bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
EMBRACING THE QUEER ART OF FAILURE IN GERONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
Authors: Bybee Sara , Oswald Austin , Fabbre Vanessa 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Halberstam describes the queer art of failure as a performance of dissidence in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer plus (LGBTQ+) people willing reject traditional conceptualizations of success. Yet, dominant theoretical frameworks in gerontology are predicated upon notions of success and productivity which may be problematic for understanding the life trajectories of LGBTQ+ people. The use of such heteronormative frameworks has implications for gerontological research in two important ways: 1) Research methods and researchers themselves may be constrained by the normative expectations placed on LGBTQ+ people and 2) Heteronormative frameworks obscure the nuance of LGBTQ+ older adults’ lived experiences and may limit important contributions to gerontological knowledge. This symposium applies the queer art of failure to examine LGBTQ+ aging scholarship that deviates from traditional research and education. Speaker one shares experiences from LGBTQ+ individuals facing dementia, using concepts that counter framing dementia as pathology and decline. Speaker two discusses how participants’ preferences for receiving research results via found poetry may reflect LGBTQ+ participants’ natural inclination to question hegemonic norms. Speaker three describes collaborating with a coalition of LGBTQ+ older adults of color on a participatory action research study, detailing how epistemic tensions shaped the research in unexpected ways. Speaker four discusses how institutional failure led to enthusiasm for LGBTQ+ curriculum development, student mentoring, and knowledge production. These presentations suggest that the inclusion of diverse conceptualizations of success and productivity should inform future aging scholarship, as they may center the experiences of historically marginalized populations such as LGBTQ+ older adults.
DESIGN, RECRUITMENT, AND BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AGING AND COGNITIVE HEALTH EVALUATION IN ELDERS TRIAL
Authors: Reed Nicholas 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults and independently associated with cognitive decline. This presentation will describe the design and baseline characteristics of the first randomized controlled trial to test whether hearing treatment can reduce cognitive decline, the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) trial. This multicenter study was nested within the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) observational cohort study. The primary outcome is 3-year change in a global cognitive function factor score derived from a comprehensive cognitive test battery. Other prespecified outcomes include loneliness, social network size, depressive symptomatology, health-related quality of life, hospitalization, falls, physical function, and accelerometry-measured physical activity. Cognitively intact, community-dwelling 70-84-year-old participants with adult-onset hearing loss were recruited from the parent ARIC study and de novo from the surrounding communities and randomized 1:1 to the best practices hearing intervention or successful aging health education control intervention. Over a 24-month period, 3004 telephone screenings resulted in 2344 in-person hearing, vision, and cognition screenings and 1294 comprehensive screenings. Among 1102 eligible, 977 were randomized into the trial (median age = 76.4; 53.5% female; 87.6% White; 53.3% held a bachelor’s degree or higher). Participants from the parent ARIC study were recruited much earlier in the process and were less likely to report hearing loss that interfered with their quality of life relative to de novo participants recruited from the community. Minor differences in baseline hearing or health characteristics were found by recruitment method (i.e., ARIC or de novo) or by study site.
CLINICAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE QUALITY OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN STAFF AND HOSPITALIZED PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Paudel Anju 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The quality of care greatly depends on the quality of interactions between staff and hospitalized older adults with dementia which in turn can be influenced by many factors. This paper examines the clinical factors associated with the quality of interactions between staff and hospitalized older adults with dementia. Following the examination of bivariate associations, we conducted multiple linear regression in a sample of 140 hospitalized older patients with dementia who participated in the final cohort of Fam-FFC. On average, the participants (male = 46.1%, female = 52.9%) were 81.43 years old (SD = 8.29) and had positive interactions with staff. Accounting for 17.5% of the variance in the model, non-pharmacological interventions (b= 0.181; p&lt;.001) and pain (b= -0.201; p&lt;.01) were significantly associated with the quality of staff-patient interactions. To optimize care of hospitalized patients with dementia, staff should be encouraged to use non-pharmacological interventions and prioritize pain management in patients.
MARITAL TRANSITIONS IN MID AND LATE LIFE
Authors: Monin Joan , Newsom Jason 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Marital transitions are common in mid and late life, yet little is known about what makes some middle aged and older adults thrive and others experience hardship through these transitions. This symposium will discuss antecedents, consequences, and moderators of adjustment to marital transitions in mid to late life. Monin and colleagues will address antecedents of divorce/separation, presenting results from a case control study showing that later stage dementia is associated with a lower likelihood of divorce/separation, and certain neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with a greater likelihood of divorce/separation. In terms of consequences of relationship dissolution, Bourassa and colleagues will present findings from a study across a 20-year period of adulthood, showing that people with more breakups in adulthood have more advanced biological age in midlife. Two studies will discuss moderators of associations between relationship transitions and well-being. Carr and Choi will discuss the experiences of childless older adults who become widowed or divorced, and whether they suffer poorer mental health than their peers with children. They will show that childless widowed men and divorced men who lost a child to death have dramatically higher levels of social loneliness, relative to other men. Finally, Scheffer and colleagues will talk about the transition out of dementia spousal caregiving. They will present findings indicating that although caregivers’ emotional well-being and energy improves from moving from being an active caregiver to moving out of the caregiving role, those with lower household income had worse outcomes after caregiving ended.
