INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 05 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 02:30 pm - 03:45 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry \| Addiction/Dependence \| Stress/Coping \| Emotional/Social Processes Final Abstract #58 Subsyndromal Depression, Gender, and Verbal Memory in Widowed Adults Michelle Kim, Biola University Rosemead School of Psychology, La Mirada, United States Kimberly Miller, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, United States Ruth Morin, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach, United States Category: Aging Keyword 1: memory complaints Keyword 2: depression Objective: Previous literature has shown mixed results regarding the association between the loss of a spouse and memory decline in older adults (Aartsen et al., 2005; Mousavi-Nasab et al., 2012; Smith & Ehlers, 2021; Wörn et al., 2017). More specifically, while Aartsen et al. (2005) found greater decline in memory from those experiencing bereavement from the loss of a spouse, a more recent study by Wörn et al. (2017) found temporary decrease in only the reasoning domain but not in other areas of global cognitive functioning, processing speed, or memory in older women, and no significant changes in cognitive functioning in older men following spousal bereavement. In addition, studies on bereavement for older adults have evidenced a relationship between the loss of a spouse and depressive symptoms (Breckenridge et al., 1986; Gallagher et al., 1983; Sable, 1991), and depression being significantly associated with lowered memory performance (Burt et al., 1995, Pauls, 2015). This study aims to further investigate the link between spousal loss and memory, given the mixed literature about this association, and identify any gender differences. Additionally, further exploring the findings by Wörn et al. (2017) that changes in life by spousal loss (e.g., stress, depressive symptoms, and cognitive stimulation) might not be severe enough to trigger changes in cognitive functioning, this study aims to investigate memory processing with widowed individuals with subsyndromal depressive symptoms. Participants and Methods: This study pulled from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) archival data. Data from participants ages 55-90 from 57 states within the United States and Canada were selected. Each participant had an ADNI composite verbal memory score (ADNI_MEM; Crane et al., 2012) and depression score, as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; Greenburg, 2012). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between verbal memory, age and education, gender, and subsyndromal depression. Verbal memory served as the dependent variable, while age and education, gender, and subsyndromal depression were entered as predictor variables in respective order. Results: The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis found all predictor variables were significant in predicting verbal memory, with age and education predicting the greatest amount of variance in verbal memory, then subsyndromal depression, then gender. Overall, these variables accounted for 25% of the variance in verbal memory. Most notably, contrary to previous literature (Wörn, 2017) widowed women had higher verbal memory scores than did widowed men. Conclusions: Overall, age, education, gender, and subsyndromal depression accounted for a quarter of the variance in verbal memory and were all significant predictors accounting for the variance in verbal memory scores. Most notable was that widowed women had higher verbal memory scores than widowed men. The findings suggest an increased risk of memory declines with even subsyndromal depression that may be a risk factor in addition to the biopsychosocial changes that occur after the loss of a spouse in adults and the elderly. These findings suggest the implications of widowhood may place these individuals at greater risk of memory decline and other challenges to their functions of daily living.

Poster

02/15/2024
02:30 pm - 03:45 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry | Addiction/Dependence | Stress/Coping | Emotional/Social Processes

Final Abstract #58

Subsyndromal Depression, Gender, and Verbal Memory in Widowed Adults

Michelle Kim, Biola University Rosemead School of Psychology, La Mirada, United States
Kimberly Miller, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, United States
Ruth Morin, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach, United States

Category: Aging

Keyword 1: memory complaints
Keyword 2: depression

Objective:

Previous literature has shown mixed results regarding the association between the loss of a spouse and memory decline in older adults (Aartsen et al., 2005; Mousavi-Nasab et al., 2012; Smith & Ehlers, 2021; Wörn et al., 2017). More specifically, while Aartsen et al. (2005) found greater decline in memory from those experiencing bereavement from the loss of a spouse, a more recent study by Wörn et al. (2017) found temporary decrease in only the reasoning domain but not in other areas of global cognitive functioning, processing speed, or memory in older women, and no significant changes in cognitive functioning in older men following spousal bereavement. In addition, studies on bereavement for older adults have evidenced a relationship between the loss of a spouse and depressive symptoms (Breckenridge et al., 1986; Gallagher et al., 1983; Sable, 1991), and depression being significantly associated with lowered memory performance (Burt et al., 1995, Pauls, 2015). This study aims to further investigate the link between spousal loss and memory, given the mixed literature about this association, and identify any gender differences. Additionally, further exploring the findings by Wörn et al. (2017) that changes in life by spousal loss (e.g., stress, depressive symptoms, and cognitive stimulation) might not be severe enough to trigger changes in cognitive functioning, this study aims to investigate memory processing with widowed individuals with subsyndromal depressive symptoms.

Participants and Methods:

This study pulled from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) archival data. Data from participants ages 55-90 from 57 states within the United States and Canada were selected. Each participant had an ADNI composite verbal memory score (ADNI_MEM; Crane et al., 2012) and depression score, as measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; Greenburg, 2012). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between verbal memory, age and education, gender, and subsyndromal depression. Verbal memory served as the dependent variable, while age and education, gender, and subsyndromal depression were entered as predictor variables in respective order.

Results:

The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis found all predictor variables were significant in predicting verbal memory, with age and education predicting the greatest amount of variance in verbal memory, then subsyndromal depression, then gender. Overall, these variables accounted for 25% of the variance in verbal memory. Most notably, contrary to previous literature (Wörn, 2017) widowed women had higher verbal memory scores than did widowed men.

Conclusions:

Overall, age, education, gender, and subsyndromal depression accounted for a quarter of the variance in verbal memory and were all significant predictors accounting for the variance in verbal memory scores. Most notable was that widowed women had higher verbal memory scores than widowed men. The findings suggest an increased risk of memory declines with even subsyndromal depression that may be a risk factor in addition to the biopsychosocial changes that occur after the loss of a spouse in adults and the elderly. These findings suggest the implications of widowhood may place these individuals at greater risk of memory decline and other challenges to their functions of daily living.