bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF FASTING STATUS ON BLOOD-BASED NEURODEGENERATIVE BIOMARKERS IN OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Engeland Christopher , Tennyson Robert , Wright Molly , Knight Erik , Buxton Orfeu , Graham-Engeland Jennifer
Published: January 2025

Blood-based neurodegenerative biomarkers hold vast potential to serve as early detectors of neuropathology, including Alzheimer’s disease. However, accurate biomarker assessment is critical and extraneous factors that may affect circulating concentrations need greater understanding. To determine the effects of fasting status on blood-based levels of neurodegenerative biomarkers, 30 older adults (Mage = 67.52; 70% women) fasted >8h prior to two laboratory visits. Each visit included 4 blood draws, spaced 1 hour apart. The visits (counterbalanced) were differentiated by a meal being provided after either the second or fourth blood draw. This design enabled examination of fasting versus post-prandial effects, accounting for circadian variation of biomarkers. Plasma levels of neurodegenerative biomarkers (amyloid β(Aβ) 42/40 ratio, neurofilament light chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), phosphorylated tau (pTau)181, pTau217) were quantified at each timepoint. Bayesian multilevel models (minimally informative priors, Stan MCMC sampler) compared all pre-prandial (6 timepoints) vs. post-prandial (2 timepoints) concentrations (covariates: time-of-blood-draw, visit order, age, gender, BMI). Results provided strong and very strong evidence for no changes in Aβ42/40 ratio and pTau181, respectively. However, there was very strong evidence that eating decreased GFAP levels, substantial evidence that eating decreased pTau217 levels, and weak evidence that eating decreased NfL levels. These findings indicate that plasma levels of some, but not all, neurodegenerative biomarkers are susceptible to changes due to eating. One implication is that eating should be controlled (e.g., via fasting) in studies incorporating GFAP and pTau217. Further research is needed for NfL, which exhibited less certain (weak) evidence of change.
EFFECTS OF FASTING STATUS ON PLASMA ENDOCRINE BIOMARKERS IN OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Knight Erik , Tennyson Robert , Wright Molly , Graham-Engeland Jennifer , Engeland Christopher
Published: January 2025

Accurate biomarker measurement is critical for understanding biopsychosocial and cognitive aging. However, biomarker measurement often relies on fasting samples, whereas cognitive testing is typically conducted non-fasting. The effects of eating on endocrine levels were tested in a well-controlled experiment. Older adults (N=30, mean 67.5 years, 70% women) each attended two, morning laboratory sessions with four, hourly blood draws after >8 hours fasting. A meal was provided after the second or fourth blood draw (session order counter-balanced). Eight hormones were assayed via LC/MS; bioavailable hormones were estimated using SHBG (EIA assays). Bayesian multilevel models (minimally informative priors, Stan MCMC sampler) compared pre-prandial (6 samples from both visits) vs. post-prandial (2 samples) concentrations (covariates: time-of-day, visit order, age, gender, BMI). These models provided decisive evidence for eating increasing cortisol and reducing total testosterone and estrone; weak evidence for increasing corticosterone and DHEAS and decreasing progesterone, free testosterone and estrone. Decisive evidence was observed for cortisone, and total and free estradiol being unaffected by eating. Exploratory analyses of gender moderation provided decisive evidence that effects of eating on total testosterone were most strongly observed among men, although the pattern was similar for women. These findings indicate that cortisol, total testosterone, and total estrone are susceptible to changes due to eating among older adults, suggesting careful consideration related to diet/fasting should be made in studies incorporating these biomarkers. Cortisone and estradiol appear relatively unaffected by eating; further research is necessary for all remaining biomarkers that had weak evidence of change.
EPIGENETIC PACE OF AGING (DUNEDINPACE) PREDICTS INCIDENT METABOLIC SYNDROME IN THE BERLIN AGING STUDY II (BASE-II)
Authors: Demuth Ilja , Vetter Valentin , Homann Jan , Lill Christina , Bertram Lars
Published: January 2025

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent in the general population and associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its diagnosis is based on cut-off values for five cardiovascular risk factors, three of which must be met to make the diagnosis. Epigenetic clocks (Horvath, GrimAge) can be used to quantify differences in biological age as deviation from DNA methylation age (DNAmA) from chronological age, DNAmA acceleration. Another epigenetic biomarker, DunedinPACE, reflects the pace of aging in number of biological years passed per additional chronological year. Aim of the current study is to evaluate the capacity of these different epigenetic markers to predict incident MetS in the BASE-II follow-up dataset assessed on average 7.4 years after baseline. Following exclusion of participants with prevalent MetS a total sample of n= 564 participants (68.3 ± 3.4 years, 55.9% women) with epigenetic biomarkers (baseline) and information on MetS status (follow-up, n=144 incident MetS cases) was available and included in the analyses. Analyses were performed as logistic regressions adjusted for age, sex, time to follow-up, overall morbidity and life style factors. Preliminary analyses revealed that the odds of being diagnosed with MetS after the follow-up period of on average 7.4 years was significantly increased with higher pace of aging assessed as baseline DunedinPACE (OR: 10.7 (95%CI: 1.5-76.1); p = 0.018). Comprehensive results including ROC statistics will be presented at the meeting and discussed in the context of the literature.
EXERCISE AND IMMUNE FUNCTION FROM GESTALT COHORT: THE BENEFICIAL EMERGING ROLE OF INTEGRATED STRESS RESPONSE
Authors: Donega Stefano , Banskota Nirad , Singh Amit , Kaileh Mary , Bektas Arsun , De Supriyo , Sen Ranjan , Ferrucci Luigi
Published: January 2025

