A Randomized Clinical Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program Among Breast Cancer Survivors Post-Treatment: Evaluating Mediators of Cognitive Improvement.

Unlabelled: The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program for breast cancer survivors (MBSR [BCs]) is a stress-reducing program designed to increase cognitive functioning through four meditational practices. This randomized clinical trial aimed to determine if improvements in cognitive functioning and perceived cognitive abilities achieved from the MBSR(BC) were mediated through increased mindfulness, decreased rumination, and decreased perceived stress. Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) who met inclusion criteria of stage I, II, or III BC and received either chemotherapy (CT) or both CT and radiation were randomized to either the 6-week MBSR(BC), or Breast Cancer Education Support (BCES) program, or to a usual care (UC) regimen.

The Role of Life Satisfaction and Optimism for Successful Aging in Mid and Late Life.

Guided by the Rowe and Kahn model, the current study examined the longitudinal association of objective and subjective components of successful aging (SA) with individuals' life satisfaction and level of optimism across adulthood aiming to validate the related scanty existing research. Data were from waves 2 and 3 (2004-14) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Using structural equation modeling, we examined ( = 2,040) whether subjective life satisfaction (wave 2) has any effect on a composite measure of SA (wave 3) while controlling for baseline sociodemographic and health factors.

How Social Connection and Engagement Relate to Functional Limitations and Depressive Symptoms Outcomes After Stroke.

Background: Stroke commonly leads to disability and depression. Social connection and engagement can be protective against functional decline and depression in the general population. We investigated the effects of social connection and engagement on trajectories of function and depressive symptoms in stroke.

Music Engagement and Episodic Memory Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Longitudinal Analysis.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine associations between music engagement and episodic memory for more than 12 years in a nationally representative sample of middle- and older-aged adults in the United States.

Methods: This study is based on a secondary analysis of data from a sample (N = 5,021) of cognitively normal adults from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2018). Episodic memory was measured by immediate and delayed recall tasks.

"How Social Connection and Engagement Relate to Functional Limitations and Depressive Symptoms Outcomes After Stroke".

Background: Stroke commonly leads to disability and depression. Social connection and engagement can be protective against functional decline and depression in the general population. We investigated the effects of social connection and engagement on trajectories of function and depressive symptoms in stroke.

Using blood test parameters to define biological age among older adults: association with morbidity and mortality independent of chronological age validated in two separate birth cohorts.

Biomarkers defining biological age are typically laborious or expensive to assess. Instead, in the current study, we identified parameters based on standard laboratory blood tests across metabolic, cardiovascular, inflammatory, and kidney functioning that had been assessed in the Berlin Aging Study (BASE) (n = 384) and Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) (n = 1517). We calculated biological age using those 12 parameters that individually predicted mortality hazards over 26 years in BASE.

Associations of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and caregiving with inflammation: a longitudinal study.

Objectives: Higher inflammation has been linked to poor physical and mental health outcomes, and mortality, but few studies have rigorously examined whether changes in perceived stress and depressive symptoms are associated with increased inflammation within family caregivers and non-caregivers in a longitudinal design.

Design: Longitudinal Study.

Setting: REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke cohort study.

Mind-Body Practice, Personality Traits, and Cognitive Performance: A 10-Years Study in US Adults.

It is widely established that physical activity is associated with better cognitive outcomes, and accumulating evidence suggests that mind-body practice (MBP, e.g., movement therapies such as yoga) may yield similar benefits.

Alzheimer's Association Project VITAL: A Florida Statewide Initiative Using Technology to Impact Social Isolation and Well-Being.

Lack of social engagement and the resulting social isolation can have negative impacts on health and well-being, especially in senior care communities and for those living with dementia. Project VITAL leverages technology and community resources to create a network for connection, engagement, education, and support of individuals with dementia and their caregivers, and explores the impact of these interventions in reducing feelings of social isolation and increasing mood among residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through two phases, 600 personalized Wi-Fi-enabled iN2L tablets were distributed to 300 senior care communities (55% assisted living communities, 37% skilled nursing communities, 6% memory care communities, and 2% adult family-care homes) to connect and engage residents and their families.

The Role of Social Connection/Engagement in Episodic Memory Change in Stroke.

Background And Objectives: Positive associations between social connection/engagement and cognitive function are well documented. However, little is known about whether social connection/engagement can buffer the impact of serious brain injury such as stroke on cognitive functioning.

Research Design And Methods: Participants were 898 individuals with incident stroke from the Health and Retirement Study between 1998 and 2012.

Movement-based mind-body practices and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults: Findings from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.

Objectives: Cognitive function is a key component of healthy aging. While conventional physical activities (walking, jogging, etc.) have been shown to support physical and cognitive health in late-life, it remains unclear whether traditional Eastern movement-based mind-body practices (MBP) have long-term cognitive benefits above and beyond conventional leisure physical activities.

Association Between Music Engagement and Episodic Memory Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Objectives: To determine whether music engagement influences middle-aged and older adults' performance on episodic memory tasks.

Method: Secondary data analysis of a sample (N = 4,592) of cognitively healthy adults from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study was used for this study. Multivariable regression models were used to analyze the cross-sectional differences in performance on tasks of episodic memory between participants who listened to music (n = 3,659) or sang or played an instrument (n = 989).

Mind-body practices in U.S. adults: Prevalence and correlates.

Objectives: Mind-body practices (MBP), such as Yoga or Tai-Chi, have increased in popularity in the past 25 years in the US. These activities may help promote a less sedentary lifestyle and may have positive effects on health. The objective of the present study is to understand the prevalence and trends of MBP in US adults and the factors associated with their use in a population-based adult lifespan sample.

Moody and thin-skinned? The interplay of neuroticism and momentary affect in older romantic couples.

Neuroticism is associated with heightened reactivity to social stressors. However, little is known about the micro-processes through which neuroticism shapes - and is shaped by - affective experiences in close relationships. We examine the extent to which momentary affect is coupled with one's relationship partner, whether the strength of this coupling differs depending on levels of neuroticism, and whether this coupling and partner's overall level of positive or negative affect prospectively contribute to differential (rank-order) changes in neuroticism.