Genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption in middle to late life.

Objective: Alcohol use is common in older adults and linked to poor health and aging outcomes. Studies have demonstrated genetic and environmental contributions to the quantity of alcohol consumption in mid-to-late life, but less is known about whether these influences are moderated by sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, and educational attainment. This study sought to better understand sociodemographic trends in alcohol consumption across the second half of the life course and their underlying genetic and environmental influences.

Evidence Supports the Validity and Reliability of Response Times from a Brief Survey as a Digital Biomarker for Processing Speed in a Large Panel Study.

Survey response times (RTs) have hitherto untapped potential to allow researchers to gain more detailed insights into the cognitive performance of participants in online panel studies. We examined if RTs recorded from a brief online survey could serve as a digital biomarker for processing speed. Data from 9,893 adults enrolled in the nationally representative Understanding America Study were used in the analyses.

Age of menopause and dementia risk in 10,832 women from the Swedish Twin Registry.

Introduction: An earlier age of menopause (AOM) is hypothesized to increase vulnerability to the neuropathological processes of dementia which begin in midlife.

Methods: We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 10,832 women from the Swedish Twin Registry, stratified by menopause etiology. Survival models showed that a U-shaped association was present for women whose menopause occurred spontaneously.

Michael A. (Mick) Smyer (1950-2024).

Memorializes Michael A. (Mick) Smyer (1950-2024). Mick was a clinical psychologist, gerontologist, expert in mental health and aging policy, academic administrator, and climate activist.

Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) Is Also Relevant for Computer, Smartphone, and Tablet Use by Adults: Introducing the Brief Box Clicking Test.

Importance: Visual-motor integration (VMI) is typically examined in children to promote handwriting, but it may also be relevant for adults' capacity for technology use.

Objective: To examine the reliability and validity of speed of completion of the box clicking test, a web-based test of VMI.

Design: Participants in the Understanding America Study completed online surveys on a regular basis, including a very brief (less than 30 s) self-administered box clicking test.