Exercise significantly impacts immune function by influencing physiological health, which in turn reduces disease susceptibility, combats immune-senescence, and lowers infection risks. Despite these effects, there are still important unanswered questions regarding the impact of exercise on the transcriptome of immune cells, age-related responses, inflammation modulation, and anti-aging benefits. In the Genetic and Epigenetic Signatures of Translational Aging Laboratory Testing (GESTALT) study involving 99 participants aged 22-92, RNA-sequencing was conducted in parallel on 11 immune cell types - B cells, T/CD4+, T/CD8+ (naïve and effector/central memory) cells, monocytes, granulocytes, and natural killer cells - to investigate their correlation with exercise (VO2 peak) using Differential Gene Expression (DGE) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Lymphoid B, T and NK cells, exhibited distinct clustering from myeloid cells in both young and old participants (< 44 and >66 years old), with 26 shared genes identified across multiple immune-cell types, reflecting enrichment for 14 energy-mitochondrial pathways associated with increased exercise. Interestingly, while mRNA splicing pathways were upregulated in the young group, older individuals displayed upregulated pathways linked to the Integrated Stress Response (ISR), a signaling pathway previously found to be activated by ER stress, hypoxia, amino acid deprivation, glucose deprivation, and viral infection etc. By utilizing a scoring system for inflammation, senescence, and mitochondria (QuickGO-EBI, SenMayo, and MitoCarta 3.0), we identified clusters of shared genes affected by physical activity. Overall, the findings suggest that stress-induced molecular responses to enhanced aerobic capacity and exercise offer potential benefits for improving the health and well-being of older individuals.
THE SIGNALING PATHWAY OF SRF-SIRTUIN-2 GENE AND MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION
Authors: Zhang Xiaomin , Azhar Gohar , Ameer Fathima , Wei Jeanne Y
Published: January 2025

Background

The sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) is one of the seven sirtuin proteins that deacetylate histones and other non-histone proteins. SIRT2 is localized mainly in the cytoplasm, but it may shuttle into the nucleus. SIRT2 regulates cellular metabolism, growth, stress response and aging. However, the transcription factors that regulate the SIRT2 gene have not been fully elucidated. Here we report the identification of two novel binding sites for the serum response factor (SRF) in the SIRT2 promoter, and the effect of SIRT2 gene expression on mitochondrial function.

Methods

The transcription factor binding sites in the SIRT2 promoter were analyzed with bioinformatic tools, including TRANSFAC, TFBIND and were verified with sequence analysis. SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in either regular serum or low serum medium to simulate an ischemia condition, respectively. The mitochondrial function was measured with a Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer.

Results

and conclusions We have identified two novel SRF binding sites in the human SIRT2 gene promoter, indicating that SRF binds to the SIRT2 promoter, and may recruit SRF cofactors to regulate the SIRT2 gene. SIRT2 plasmid transfection affects mitochondrial function. In the simulated ischemia condition, SIRT2 expression increased the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR), while reducing the glycolysis rate (ECAR), suggesting that SIRT2 improves oxidative phosphorylation and protects cells from ischemia. In addition, the biological activators and inhibitors of the Rho/SRF signaling pathway could be used to modulate SIRT2 expression, thereby regulating mitochondrial function in aging and senescence.
XANTHURENIC ACID (XA) TREATMENT IMPROVES OVERALL HEALTH IN AGED MICE
Authors: Vyavahare Sagar , Kumar Sandeep , Gupta Sonu Kumar , Ding Kehong , Isales Carlos , Fulzele Sadanand
Published: January 2025

