Psychometric limitations of the mini-mental state examination among nondemented older adults: an evaluation of neurocognitive and magnetic resonance imaging correlates.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Although many of the Mini-Mental State Examination's (MMSE) limitations are well accepted among geriatricians, neuropsychologists, and other interested clinicians and researchers, its continued use in psychometrically unsound ways suggests that additional investigation and dissemination of information are sorely needed. The authors aimed to describe the reliability and validity of the MMSE as a measure of cognitive function among healthy older adults.

Methods: The authors examined MMSE performance in 124 stroke- and dementia-free, community-dwelling older adults (65% male; mean age = 66.

Judgment of Line Orientation: an examination of eight short forms.

The Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO) test is a commonly used measure of visuospatial perception. Because of its length, several short forms have appeared in the literature. We examined the internal consistency of the JLO and eight of its published short forms among 128 undergraduates, 203 healthy older adults, and 55 chronic kidney disease patients.

Greater coffee intake in men is associated with steeper age-related increases in blood pressure.

Background: Administration of caffeine or caffeinated coffee in laboratory and ambulatory settings results in small to moderate acute increases in blood pressure (BP). However, habitual coffee intake has not been linked conclusively to long-term increases in basal BP, and findings are inconsistent by sex. This study examined longitudinal relations of habitual coffee use to resting BP and pulse pressure.

Cardiovascular and psychological reactivity and recovery from harassment in a biracial sample of high and low hostile men and women.

Background: This study emphasizes the importance of studying the emotional, motivational, and cognitive characteristics accompanying and the potential hemodynamic mechanisms underlying cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from interpersonal conflict.

Purpose: The relation of dispositional hostility to cardiovascular reactivity during a frustrating anagram task and post-task recovery was investigated.

Methods: The sample was composed of 99 healthy participants (age, 18-30 years; 53% women; 51% Caucasian; 49% African American)-half randomly assigned to a harassment condition.

Nonlinear relations of blood pressure to cognitive function: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

This investigation examined cross-sectional and longitudinal relations, both linear and nonlinear, of blood pressure (BP) and its interaction with demographic and lifestyle variables to a broad spectrum of cognitive functions. Eight hundred forty-seven participants (503 men and 344 women) from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging completed tests of verbal and nonverbal memory, attention, perceptuo-motor speed, executive functions, and confrontation naming, and clinical assessment of BP on 1 to 7 occasions over 11 years. Mixed-effects regression models, adjusted for age, education, gender, alcohol consumption, smoking status, depression scores, and use of antihypertensive medications, revealed nonlinear relations of systolic BP with longitudinal change on tests of nonverbal memory and confrontation naming; cognitive decline was apparent among older (80 years) individuals with higher systolic BP.

Depression and lipoprotein lipids in healthy, postmenopausal women; the moderating effects of hormone replacement therapy.

Objective: Naturally occurring low cholesterol levels have been related to increased depressive symptoms in studies conducted predominantly in men. However, depression is more common among women, may increase during the menopause, and may be impacted by hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We therefore examined the potential interactive relation of depressive symptoms and HRT status to lipoprotein lipids among postmenopausal women.