INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 02 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 08:00 am - 09:15 am Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 02: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 1 Final Abstract #105 Examining the Relationship Between Subjective and Objective Measurement of Executive Functioning and Cognitive Symptom Management in Healthy Older Adults Nicole Whiteley, Washington State University, Pullman, United States Callie Mazurek, Washington State University, Pullman, United States Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe, Washington State University, Pullman, United States Category: Aging Keyword 1: aging (normal) Keyword 2: everyday functioning Keyword 3: executive functions Objective: Cognitive strategies and symptom management are important tools older adults may implement to assist with everyday tasks and support independent functioning. Executive functioning (EF) is known to decrease with age and may serve as a barrier to symptom management. Research is limited regarding how management of cognitive symptoms relates to both subjective and objective assessment of EF. While objective assessments are prioritized in capturing abilities, subjective EF offers insight into one’s perception of one’s abilities and may determine strategy implementation. It was therefore hypothesized that subjective EF would better predict self-reported confidence in managing cognitively challenging tasks compared to objective EF. Participants and Methods: Thirty-one community-dwelling older adults aged 54-83 (M = 67.81 SD = 7.33; 77.4% female; M education years = 16.84, SD = 2.22), without cognitive impairment (MoCA26), were included from a larger parent study. The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) was completed by participants to measure subjective EF (e.g., I find it hard to stop repeating, saying or doing things once started.), with higher scores indicating more perceived everyday executive dysfunction. Composites were created to represent objective domains of attention/working memory (WAIS-IV Digit Span forward and backward) and executive functioning (DKEFS Category Switching Accuracy; Five Point Test). Cognitive strategies (e.g., I can think of methods to make the activity easier.) were assessed using Part II of the Cognitive Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (CSEQ), with higher scores indicating more certainty in managing cognitively challenging tasks. Pearson correlations were used to examine associations among the measures. Standard multiple regression was used to determine if subjective or objective EF predicted cognitive symptoms management. Demographic variables (sex, age, education) were not used as covariates in regression analyses as they were not statistically related to the outcome variable. Results: Objective composites of EF and attention/working memory were not significantly related to confidence in managing cognitively challenging tasks (p > .05). Less subjective difficulty with EF was related to more certainty in symptom management, r(29) = -.64, p < .001. In regression analyses, subjective EF (b = -2.33, SE_b = 0.53, = -.64, t(28) = -4.44, p < .001) but not objective EF (b = 0.58, SE_b = 5.22, = .02, t(28) = 0.11, p = .91), significantly predicted certainty in symptom management. The total variance explained by the model as a whole was 41.3%, F(2,28) = 9.85, p < .001. Conclusions: Unlike objective measures of EF and attention/working memory, less self-reported difficulty with EF related to and predicted more certainty in the management of cognitively challenging tasks. Findings highlight the importance of one’s perception of functional difficulties, as opposed to objective capacity assessment of EF or attention/working memory, in predicting confidence in ability to manage cognitively challenging tasks. Future research should expand upon these findings to examine how subjective and objective EF relate to real-world symptom management, and which more accurately predicts real-world strategy use.

Poster

02/15/2024
08:00 am - 09:15 am
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 02: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 1

Final Abstract #105

Examining the Relationship Between Subjective and Objective Measurement of Executive Functioning and Cognitive Symptom Management in Healthy Older Adults

Nicole Whiteley, Washington State University, Pullman, United States
Callie Mazurek, Washington State University, Pullman, United States
Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe, Washington State University, Pullman, United States

Category: Aging

Keyword 1: aging (normal)
Keyword 2: everyday functioning
Keyword 3: executive functions

Objective:

Cognitive strategies and symptom management are important tools older adults may implement to assist with everyday tasks and support independent functioning. Executive functioning (EF) is known to decrease with age and may serve as a barrier to symptom management. Research is limited regarding how management of cognitive symptoms relates to both subjective and objective assessment of EF. While objective assessments are prioritized in capturing abilities, subjective EF offers insight into one’s perception of one’s abilities and may determine strategy implementation. It was therefore hypothesized that subjective EF would better predict self-reported confidence in managing cognitively challenging tasks compared to objective EF.

Participants and Methods:

Thirty-one community-dwelling older adults aged 54-83 (M = 67.81 SD = 7.33; 77.4% female; M education years = 16.84, SD = 2.22), without cognitive impairment (MoCA26), were included from a larger parent study. The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) was completed by participants to measure subjective EF (e.g., I find it hard to stop repeating, saying or doing things once started.), with higher scores indicating more perceived everyday executive dysfunction. Composites were created to represent objective domains of attention/working memory (WAIS-IV Digit Span forward and backward) and executive functioning (DKEFS Category Switching Accuracy; Five Point Test). Cognitive strategies (e.g., I can think of methods to make the activity easier.) were assessed using Part II of the Cognitive Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (CSEQ), with higher scores indicating more certainty in managing cognitively challenging tasks. Pearson correlations were used to examine associations among the measures. Standard multiple regression was used to determine if subjective or objective EF predicted cognitive symptoms management. Demographic variables (sex, age, education) were not used as covariates in regression analyses as they were not statistically related to the outcome variable.

Results:

Objective composites of EF and attention/working memory were not significantly related to confidence in managing cognitively challenging tasks (p > .05). Less subjective difficulty with EF was related to more certainty in symptom management, r(29) = -.64, p < .001. In regression analyses, subjective EF (b = -2.33, SE_b = 0.53, = -.64, t(28) = -4.44, p < .001) but not objective EF (b = 0.58, SE_b = 5.22, = .02, t(28) = 0.11, p = .91), significantly predicted certainty in symptom management. The total variance explained by the model as a whole was 41.3%, F(2,28) = 9.85, p < .001.

Conclusions:

Unlike objective measures of EF and attention/working memory, less self-reported difficulty with EF related to and predicted more certainty in the management of cognitively challenging tasks. Findings highlight the importance of one’s perception of functional difficulties, as opposed to objective capacity assessment of EF or attention/working memory, in predicting confidence in ability to manage cognitively challenging tasks. Future research should expand upon these findings to examine how subjective and objective EF relate to real-world symptom management, and which more accurately predicts real-world strategy use.