Our published studies demonstrated disturbance in the Tryptophan-kynurenine pathway with age, notably marked by increased kynurenine levels. This study aimed to examine the levels of serum xanthurenic acid (XA) in aged mice and investigate the potential impacts of XA treatment on their overall health, specifically musculoskeletal health. Our findings revealed that XA serum levels decrease with age. The XA treatment decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IFN-γ, IL-6) in serum. Moreover, XA treated aged mice showed improved various health parameters compared to controls. They displayed improved grip strength, locomotor activity, and increased endurance. Musculoskeletal analyses unveiled improved bone microarchitecture and increased muscle fiber size in XA-treated mice group. Molecular studies elucidated that XA treatment prevented oxidative stress (SOD2), reduced senescence markers (p16, p21), and mitigated inflammation (IL1-β) in the muscles of aged mice. Interestingly, XA treatment also correlated with decreased apoptosis (Caspase-3, Caspase-7) in muscle tissues, indicative of improved cellular survival. The molecular analysis showed a fostering environment for myogenesis (increased MyoD and Myogenin expressions) in XA-treated mice muscles. These comprehensive results suggest a promising therapeutic role for XA, emphasizing its potential as a critical metabolite in age-related pathogenesis.
ADVANCE CARE PLANNING AND END-OF-LIFE EXPERIENCES OF HIGH HEALTH CARE UTILIZERS IN THE LAST YEAR OF LIFE
Authors: Marin Omar , Bandi Sriya , Duty Charlotte , Tate Alex
Published: January 2025

As the U.S. population continues to get older, Americans are projected to consume more healthcare than ever before. Advance care planning (ACP), which documents future goals of care in the context of limited decision-making capacity, is essential to delivering patient-centered care aligned with wishes and values and correlates with less utilization at the end-of-life (EOL). ACP is critical for high healthcare utilizers, who have multiple comorbid conditions and often unmet social needs. This pilot study used proxy postmortem interviews (n=20) to identify and explicate the most common factors shaping the EOL care experiences of high healthcare utilizers dwelling in vulnerable Chicago neighborhoods, and ACP’s role in these experiences. Modified open coding of data revealed five central themes in shaping decedents’ EOL experiences and ACP: (1) decedent support from immediate network ties, (2) patient acceptance of declining health, (3) proxy confidence in EOL decision making, (4) individual values motivating pursuing certain types of care, and (5) an orientation towards the treatment imperative, defined by Shim et al. (2008) as an inexorable momentum towards treatment at any cost. Within the last 12 months of life, even if patients had a formal or informal ACP in place, proxies reported a default to more medical intervention by patients. Just five proxies reported care transitions to palliative/hospice care. This pilot study presents a novel approach to better understanding EOL care and experiences of vulnerable high healthcare utilizers and underscores a need for further investigation into the relationship between ACP and EOL experiences among this group.
VIRTUAL REALITY FOR TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION IN AN OLDER ADULT WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Authors: Lohmar Sabine , Fiske Amy
Published: January 2025

Research on the effectiveness of virtual reality, an interactive computer-generated environment, as a form of behavioral activation for older adults with depression, has been minimal but promising (Yen & Chui, 2021). A case study of an older male nursing home resident with Parkinson’s Disease who uses a wheelchair is presented to provide clinical evidence for the value of using virtual reality in treating depression in older adults with physical limitations. Virtual reality sessions consisting of immersive and interactive outdoor experiences (e.g., fishing, hunting, hiking, kayaking) were conducted for an average of 20 minutes once every two weeks for six months. The Geriatric Depression Scale Shortened Form (GDS-S) was administered before, during, and after the use of virtual reality to assess depressive symptoms. The patient’s depressive symptoms improved from intake (GDS-S = 11) to termination (GDS-S = 4). Moreover, subjective reports from the patient indicated an overall elevation in mood, perceived enjoyment, increased motivation, and reduced pain. This case study demonstrates the potential benefits of virtual reality for physically limited older adults with depression who may face barriers, for example, due to a movement disorder, to engaging in previously enjoyed activities.
BUSYNESS MAY NOT MATTER: ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN BUSYNESS, ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT, AND COGNITION
Authors: Bielak Allison
Published: January 2025

Participating in a greater variety and frequency of activities is associated with higher cognitive performance across adulthood. A potentially related metric is perceived busyness (Martin & Park, 2003), defined as scheduled activity patterns. Few studies have investigated this metric, with one finding that those who rated themselves as busier performed higher on a range of cognitive tests (Festini et al., 2016). The present study aimed to answer several questions: 1) Does the link between busyness and cognition replicate?; 2) Does stress interact with busyness in predicting cognition?; 3) How similar is busyness to frequency and variety of activity engagement?; 4) Does busyness predict cognition better than activity variety or frequency? Adults aged 60–92 years (M=70.5, n=206) completed questions related to busyness (in a typical week, how busy is your schedule), stress towards busyness, activity based on past 2-year participation, and cognitive tests. Hierarchical linear regressions controlling for age and education showed busyness was not a significant predictor of processing speed, episodic memory, vocabulary, executive functioning, or reasoning, but did significantly predict working memory (Std B=-.16). Stress about busyness did not interact with busyness for any cognitive domain. Busyness was weakly correlated with activity variety and frequency (rs=.20) and did not significantly predict cognition beyond the activity variables. Although a simple measure of busyness was used, greater busyness was not related to higher cognition. Busyness was only weakly related to the activity indices, and findings suggest that activity variety and frequency might be more valuable measures in evaluating cognition.
DOMAIN-SPECIFIC SUBJECTIVE COMPLAINTS AND OBJECTIVE COGNITIVE SCORES IN OLDER ADULT CANNABIS USE
Authors: Anquillare Elizabeth , Coromac-Medrano Juliamaria , Neiderman Adrianna , Thayer Rachel
Published: January 2025

