Normative data for elderly African Americans for the Stroop Color and Word Test.

The Stroop Color and Word Test is a measure of executive function that is commonly used in neuropsychological evaluations, but for which there are currently no normative date for elderly African American individuals. The present investigation examined the influence of demographic characteristics on this measure in a community-dwelling sample of 236 elderly African American adults (60-84 years of age). Age, education, gender, and the education by gender interaction were found to affect performance on the Stroop Color and Word Test tasks.

3MS normative data for the elderly.

The Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) was developed to overcome shortcomings of the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE), specifically its narrow range of possible scores and ceiling effects. Several studies have examined the psychometric characteristics of the 3MS, showing an improvement in reliability and increased sensitivity in detecting dementia in comparison to the MMSE. Despite research supporting the favorable psychometric features of the 3MS, the clinical value of the instrument is restricted by limited normative data, especially for the elderly population.

Elderly norms for the Spot-the-Word test.

This study provides population-based normative data for healthy, community-dwelling American elderly on the Spot-the-Word test (STW). The effects of age, education, and gender on STW performance are also investigated. Given previously limited normative data for the elderly, the current norms expand the clinical utility of STW as an estimate of premorbid intelligence.

Effects of the use of alcohol and cigarettes on cognition in elderly African American adults.

In this study we examined the independent and interactive effects of lifetime patterns of drinking and smoking on cognitive performance in elderly African Americans. A sample of 230 individuals with varying histories of alcohol and cigarette use was drawn from the Hillsborough Elder African American Life Study, a community-based, cross-sectional study of older adults aged 60 to 84. Dependent variables were the results of a neuropsychological battery that provided measures of general cognitive ability, executive function, and memory.

Determinants of a sense of mastery in African American and White older adults.

Objectives: This study compares determinants of a sense of mastery in African American and White older adults.

Methods: The association between predictor variables (sociodemographic variables, health conditions, social resources, and religiosity) and feelings of mastery was assessed by using representative community-dwelling samples of 250 African American (mean age = 71.6) and 452 White (mean age = 73.

Alcohol, aging, and cognitive performance: a cross-cultural comparison.

This study investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive performance in two culturally diverse community-based populations. METHODS. A cross-sectional analysis was used including Japanese Americans (n = 1,836) and Caucasians (n = 2,581) aged 65 and older.

3MS normative data for elderly African Americans.

The Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) is an expanded and modified version of the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE). Although the MMSE has achieved widespread clinical use as a brief cognitive screen, the utility of the measure to ascertain cognitive impairment is constrained by a limited set of abilities sampled, a narrow range of possible scores, floor and ceiling effects, and by a paucity of normative data for use with older adults from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Research demonstrates that the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the 3MS are superior to that of the MMSE in detecting cognitive impairment.

Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised: norms for elderly African Americans.

The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) is a memory test commonly used in neuropsychological evaluations, but for which there are currently no normative data for elderly African Americans. The current study examined the influence of demographic characteristics on HVLT-R performance measures in a community-dwelling sample of 237 African American older adults (60-84 years). Age, gender, and education accounted for moderate amounts of variance in HVLT-R performance.

The role of neuroticism in the association between performance-based and self-reported measures of mobility.

Objective: The present study examined the role of neuroticism in older individuals' self-reports of mobility. The authors hypothesized that neuroticism would modify the association between performance-based and self-reported measures of mobility.

Method: Using a stratified sample of 459 community-dwelling elders, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to assess the effects of physical performance and neuroticism in predicting self-reported mobility.

Older adults and functional decline: a cross-cultural comparison.

Background: The study was conducted to examine the relationships between functional decline, health risk factors, lifestyle practices, and demographic variables in two culturally diverse, community-based samples of White and Japanese American older adults.

Design: The study was an analysis of data from two ongoing studies of aging and dementia in King County, Washington. Functional status at baseline was evaluated, and factors associated with functional decline over a 4-year follow-up period were identified.

Effects of the use of alcohol and cigarettes on cognition in elderly adults.

The objective of this study was to examine the independent and interactive effects of lifetime patterns of drinking and smoking on cognitive performance in the elderly. A sample of 395 individuals with varying histories of alcohol and cigarette use was drawn from the Charlotte County Healthy Aging Study, a community-based, cross-sectional study of randomly selected older adults of age 60 to 84. Dependent variables were the results of a neuropsychological battery that provided measures of general cognitive ability, executive function, and memory.

Nonauditory determinants of self-perceived hearing problems among older adults: the role of stressful life conditions, neuroticism, and social resources.

Background: The present study explored factors that influenced older individuals' subjective perception of hearing problems. In addition to objectively screened hearing ability, nonauditory factors such as stressful life conditions (visual impairment, chronic disease, disability, and recent stressful life events), neuroticism, and social resources were hypothesized to be predictors of self-perceived hearing problems.

Methods: These hypotheses were tested with a hierarchical regression model using a stratified sample of 425 community-dwelling older individuals (mean age = 72.