and guide appropriate interventions to best meet the needs of the affected individual and public health priorities.
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spelling doaj.art-b4c7633acd8a4927841de8d2db918ff62022-12-22T03:44:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience1663-43652012-09-01410.3389/fnagi.2012.0002325899Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive agingDavid S Geldmacher0Bonnie E Levin1Clinton B Wright2University of Alabama School of MedicineUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineCharacterizing the cognitive declines associated with aging, and differentiating them from the effects of disease in older adults, are important goals for human neuroscience researchers. This is also an issue of public health urgency in countries with rapidly aging populations. Progress toward understanding cognitive aging is complicated by numerous factors. Researchers interested in cognitive changes in healthy older adults need to consider these complexities when they design and interpret studies. This paper addresses important factors in study design, patient demographics, co-morbid and incipient medical conditions, and assessment instruments that will allow researchers to optimize the characterization of healthy participants and produce meaningful and generalizable research outcomes from studies of cognitive aging. Application of knowledge from well-designed studies should be useful in clinical settings to facilitate the earliest possible recognition of disease and guide appropriate interventions to best meet the needs of the affected individual and public health priorities.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnagi.2012.00023/fullcognitive agingResearch Methodsscreening instrumentssubject selectionsample heterogeneity
spellingShingle David S Geldmacher
Bonnie E Levin
Clinton B Wright
Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
cognitive aging
Research Methods
screening instruments
subject selection
sample heterogeneity
title Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging
title_full Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging
title_fullStr Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging
title_full_unstemmed Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging
title_short Characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging
title_sort characterizing healthy samples for studies of human cognitive aging
topic cognitive aging
Research Methods
screening instruments
subject selection
sample heterogeneity
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnagi.2012.00023/full
work_keys_str_mv AT davidsgeldmacher characterizinghealthysamplesforstudiesofhumancognitiveaging
AT bonnieelevin characterizinghealthysamplesforstudiesofhumancognitiveaging
AT clintonbwright characterizinghealthysamplesforstudiesofhumancognitiveaging