Research on the cognitive effects of cannabis among older adults remains sparse and equivocal. Subjective cognitive complaints are predictive of future objective cognitive decline; however, few studies have explored this relationship in older adults with cannabis use (OACU) and domain-specific relationships have yet to be investigated. This study aimed to identify relationships between subjective and objective cognition across attention, memory, and executive functioning in a pilot sample of OACU. Participants included OACU between 60 and 79 years (N=17, Mage=68.29, SD=5.61), of which 94% were White and 59% were women. An average 15.94 years of education (SD=2.38) was reported. Participants completed online questionnaires regarding subjective cognition and participated virtually in a brief cognitive assessment battery. Items from the subjective cognition questionnaires were separated by domain and correlations were run between domain-specific subscales and standardized scores on the objective cognitive tests. Worse performance on a switching task was negatively associated with subjective attention (r=-.59, p<.05), memory (r=-.63, p<.05), and executive function (r=-.62, p<.05). Additionally, worse performance on an inhibition task was negatively associated with better subjective attention (r=-.50, p<.05), memory (r=-.51, p<.05), and executive function (r=-.52, p<.05). Similar negative correlations between measures of subjective cognition and objective memory and attention performance demonstrated a medium effect size without achieving statistical significance. Overall, subjective cognition was associated with executive functioning performance more than memory or attention performance. This pattern suggests OACU tend to describe their cognitive function broadly. Providers may wish to ask more nuanced questions to ensure comprehensive understanding of subjective cognitive functioning.
THE EFFECTS OF LISTENING WHILE DRIVING IN OLDER AND YOUNGER ADULTS
Authors: Bak Katherine , Russo Frank , Pichora-Fuller M Kathleen , Campos Jennifer
Published: January 2025

Driving collisions are a top cause of accidental death globally and adults aged 65+ are overrepresented. Driving is a highly complex task, requiring sensory processing, motor control, and divided attention. Driving is especially challenging when simultaneously listening to a passenger. Age-related declines in sensory (e.g., hearing) and cognitive abilities (e.g., working memory) may result in increased effort while listening. High listening effort may reduce spare cognitive capacity, thereby limiting the cognitive resources available to support driving. However, there are very few realistic and controlled experiments examining how the demands of listening while driving are managed in older adults. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to examine performance during a driving-while-listening task in older (aged 61-80 years, 15 female) and younger (aged 20-36 years, 12 female) adults with normal hearing/vision, and cognition, using a high-fidelity driving simulator. Participants completed a driving task at two different driving loads (e.g., straight in rural (low) vs. left turn in city (high)), a listening task (Connected Speech Test [CST]) at two different listening loads (+4 signal-to-noise ratio [SNR], 0 SNR), and both tasks together, to examine dual-task costs. Results demonstrated that only older adults showed significantly lower CST accuracy scores in the dual- compared to single-task conditions across both SNRs. Both older and younger adults showed significantly greater SD of lane position in the dual- compared to the single-task conditions, only under high driving load. Findings may inform educational practices, policies, and technological solutions to maintain and support safe driving among older adults.
VULNERABILITY PROFILES: CHALLENGES FOR METACOGNITIVE INTERVENTIONS WITH OLDER ADULT
Authors: Pearman Ann , Hertzog Christopher , Hughes MacKenzie , Giannotto Emily
Published: January 2025

The metacognitive intervention approach has great promise for improving older adults’ everyday functioning. Results from our studies (Hertzog et al., 2021; Pearman et al., 2020; Pearman et al., 2023) and many others point to potential issues with intervention compliance and realization of intervention benefits in some older adults. Based on the first author’s clinical geropsychology work with older populations and observing our study participants, we argue that there are individual differences in who benefits from interventions and why they do so. This presentation will focus on our everyday memory training approach to evaluate variables that influence training benefit, including rates of attrition/drop-out, compliance with instructed task training, and improvements on outcome variables. Individual difference variables of interest include global cognition as measured by the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) and personality traits as measured by the AB5C with a particular focus on neuroticism and conscientiousness. The TICS was related to objective performance improvement on an associated learning task for both the intervention as well as the control group. Higher TICS scores were related to less improvement from T1 to T2 (r = -.39, p <.05). Personality variables correlated with post-test subjective memory but only in the intervention group, where people high in neuroticism scored lower on memory self-efficacy and higher on memory complaint [r = -.45 & r =.41 (respectively), p <.05]. These findings suggest that specific personal characteristics present barriers to adoption and maintenance of trained metacognitive strategies.
NEIGHBORHOOD STREET CONNECTIVITY, FOOD ACCESS, AND MORTALITY AMONG OLDER ADULTS: EDUCATION AND GENDER DIFFERENCES
Authors: Cheung Pui Yin , Curtis David , Wen Ming
Published: January 2025