MARITAL BIOGRAPHY AND ACCELERATED AGING: EVIDENCE FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY
Authors: Choi Won , Lee Haena , Crimmins Eileen 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
It is well-established that marriage promotes health and longevity. While a large body of research has examined marital status differences in health, no studies have focused on how marital status is linked to biological age. Moreover, the association between marital biography – transitions in and out of marriage across the life course – and biological aging also remains to be explored. Biological age, which refers to the “physiological functioning relative to the average physiological state at a specific chronological age,” has been steadily gaining attention as a measure indicative of an individual’s health status. In this study, we advance the literature on marital status and health by examining how marital status and marital transitions are associated with biological aging among a representative sample of U.S. older adults. We use an expanded measure of biological age that incorporates 22 biological indicators, more than half of which were not used in previous studies, to better assess how marital experiences shape accelerated aging. Using data from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study, we find that the pace of aging of those who have experienced one disruption is not statistically different from those continuously married. However, for both currently and previously married individuals, the experience of multiple marital disruptions is associated with accelerated aging. Health behaviors account for the association between multiple marital disruptions and accelerated aging for previously married older adults but not for currently married older adults. Psychosocial resources did not mediate the influence of marital biography on accelerated aging.
NOVEL MOLECULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PLCG2, ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, AND LONGEVITY
Authors: Palavicini Juan , Garcia Rogers Juliet , Miller Henry , Weintraub Susan , Hopp Sarah 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Phospholipase C-gamma-2 (PLCγ2) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the membrane phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to form diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol trisphosphate (IP3), which subsequently feed into numerous downstream signaling pathways. PLCG2 rare coding variants are associated with both reduced (P522R) and increased (M28L) risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and with longevity (P522R). In the brain, PLCG2 is primarily expressed by microglia, where it is proposed to regulate phagocytosis, secretion of cytokines and chemokines, cell survival and proliferation. We analyzed the brains of 3-month-old PLCγ2 knockout (KO), heterozygous (HET), and wild-type (WT) mice using multi-omic and histological approaches. Lipidomic analyses revealed sex-specific changes in total brain PIP2 and DAG content in KOs. Surprisingly, we found that PLCγ2 depletion led to significant decreases in myelin-enriched lipids including cerebrosides, sulfatides and phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens. Consistent with our lipidomics results, gene expression profiling revealed sex-specific changes in myelin-related genes. Further, in line with the available literature, gene expression profiling revealed PLCγ2 depletion led to subtle changes on microglia phenotype, suggestive of reduced microglia reactivity. Immunofluorescence confirmed subtle differences in density of microglia and oligodendrocytes in KOs. Exploratory proteomic pathway analyses revealed changes in KO and HET females compared to WTs, with over-abundant proteins pointing to mTOR signaling, and under-abundant proteins pointing to oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, a PLCG2 M28L knockin mouse model displayed phenotypes of accelerated aging, including exacerbated thymic atrophy, increased frailty scores, and impaired spatial memory. In summary, our study unraveled novel putative mechanisms underlying the association between PLCγ2, AD, and longevity (mTOR signaling and myelin homeostasis).
MASON CARES RANDOMIZED STUDY: EFFECTS OF A NINE-WEEK STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM INTERVENTION ON CAREGIVER BURDEN SCORES
Authors: Gimm Gilbert , Layman Shannon , Ihara Emily , Inoue Megumi , Tompkins Catherine 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The Mason CARES study examines the impact of a virtual stress management program (Phase 1) and music intervention (Phase 2) on the stress of family caregivers of older adults with dementia. This study presents Phase 1 findings on 99 participants enrolled in 2022.

METHODS
Using primary data from 99 participants, we analyzed caregiver stress levels before and immediately after implementation of a 9-week stress management program using Zoom videoconference calls. Caregiver stress was measured using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) score with a range from 0 to 48 (Bédard, 2001). Higher values (ZBI &gt;=17.0) are associated with higher levels of stress.

