INS NYC 2024 Program

Custom Content	Poster Session 06 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 04:00 pm - 05:15 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 06: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2 Final Abstract #5 Poster Symposium: Current Directions in Women's Neuropsychology Research — Abstract 4 Identifying and characterizing cognitive profiles in midlife females: A latent profile analysis Hannah Hagy, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, United States Amy Bohnert, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, United States Pauline Maki, University of Illinois - Chicago, Chicago, United States Category: Aging Keyword 1: depression Keyword 2: aging (normal) Objective: Females are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than men. The menopause transition, which involves a neuroendocrine shift, is a potential contributor to this sex difference. Multiple estrogen-regulated systems (i.e., circadian rhythms) are disrupted during this transition which may affect cognitive functioning (Barha & Liu-Ambrose, 2020), most notably verbal learning and memory. Midlife females are chronically understudied, and little is known about how individual factors (i.e., sleep, physical activity (PA), stress, depressive symptoms) may relate to cognitive functioning across midlife for females, a period marked by the menopausal transition. Utilizing data from the Human Connectome Aging project (HCP-A), the current study will examine whether distinct cognitive profiles determined by performance-based tasks relate to emotional and physical functioning among a sample of middle-aged females. Participants and Methods: Late reproductive, perimenopause, and postmenopausal females (ages 40 to 60) from the HCP-A were included (n =202, M age = 50.5, SD = 6.2). Demographic information, sleep problems (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), PA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), stress (Distress subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale), depressive symptoms (NIH toolbox Emotion Module) were assessed with surveys, and participants completed several performance-based tasks including: global cognitive function (MoCA), dimensional change card sort (DCCS), flanker, pattern recognition, working memory (WM), picture sequencing, receptive language task, Trail Making Test B (TMT-B), and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning (RAVLT) tasks. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), cognitive profiles were identified via performance-based cognitive tasks. Emergent profiles were characterized in terms of demographic information, psychological, and behavioral factors. Results: Fit indices indicated that a three-class solution fit the sample best: below average to low average performance across domains (Class 1, n=22), average performance across domains (Class 2, n= 72) and low average to average performance across domains (Class 3, n= 76). There was no significant multivariate effect of cognitive profile on psychological and behavioral factors, (p= .14), after controlling for age and education. Univariate analyses revealed significant differences between classes based on depressive symptoms, F(2,52.7) = 3.69, p = .027, = .043) such that females in Class 1 reported higher levels of symptoms than both Class 2 and 3. There was no difference between Class 2 and 3 regarding depressive symptoms, and contrary to hypotheses, no difference in PA, stress, or sleep problems were observed between any classes. Conclusions: Results suggest three distinct cognitive profiles exist in this analytic sample. After controlling for age and education, only depressive symptoms significantly differed between cognitive profiles. The class characterized by low to below-average cognitive performance demonstrated higher levels of reported depressive symptoms as compared to other classes. These findings provide preliminary evidence that middle-aged females who perform worse on cognitive tasks may be experiencing heightened depressive symptoms, which are known to worsen in the perimenopause. Future research should explore more psychological and behavioral factors and whether emerging associations are moderated by menopausal stage.

Custom Content

02/15/2024
04:00 pm - 05:15 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 06: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2

Final Abstract #5

Poster Symposium: Current Directions in Women's Neuropsychology Research — Abstract 4

Identifying and characterizing cognitive profiles in midlife females: A latent profile analysis

Hannah Hagy, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, United States
Amy Bohnert, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, United States
Pauline Maki, University of Illinois - Chicago, Chicago, United States

Category: Aging

Keyword 1: depression
Keyword 2: aging (normal)

Objective:

Females are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than men. The menopause transition, which involves a neuroendocrine shift, is a potential contributor to this sex difference. Multiple estrogen-regulated systems (i.e., circadian rhythms) are disrupted during this transition which may affect cognitive functioning (Barha & Liu-Ambrose, 2020), most notably verbal learning and memory. Midlife females are chronically understudied, and little is known about how individual factors (i.e., sleep, physical activity (PA), stress, depressive symptoms) may relate to cognitive functioning across midlife for females, a period marked by the menopausal transition. Utilizing data from the Human Connectome Aging project (HCP-A), the current study will examine whether distinct cognitive profiles determined by performance-based tasks relate to emotional and physical functioning among a sample of middle-aged females.

Participants and Methods:

Late reproductive, perimenopause, and postmenopausal females (ages 40 to 60) from the HCP-A were included (n =202, M age = 50.5, SD = 6.2). Demographic information, sleep problems (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), PA (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), stress (Distress subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale), depressive symptoms (NIH toolbox Emotion Module) were assessed with surveys, and participants completed several performance-based tasks including: global cognitive function (MoCA), dimensional change card sort (DCCS), flanker, pattern recognition, working memory (WM), picture sequencing, receptive language task, Trail Making Test B (TMT-B), and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning (RAVLT) tasks. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), cognitive profiles were identified via performance-based cognitive tasks. Emergent profiles were characterized in terms of demographic information, psychological, and behavioral factors.

Results:

Fit indices indicated that a three-class solution fit the sample best: below average to low average performance across domains (Class 1, n=22), average performance across domains (Class 2, n= 72) and low average to average performance across domains (Class 3, n= 76). There was no significant multivariate effect of cognitive profile on psychological and behavioral factors, (p= .14), after controlling for age and education. Univariate analyses revealed significant differences between classes based on depressive symptoms, F(2,52.7) = 3.69, p = .027, = .043) such that females in Class 1 reported higher levels of symptoms than both Class 2 and 3. There was no difference between Class 2 and 3 regarding depressive symptoms, and contrary to hypotheses, no difference in PA, stress, or sleep problems were observed between any classes.

Conclusions:

Results suggest three distinct cognitive profiles exist in this analytic sample. After controlling for age and education, only depressive symptoms significantly differed between cognitive profiles. The class characterized by low to below-average cognitive performance demonstrated higher levels of reported depressive symptoms as compared to other classes. These findings provide preliminary evidence that middle-aged females who perform worse on cognitive tasks may be experiencing heightened depressive symptoms, which are known to worsen in the perimenopause. Future research should explore more psychological and behavioral factors and whether emerging associations are moderated by menopausal stage.