Disadvantages in multiple dimensions have garnered increasing attention with strong empirical support. This study examines whether the intersection between education and gender reveals novel neighborhood effects. Two particular areas of neighborhood built and service environments are examined: pedestrian-oriented street connectivity and residing in a low-food-access tract. They are important for health among older adults, given their limited functioning and health challenges. We examined the second and third waves of the MIDUS study, restricted to those aged 65 or above in the second wave. We estimated a series of discrete-time hazard models with 12,141 person-years across 15 years and included individual-level sociodemographic control variables. We also controlled for tract-level characteristics: urban/rural categories, median household income, percentages with college or above education, and racial/ethnic percentages. Interaction between any single dimension of disadvantage and pedestrian-oriented street connectivity didn’t reveal significant differential relationships with mortality. However, better street connectivity was associated with less hazard of mortality among less-educated men once three-way interactions between education, gender, and street connectivity were introduced. In contrast, well-educated older adults residing in a low-food-access tract had a significantly higher hazard of mortality than those not residing in such a tract. The model with three-way interactions revealed more adverse effects of residing in a low-food-access tract among well-educated men only. The findings reveal mortality differences by education and health and their interactions with neighborhood characteristics despite no apparent differences based on a single dimension of disadvantage, supporting the usefulness of the perspective of disadvantages in multiple dimensions.
DOES DEPRESSION EXPLAIN COGNITIVE CHANGES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY? A MEDIATION ANALYSIS
Authors: Post Emily , Walker Teresa , Schurr Matthew , Renn Brenna
Published: January 2025

Depression commonly affects older adults and is associated with detrimental outcomes, including cognitive impairment such as executive dysfunction. Psychotherapy effectively improves depression outcomes and may improve some aspects of cognition, but this relationship is not widely understood. This study examined the potential mediating role that depression severity might have between psychotherapy treatment and a change in cognitive test scores. Data for this secondary analysis were drawn from older adult participants (N=249, mean age = 70.2 [7.4] years) with major depressive disorder who participated in a RCT comparing two 9-week structured psychotherapies for depression. Our prior work found improvement in depression (noninferiority between treatment groups) and some improvement on measures of cognition during the RCT. Measures included pre- and post-treatment cognitive tests: Iowa Gambling Money Task, Digit Span Backwards, and Stroop test. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) assessed change in depression symptoms. Hayes PROCESS macro for SPSS analyzed separate mediation models testing depression as a mediator of treatment and each cognitive outcome. Change in depression did not mediate relationships between treatment and change in cognitive outcomes across the nine weeks of psychotherapy. While our investigation did not establish depression as a mediator of change in cognitive test performance in patients receiving psychotherapy, these findings may indicate that improvement in depression is somewhat independent of any observed changes in cognitive test performance. Future research involving a more cognitively impaired sample could strengthen these findings.
EARLY-LIFE INVOLUNTARY JOB LOSS AND LATER-LIFE DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CHINA: A TRAJECTORY ANALYSIS
Authors: Song Qian , Dong Wuyi
Published: January 2025

While it is relatively well-understood that involuntary job loss (job loss thereafter) has short-term negative impacts on health of individuals, we do not know much about how early-life job loss is associated with long-term depressive symptoms, especially in the developing country contexts. In this study, we take advantage of a nationally representative sample for those aged 45 and older in the 2011-2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study as well as the Life History data collected in 2014. We investigate how early life job loss experience, much of which occurred more than two decades ago, is associated with depressive symptoms, as measured by CESD-10 (range: 0-30), in mid- and later-life. Among our sample (N=3,653), 32% of Chinese have experienced job loss at least once in their life-time. After controlling for gender, age, education, marital status, household expenditure, self-rated health and activities of daily living, we found that those who have experienced job loss showed an increased (β=.53, p<.001) number of depressive symptoms at the age of 60, and with one year of increase in age, they experienced an additional.02 (p<.05) growth compared to those who never experienced job loss. The timing of job loss matters. Job loss occurred during mid-career (30-45 years old) was most detrimental to later-life psychological well-being, with.98 (p<.001) more depressive symptoms at age 60 and an additional.06 growth (p<.05) with each year. The results highlight the long arm of early-life employment experience on the depressive symptoms of individuals even decades after.
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, SOCIAL NETWORK, AND GENDER MODERATION ON DEPRESSION AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Xu Ying , Fu Xiaoyu , Silverstein Merril
Published: January 2025