RESULTS
Among the 99 caregivers, 49.4% were spouses and 50.6% were non-spouses (e.g., adult children). Mean ZBI scores before and after the 9-week stress busting program intervention across the full sample decreased by 14.7% (from 23.7 to 20.2). Spouses experienced a greater decrease (17.9% from 23.5 to 19.3) in caregiver stress compared to non-spouses (12.1% from 23.9 to 21.0). Reductions in stress levels also occurred for caregivers of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (13.9% from 21.0 to 18.0), moderate dementia (16.5% from 24.1 to 20.1), and advanced dementia (9.7% from 27.7 to 25.0).

CONCLUSION
Findings show that caregivers had high stress levels at baseline (ZBI score of 17 or more). Spouses reported greater stress improvement compared to non-spouses after the 9-week stress busting program. Also, caregivers of older adults with moderate dementia had greater improvement in stress compared to the mild or advanced dementia sub-groups.
TIME HELP FROM ADULT CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: VARIATION BY PARENTS’ COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING
Authors: Lin I-Fen , Wiemers Emily , Chin Janecca , Strauss Anna Wiersma 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Many older adults in the U.S. do not live with adult children but have at least one adult child living nearby. Help from adult children is vital for supporting the health and well-being of older adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to maintain physical distancing and the fear of infection may cause disruptions in older adults’ activities of daily living but the extent to which nonresident adult children provide help with household tasks is largely unknown. This paper uses data from the 2018 and 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to assess whether adult children responded to their parents’ pandemic-specific needs by helping them with shopping for groceries, errands, rides, or chores (i.e., time help). Preliminary analysis shows that parents who had trouble buying food (even with the money) were more likely to receive time help from their nonresident adult children. Not only was time help much more common among older adults with children living nearby than older adults without any child living nearby but adult children living nearby also were more responsive to parents’ pandemic-specific needs than children who lived farther away. Additional analysis indicates an overall increase in time help from adult children in response to functional limitations between 2018 and 2020, suggesting that the pandemic may have increased family care more broadly. Because older adults with cognitive limitations may be particularly vulnerable during the pandemic, we will further examine whether pandemic-specific needs and time help from nonresident adult children differed depending on older adults’ cognitive functioning.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 BY TYPE OF CAREGIVER FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Leggett Amanda , Tsuker Sophia 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Existing research points toward higher burden for spousal, and particularly wife, caregivers for persons living with dementia (PLwD). Yet how relationship roles and stressors shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic, where some care dyads were isolated together, or physically distancing, is unknown. The current study explores how the variability in reports of COVID-specific care-related stress (e.g., worry about the PLwD getting COVID-19) and general strain (e.g., caregiver burden) differed among husband, wife, adult child, and other family and non-family, unpaid caregivers. Participants include 100 primary family caregivers for PLwDs (mean age=63.3 years, 75% female) from the COVID STYLE study of which 22 were husbands, 39 were wives, 24 were adult children, and 15 were another relation (e.g., daughter-in-law, friend). ANOVAs and linear regressions (adjusting for cohabitation with the PLwD, dementia severity, and race) were run with each relation as a predictor of COVID-19-specific stress (e.g., sleep quality, isolation) and non-COVID-19-specific well-being (e.g., depressive symptoms, positive affect). The “other” caregiver group showed significantly greater COVID-related financial difficulty of care, worse sleep quality, and isolation, whereas adult children were most worried about the PLwD getting COVID-19 and had greater difficulty in their ability to provide care. Associations largely held in adjusted regressions showing particular contrast between other caregivers and husbands, who fared best. On the other hand, relationships groups did not differ on non-COVID-specific measures of well-being. Non-spousal caregivers reported greater pandemic stress related to caregiving, suggesting an overlooked group who may have provided significant COVID-19 care despite a more distant relationship.
RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN THE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SENSORY FUNCTIONS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTENSITY
Authors: Le Qun , Churchill Linda , Procter-Gray Elizabeth , Clarke Anthony , Cheng Jie , LoPilato Danielle , Chen Lingming , Li Wenjun 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Sensory functions decline in older age. Multisensory training has been shown to improve balance. We analyzed the race differences in the associations of sensory functions with physical activity (PA) intensity. The Healthy Aging and Neighborhood Study enrolled 379 community-dwelling persons aged 65 and over in Central Massachusetts (2018-2019). Data on sensory functions were assessed using self-report questionnaires, range from 0 (very poor) to 4 (very good). PA intensities were measured using waist-worn Actigraphy accelerometers for at least 8 hours per day and at least 5 days including 1 weekend day. PA intensity was categorized using Copeland cutoff points as sedentary (SB), light (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA). Generalized linear models were used to assess the racial differences in the associations of sensory functions with PA intensity, adjusting for age, gender, education, income, general health, comorbidities, activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental ADL. Average sensory functions of the participants were good to very good (mean±SD: hearing:2.9±1.1, vision:3.4±0.8, touch:3.7±0.6, smell:3.5±0.9, taste:3.6±0.7, balance:3.0±1.0). Two-thirds (66.7%) of participants met the PA guidelines of MVPA (mins/day) SB:465±114, LPA:248±66, MVPA:53±70). Compared to other races, Whites with better touch (b=52.1, SE=23.8) had significantly more SB. Better hearing (b=16.7, SE=7.2), vision (b=32.1, SE=10.5), smell (b=19.3, SE=7.8), taste (b=25.3, SE=9.9) were significantly associated with more LPA. Better vision (RR=1.6, 95%CI:1.1-2.4) and worse touch (RR=0.6, 95%CI:0.4-0.9) were significantly associated with more MVPA. Racial differences are significant in the associations between sensory functions and PA intensity among older adults. The underlying mechanisms should be further investigated to inform future interventions.
