Examining Gender Differences in Neurocognitive Functioning Across Adulthood.

Objective: Previous research has shown that women have an advantage on verbal episodic memory and processing speed tasks, while men show an advantage on spatial ability measures. Previous work has also found differences in cognition across age. The current study examines gender differences in neurocognitive functioning across adulthood, whether age moderates this effect, and whether these differences remain consistent with practice across multiple testing sessions.

Attrition in Longitudinal Data is Primarily Selective with Respect to Level Rather than Rate of Change.

Objectives: An important question in longitudinal research is whether the individuals who discontinue participation differ in their level of, or their change in, cognitive functioning relative to individuals who return for subsequent occasions.

Methods: Performance in five cognitive domains was examined in nearly 5000 participants between 18 and 85 years of age who completed between one and five longitudinal occasions.

Results: Little or no differences in cognitive performance were apparent between young adults who did or did not return for subsequent longitudinal occasions.

Brain biomarkers and cognition across adulthood.

Understanding the associations between brain biomarkers (BMs) and cognition across age is of paramount importance. Five hundred and sixty-two participants (19-80 years old, 16 mean years of education) were studied. Data from structural T1, diffusion tensor imaging, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans combined with a neuropsychological evaluation were used.

Trajectories of normal cognitive aging.

Although sensitive detection of pathological cognitive aging requires accurate information about the trajectory of normal cognitive aging, prior research has revealed inconsistent patterns of age-cognition relations with cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons. Age trends in four cognitive domains were compared in over 5,000 adults with cross-sectional data, and in almost 1,600 adults with three-occasion longitudinal data. Quasi-longitudinal comparisons, which are similar to cross-sectional comparisons in that there is no prior test experience and are similar to longitudinal comparisons in that the participants are from the same birth cohorts, were also reported.

Why is cognitive change more negative with increased age?

Objective: The primary goal of the current study was to investigate factors contributing to more negative cognitive change at older ages.

Method: Longitudinal data on 12 cognitive tests were examined in 2,637 adults ranging from 18 to 85 years of age. Because both the intervals between measurement occasions and the number of occasions varied across participants, it was possible to investigate effects of interval and number of measurement occasions on cognitive change in adults of different ages.