China’s aging population faces significant challenges, including a high prevalence of depression among older adults in rural areas (Li et al., 2021). This study investigates the impacts of childhood trauma and social network on depression among older adults and whether their impacts vary by gender in rural China. Using data from the 2021 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, our sample comprises 1558 participants, including 812 males and 746 females. Hierarchical moderated regression models were employed, controlling for age, marital status, living conditions, and education. Results revealed that childhood trauma significantly associated with older adults’ depression level; however, its impact was notably stronger for females than males, as indicated by the significant trauma x gender interaction (β = 0.048, p <.05). Negative main effect of social network on depression was found (β = -0.148, p <.05), suggesting that older adults with larger social network tend to have lower level of depression regardless of their gender. The findings underscore the need for gender-specific approaches to addressing trauma-related depression among older adults. Tailored interventions and supports, particularly for females who have experienced trauma, are warranted. Moreover, programs aimed at enhancing the quality of older adults’ social networks may help reduce depression in both genders.
LONGITUDINAL RELATIONSHIPS OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH HYPERTENSION IN CHINA
Authors: Wang Xiaomeng , Wang Zhi-wen
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study aimed to develop cross-lagged symptom networks and examine the longitudinal relationships of depressive symptoms among older adults with hypertension in China. Method: This study utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study conducted in 2018 (T1) and 2020 (T2). The 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was employed to measure depressive symptoms. A cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) analysis was applied to construct cross-lagged symptom networks for the entire sample as well as for males and females separately.

Results

A total of 1937 participants were included in the final analysis. The strongest direct positive effect was observed from the item ‘D03: Felt Depressed’ to ‘D01: Bothered by Things’ (β = 0.13). For the full sample and the male, ‘D10: I Could Not Get on’ reported the largest value of out-strength. For female, ‘D03: Felt Depressed’ reported the largest value of out-strength (r = 1.350). ‘I Could Not Get on’ was the strongest predictor compared to the other nine depressive symptoms based on node centrality. Conclusions: Our study suggests that health care professionals should be particularly attentive when older adults with hypertension report difficulties in coping with daily activities, as well as feelings of diminished motivation and energy. Interventions based on motivations should be chosen with cation for older adults with hypertension in China.
THE INTERSECTION OF LIVING ALONE, DEPRESSION, AND RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT AMONG OLDER KOREANS WITH DISABILITIES
Authors: Jeong Jihyeong
Published: January 2025

The ecological theory of aging explains how the interactions between individuals’ capabilities and their environment affect psychological well-being. The risk of depression rises among older adults living alone, and this vulnerability is further accentuated for those with disabilities, as their residential environments may not adequately compensate for the multifaceted challenges associated with impairments. The current study analyzed a sample comprised of 2,220 older adults with disabilities, aged 60 years or over, selected from the first wave of the 2021 Disability and Life Dynamics Panel of South Korea. As a cross-sectional study, a linear regression was performed controlling for gender, job status, disability type, and disability level. The findings reported that (a) as the perceived housing environment goes down by 1 unit, depression goes up by.20 (p <.001) and (b) older adults who live alone were associated with higher levels of depression compared to those who do not live alone (Beta = 1.36; p <.001). Aligning with the ecological theory of aging, the results underscore the significance of the residential environment in the psychological well-being of older adults. Furthermore, the positive correlation between living alone and higher levels of depression implies the importance of social support systems in mitigating depressive symptoms. Given these results, interventions aimed at improving the living conditions and social support networks of older adults who live alone with disabilities stand to produce meaningful improvements in their mental health.
CRAFTING COLLABORATIONS THAT BENEFIT STUDENTS, CLIENTS, AND COMMUNITY
Authors: Gandy Stacey , Golding C J , Bryant Gillian
Published: January 2025

When a university partners with a low-income residency for older adults, the results are exponential. A student-run, interdisciplinary drop-in center housed within a Section 8 apartment building for older adults and adults with disabilities arose from such a partnership. This program provides interdisciplinary service-learning opportunities for students while serving the needs of the residents. Social work students work alongside other disciplines, such as nursing, recreational therapy, nutrition, program planning, poetry, and music, to support residents’ emotional, social, psychological, and physical well-being. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the program served 257 of the building’s 300 residents and provided learning opportunities for 300 students. A 2013 needs assessment of the building’s residents found considerable loneliness, social isolation, and disconnectedness. Healthy Places by Design (2021) recommends intergenerational community centers that prioritize socialization among older adults and younger people, which is a major focus of the drop-in center. Students foster interaction with and between residents to encourage community connectedness. Research demonstrates that social interaction between older adults and college students can result in decreased loneliness for older adults and decreased attitudes of ageism in students (Ramamonjiarivelo et al., 2022). As our aging population grows, so does the importance of preparing social work students to work with older adults. We are excited to share the ways in which bringing older adults and student interns together is mutually beneficial and provides an innovative solution to eradicate loneliness, social isolation, and community disconnectedness in older adults and ageism in students.
MEDICAL STUDENTS’ CONFIDENCE INTERVIEWING, AND PERCEPTIONS OF, OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Baron Aliza , Limaye Seema , Levine Stacie , Long Monica , Williams Shellie
Published: January 2025