THE IMPACT OF A SERVICE-LEARNING COURSE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Howell Britteny 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Undergraduate students often have little contact with older adults, which may result in a lack of interest regarding career options in gerontology or geriatric practice. To combat this problem, the University of Alaska Anchorage’s 300-level Public Health for an Aging Society course introduces students enrolled in the Health Sciences Bachelor’s program to a variety of gerontological concepts. This service-learning course engages public health and pre-clinical students in the community, providing valuable experience working with local senior agencies to provide a product or service. Students work in interdisciplinary teams and have a variety of community-based projects to select from as part of their coursework. Using the Geriatric Attitudes Scale at the start and end of the semester, this presentation reports on improved student perceptions of older adults as a result of this course. With a sample of 22 undergraduates at the beginning of the semester, scores were relatively high in agreement with positive statements about aging (i.e., “it is society’s responsibility to provide care for the elderly”). However, they also report agreement with less positive statements about aging, such as “taking a medical history from elder patients is frequently an ordeal” and “as people grow older, they become less organized and more confused.” At the conclusion of the 15-week course, students report lower agreement with these negative statements about aging as a result of their learning and hands-on experience.
INTEGRATING HEALTH POLICY EDUCATION INTO AN UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY COURSE
Authors: O’Malley Kelly , Graham Kirsten 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Education on health policy processes are lacking in psychology training programs. Psychologists can be helpful to policy making and evaluation processes; however, few have the training, experience, or exposure to health policy necessary to feel comfortable entering into this area. Health policy education was integrated into an existing undergraduate psychology adult development and aging curriculum. Students completed weekly knowledge quizzes, two health policy specific assignments, and a class lecture on the intersection of health policy, aging, and psychology. N = 97 students (Mage = 21.54, SD = 4.94) over six semesters completed pre-post knowledge, skill, and ability assessments. Paired samples t-tests indicated increased knowledge t(96)= -5.89, p &lt; .001, Cohen’s d = .60, and understanding of health policy making t(94)= -5.69, p &lt; .001, Cohen’s d = .58; and ability to critically evaluate health policies t(96)= -3.03, p = .003, Cohen’s d = .31. Students identified psychology t(95)= -5.20, p &lt; .01, Cohen’s d = .53 and psychological research t(95)= -3.71, p &lt; .001, Cohen’s d = .38 as having a greater role in health policy following the course. Students felt they would use the health policy skills and knowledge learned in this course and agreed the policy related topics and assignments were valuable. Integrating health policy education into an undergraduate psychology course was feasible and had a positive impact on student’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in this domain. This format may be appropriate for graduate psychology training and may help build psychologists confidence to participate in health policy activities.
BOUNCING BACK AFTER SURGERY: QUANTIFYING AND PREDICTING RESILIENCE IN OLDER SURGICAL PATIENTS
Authors: Peeters Geeske , Whitson Heather 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
During this symposium we will discuss the impact of surgery on older adults physical functioning through a resilience lens. Physical resilience is defined as bouncing back in terms of physical functioning in response to a stressor, i.e. surgery. The first speaker will present data of long term trajectories of physical functioning in older women pre and post hip and knee surgery, and compare these with the trajectories in the general population. Profiles of women with higher or lower resilience to surgery will be discussed. The second speaker will talk about which functional measures, such as grip strength and walk speed, predict recovery in physical daily activities after knee replacement surgery, and the implications of these findings for the development of provocative resilience tests. The third presentation explores the role of biological ageing in fitness for surgery. The final presentation unravels the role of the stressor by exploring variations in types and severity of stressors in patients undergoing knee replacement surgery, and tests the hypothesis that severer stressors are associated with worse outcomes. Together, these presentations give a broad overview of determinants of physical resilience in the context of preparedness for, and recovery from, surgery. We will discuss methods to define stressors, and measure and quantify resilience. Moreover, we will illustrate how this information can inform personalization of care.