Public Health.

Background: Social connections are associated with brain health, but the extent to which social connections are heritable remains unclear. Using longitudinal twin data, we explored the heritable and environmental contributions to social connections. We hypothesised that social connections patterns would be moderately heritable and would be associated with better cognitive and mental health over time.

Does Mild Functional Impairment Predict Dementia in Older Adults With Normal Cognition?

Objectives: Functional impairment can be an early indicator of cognitive decline. However, its predictive utility in cognitively normal (CN) older adults remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether mild functional impairment (MFI) in CN older adults could predict incident dementia over 6 years, in addition to assessing its association with cognitive performance.

Fluid biomarkers of the neurovascular unit in cerebrovascular disease and vascular cognitive disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The disruption of the neurovascular unit (NVU), which maintains the integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB), has been identified as a critical mechanism in the development of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. However, the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms linking NVU dysfunction to the disorders is incomplete, and reliable blood biomarkers to measure NVU dysfunction are yet to be established. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify biomarkers associated with BBB dysfunction in large vessel disease, small vessel disease (SVD) and vascular cognitive disorders (VCD).

Association of Blood Pressure With Brain Ages: A Cohort Study of Gray and White Matter Aging Discrepancy in Mid-to-Older Adults From UK Biobank.

Background: Gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) impairments are both associated with raised blood pressure (BP), although whether elevated BP is differentially associated with the GM and WM aging process remains inadequately examined.

Methods: We included 37 327 participants with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and 39 630 participants with T1-weighted scans from UK Biobank. BP was classified into 4 categories: normal BP, high-normal BP, grade 1, and grade 2 hypertension.

White matter brain age as a biomarker of cerebrovascular burden in the ageing brain.

As the brain ages, it almost invariably accumulates vascular pathology, which differentially affects the cerebral white matter. A rich body of research has investigated the link between vascular risk factors and the brain. One of the less studied questions is that among various modifiable vascular risk factors, which is the most debilitating one for white matter health? A white matter specific brain age was developed to evaluate the overall white matter health from diffusion weighted imaging, using a three-dimensional convolutional neural network deep learning model in both cross-sectional UK biobank participants (n = 37,327) and a longitudinal subset (n = 1409).

Poor mobility and lower limb weakness are associated with three distinct depressive symptom trajectories over 6 years in older people.

Objectives: Physical decline can be associated with the onset of depressive symptoms in later life. This study aimed to identify physical and lifestyle risk factors for depressive symptom trajectories in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: Participants were 553 people aged 70-90 years who underwent baseline physical, psychological and lifestyle assessments.

Network analysis of neuropsychiatric, cognitive, and functional complications of stroke: implications for novel treatment targets.

Aim: Recovery from stroke is adversely affected by neuropsychiatric complications, cognitive impairment, and functional disability. Better knowledge of their mutual relationships is required to inform effective interventions. Network theory enables the conceptualization of symptoms and impairments as dynamic and mutually interacting systems.

Frequency of cognitive "super-aging" in three Australian samples using different diagnostic criteria.

Objectives: To investigate the frequency of exceptional cognition (cognitive super-aging) in Australian older adults using different published definitions, agreement between definitions, and the relationship of super-aging status with function, brain imaging markers, and incident dementia.

Design: Three longitudinal cohort studies.

Setting: Participants recruited from the electoral roll, Australian Twins Registry, and community advertisements.

Does Religious Worldview Benefit Life Satisfaction? Examination of the Incremental Predictive Power, Underlying Mechanism, and Temporal Relationship in Hong Kong and the USA.

The benefits of religion have predominantly focused on personal religious identities and experiences, while the broader context of religious worldviews remains understudied. Across two quantitative studies, we showed the incremental predictive power of religious worldview and its mechanism among young adults in two societies-the USA (N = 179) and Hong Kong (N = 164). The mediation mechanism with social connectedness was further inferred from a 12-month study among Hong Kong Chinese (N = 133).

Use of Antihypertensives, Blood Pressure, and Estimated Risk of Dementia in Late Life: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Importance: The utility of antihypertensives and ideal blood pressure (BP) for dementia prevention in late life remains unclear and highly contested.

Objectives: To assess the associations of hypertension history, antihypertensive use, and baseline measured BP in late life (age >60 years) with dementia and the moderating factors of age, sex, and racial group.

Data Source And Study Selection: Longitudinal, population-based studies of aging participating in the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC) group were included.

A longitudinal examination of the role of social identity in supporting health and well-being in retirement.

Social factors are major determinants of the success of retirement transitions. However, we do not yet fully understand the nature and basis of this impact, particularly as it relates to social group belonging. To address this issue the present article investigated the role that social group memberships play in supporting people's health and well-being in the early phase of transitioning to retirement.

The combination of olfactory dysfunction and depression increases the risk of incident dementia in older adults.

Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction and depression are common in later life, and both have been presented as risk factors for dementia. Our purpose was to investigate the associations between these two risk factors and determine if they had an additive effect on dementia risk.

Design: Olfactory function was assessed using the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT), and depression was classified using a combination of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score and current antidepressant use.

Global Consciousness Predicts Behavioral Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Evidence From 35 Cultures.

COVID-19 has drastically changed human behaviors and posed a threat to globalism by spurring a resurgence of nationalism. Promoting prosocial behavior within and across borders is of paramount importance for global cooperation to combat pandemics. To examine both self-report and actual prosocial behavior, we conducted the first empirical test of global consciousness theory in a multinational study of 35 cultures ( = 18,171 community adults stratified by age, gender, and region of residence).

Short-term Trajectories of Poststroke Cognitive Function: A STROKOG Collaboration Study.

Background And Objectives: Past studies on poststroke cognitive function have focused on the average performance or change over time, but few have investigated patterns of cognitive trajectories after stroke. This project used latent class growth analysis (LCGA) to identify clusters of patients with similar patterns of cognition scores over the first-year poststroke and the extent to which long-term cognitive outcome is predicted by the clusters ("trajectory groups").

Methods: Data were sought from the Stroke and Cognition consortium.

Reliability, Validity, and User-Experience of Remote Unsupervised Computerized Neuropsychological Assessments in Community-Living 55- to 75-Year-Olds.

Background: Self-administered computerized neuropsychological assessments (CNAs) provide lower cost, more accessible alternatives to traditional in-person assessments but lack critical information on psychometrics and subjective experience of older adults in remote testing environments.

Objective: We used an online brief battery of computerized tasks selected from the Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB) and Cambridge Brain Sciences (CBS) to 1) determine test-retest reliability in an unsupervised setting; 2) examine convergent validity with a comprehensive 'gold standard' paper-and-pencil neuropsychological test battery administered in-person; and 3) explore user-experience of remote computerized testing and individual tests.

Methods: Fifty-two participants (mean age 65.