As the U.S. populations ages, medical students need primary geriatric skills yet continue to lack interest in geriatric care and hold negative attitudes towards caring for older adults (OA). The Geriatrics and Aging Through Transitional Environments (GATE) Curriculum for first year Pritzker medical students provides experiential learning conducting a functional history interview and assessing frailty and home safety risks. Students attended a 1-hour lecture on geriatric functional history taking, frailty (fatigue, resistance, weight loss, gait, hospitalization) and home safety assessments. Student pairs conducted an in-home structured interview with an OA “trained patient” (TP) or untrained OA family/acquaintance. OA residents at a local retirement community were recruited and trained as TP through a 1-hour training session on-site. Training addressed students’ learning objectives, interview questions, and techniques for delivering feedback to students. Learner evaluation included a pre/post survey assessing self-confidence interviewing OA using a Likert scale (5=Extremely confident, 1=Not at all) and attitudes towards OA using open-ended word association. From 2021-23, 178 Pritzker medical students (100%) completed 96 interviews (86% with TP, 14% with family/acquaintances) with 55 OA. Confidence interviewing changed significantly pre-GATE (M=1.73, SD=.720) to post-GATE (M=3.43, SD=.814); t(168)=-23.88, p<.001. Students’ attitudes towards OA shifted post-GATE with an increased usage of word associations “wise/knowledgeable” and “storytellers” and decreased associations as “frail, slow, diseased.” A medical student curriculum incorporating in-home functional history taking interviews with OA TP may increase students’ confidence interviewing and instill positive attitudes towards OA that are foundational for building empathic doctor-patient relationships across medical specialties.
AGE AND GENDER IMPACTS ENDORSEMENT OF NOSTALGIA ACROSS SEVEN YEARS
Authors: Turner Jennifer , Wildschut Tim , Sedikides Constantine
Published: January 2025

The experience of nostalgia (a bittersweet longing for one’s past) is common amongst people of all ages (Hepper et al., 2021; Juhl et al., 2020). Recent work described age-group differences in the frequency of nostalgia, such that older adults reported more nostalgia compared to middle-aged and younger adults (Turner & Stanley, 2021). Some have posited that age-related differences in nostalgia are founded on changing emotion-regulation goals and future time perspective in later life (Hepper et al., 2021), yet one problem has been the emphasis on cross-sectional studies which limit understanding of potential developmental change in nostalgia. This study extends previous work by examining the relevance of individual differences (i.e., age and gender) for endorsement of nostalgia in a nationally-representative sample of Dutch-speaking participants (N=2,664, 53.5% women) using a longitudinal design from the LISS panel (8-waves collected 2012-2019). At baseline, participants’ ages ranged between 9-93 years (M=48.59, SD=18.07). At each wave, participants completed the 7-item Southampton Nostalgia Scale (Sedikides et al., 2015), which assesses how frequently, and how much, one values the experience of nostalgia (Wang et al., 2023). As expected, analyses supported both between-person age differences, with older adults endorsing greater nostalgia than younger ones, and within-person age-related increases in nostalgia. Gender differences also emerged, such that women were more nostalgic than men on average, but this was qualified by a significant interaction with age: men (but not women) demonstrated increases in nostalgia with age. Results are interpreted through the lens of Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (Carstensen, 2021).
DAILY DYNAMICS AMONG AFFECT, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND SLEEP: A MULTILEVEL AUTOREGRESSIVE CROSS-LAGGED MODEL
Authors: Lee Sun Ah , Fisher Zachary , Almeida David
Published: January 2025

Previous research suggests that physical activity and sleep are important behavioral factors contributing to affective well-being. However, less is known about their simultaneous dynamics in daily life. The current study examines the within-day and across-day associations among affect, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sleep. Data were drawn from the third wave of a daily diary study of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS). A sample of 1,171 middle-aged and older adults (Mage= 62.61; SDage = 10.26: 57% female; 82% white) completed 9,059 daily telephone interviews across eight consecutive evenings, where they reported daily positive (PA) and negative affect (NA), previous-night sleep duration and sleep quality, and MVPA engagement. Multilevel autoregressive cross-lagged models were estimated to simultaneously address the bidirectional relationships among daily affect, MVPA, and sleep. For within-day correlations, MVPA engagement was correlated with same-day higher PA and lower NA. Longer sleep duration was correlated with the same-day higher sleep quality. For across-day associations, longer sleep duration and higher sleep quality predicted higher PA and lower NA on the next day. Higher sleep quality also predicted a greater likelihood of next-day MVPA. In addition, higher PA predicted higher sleep quality and a greater likelihood of MVPA on the following day. However, previous-day MVPA predicted higher next-day NA. Findings highlight the benefits of sleep on daily affective well-being and MVPA engagement, as well as the importance of positive affect on MVPA and sleep. This suggests that managing adequate sleep and emotions could be potential targets for prevention/intervention in promoting healthy aging.
A LATENT GROWTH CURVE MODEL OF RESOURCEFULNESS IN GRANDMOTHERS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN
Authors: Burant Christopher , Musil Carol , Zauszniewski Jaclene , Jeanblanc Alexandra
Published: January 2025

The role of grandmothers raising grandchildren has increased over the past three decades. Many of these grandmothers are living with their grandchildren and often these households do not include the parent of the grandchildren. Grandmothers raising grandchildren may deal with high levels of stress and strain that can contribute to high levels of depressive symptoms and potential mental health problems. Previous research has shown that resourcefulness can play a mediating role by reducing the impact of stress on mental health in caregiving situations. Resourcefulness comprises a cognitive behavioral skillset used for coping that includes cognitive reframing, problem-solving, and positive self-talk. Data were collected on 343 participants in a longitudinal nationwide online research study of caregiving grandmothers. In the current study, resourcefulness was assessed after grandmothers had received an intervention involving Resourcefulness Training© (RT) or journaling. A latent growth curve model was used to track the trajectory of resourcefulness at four time points (baseline, 2 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks) to identify whether resourcefulness improved over time. The model fit the data well (Chi Square=15.881; df=6; p=.014; TLI=.982; CFI=.989; RMSEA=.069). An additional multiple group nested model latent growth curve model found no differences between the 2 interventions. However, individuals receiving RT consistently had higher levels of resourcefulness and reached the maximum score at 3 months as compared to 6 months for those who journaled. Both interventions improved resourcefulness, indicating that interventions focusing on improving awareness of resourceful skills (e.g. problem-solving) may help grandmothers raising grandchildren with handling stress.
PATTERNS AND PREDICTORS OF ADULT GRANDCHILDREN’S PERCEPTIONS OF GRANDMOTHERS’ FAVORITISM AND DISFAVORITISM
Authors: Ogle Destiny , Suitor J Jill , Gilligan Megan , Kincaid Reilly
Published: January 2025

Scholarship on later-life families has shown that parents differentiate among their adult children across a range of relational dimensions and that perceptions of parental favoritism and disfavoritism have consequences for children’s well-being. Far less is known about patterns of favoritism and disfavoritism in other intergenerational ties. We extend this line of research by exploring adult grandchildren’s perceptions of their grandmothers’ favoritism and disfavoritism using mixed-methods data collected from 229 adult grandchildren nested within 94 families collected as part of the Within-Family Differences Study T3. On average, grandchildren were 28 years old and grandmothers were 92 years old. Eighty percent perceived that their grandmothers were most emotionally close to particular grandchildren, and 64% perceived that their grandmothers had the most conflict with particular grandchildren. Twenty-five percent perceived they were the closest to their grandmothers, and 12% perceived that they had the most conflict. MLM analyses revealed that respondents who were first-borns and in greater contact with grandmothers were most likely to report being the closest. Those most likely to report having the greatest conflict with their grandmothers were unmarried, did not share grandmothers’ values, and provided grandmothers with care during illnesses. Qualitative analyses shed light on how this set of factors played salient roles in grandmothers’ favoritism and disfavoritism. These findings indicate that adult grandchildren are as likely as adult children to perceive favoritism and disfavoritism, and that the factors predicting perceiving oneself as favored or disfavored by grandmothers greatly mirror those found in studies of adult children and older parents.
A TECHNOLOGY-BASED SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR ASIAN AMERICAN FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Authors: Kim Dongmi , Im Eun-Ok , Chee Wonshik ,   TACAD Research Team
Published: January 2025

The negative impact of family caregiving on health outcomes of caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s Disease (PLAD) has been well documented. Especially, Asian American midlife women who are PLAD (AWPLAD) reportedly suffer from caregiving burden because of their cultural attitudes related to Alzheimer’s Disease and caregiving. The first technology-based culturally tailored information and coaching/support program (TACAD) was developed while considering their cultural attitudes. This is a part of a larger 2-phase, mixed-methods, exploratory study to preliminarily evaluate TACAD. Only the first phase is included in this presentation and the 2nd phase is ongoing. The first phase included an expert review and a usability test. The expert review was conducted among 5 experts in family caregivers of PLAD, and a usability test was conducted among 11 AWPLAD. The qualitative data from the expert review and usability text were analyzed using a content analysis. The expert review indicated the necessity of updates on the education modules with new information; shortening each educational module to have up to 10 slides; eliminating redundancies in the content; strengthening the cultural content; and changing the pictures to those with Asians. The usability test indicated the necessity of including more video clippings related to Alzheimer’s Disease and family caregiving; refining chat functions; and enlarging the font size. All the participants agreed that the program would be helpful and useful for AWPLAD and the program was well-organized and easy to follow. Further studies are warranted on culturally tailored technology-based interventions for this specific population.