The DOI matches its Crossref record; 20 of the 20 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Assessment of complex mental activity across the lifespan: development of the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ)
Abstract
Background. Brain reserve is a property of the central nervous system related to complex mental activity which may mediate the course and clinical expression of brain injury. Since there is no instrument that comprehensively assesses complex mental activity through the lifespan, we developed and tested the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ) in a prospective study of healthy ageing. Method. The LEQ assesses educational, occupational and cognitive lifestyle activities at different stages through life. Test–retest, item analysis and Item Response Theory (IRT) were used to determine reliability. Dimensionality was evaluated using factor analysis. Validity was established through IRT analysis of test performance, correlation with an extant contemporaneous instrument (Cognitive Activities Scale; CAS) and prediction of global cognitive change over 18 months controlling for age, baseline cognition and hypertension. Results. In a sample of healthy older individuals (n=79) the LEQ was found to be consistent, coherent and discriminate between individuals with high and low mental activity levels. Factor analysis revealed a dominant factor which loaded heavily on education, occupation and leisure activity. Total LEQ was significantly correlated with the CAS. Furthermore, individuals with higher LEQ scores showed less cognitive decline over 18 months, independent of covariates (r=0·37, p=0·003). Conclusions. The LEQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing complex lifespan mental activity which is protective against cognitive decline. The LEQ is therefore proposed as a useful tool for estimating brain reserve in older individuals and further development is anticipated.
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Cites
Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly
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Brain reserve and dementia: a systematic review
VALENZUELA, M. J., & SACHDEV, P. (2006) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291705006264 · Cited by 932 · cited 5×
“…of lifespan complex mental activity was associated with an almost halved dementia incidence (Valenzuela & Sachdev, 2006a) ; systematic review of an independent set of cognitive ageing studies found this association was probably due to attenuated cognitive decline (Valenzuela & Sachdev, 2006b).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSelf-citationInfluence of leisure activity on the incidence of Alzheimer's disease
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Mayo's older americans normative studies: WAIS-R norms for ages 56 to 97
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Social and Leisure Activities and Risk of Dementia: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
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Cited by
Efficiency, capacity, compensation, maintenance, plasticity: emerging concepts in cognitive reserve
Barulli, D., & Stern, Y. (2013) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2013.08.012 · Cited by 915
Cam-CAN, Shafto, M. A., Tyler, L. K., Dixon, M., Taylor, J. R., Rowe, J. B., Cusack, R., Calder, A. J., Marslen-Wilson, W. D., Duncan, J., et al. (2014) · BMC Neurology · doi:10.1186/s12883-014-0204-1 · Cited by 707
Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq): a new instrument for measuring cognitive reserve
Nucci, M., Mapelli, D., & Mondini, S. (2012) · Aging Clinical and Experimental Research · doi:10.1007/bf03654795 · Cited by 697
Cognitive reserve and cognitive function in healthy older people: a meta-analysis
Opdebeeck, C., Martyr, A., & Clare, L. (2016) · Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition · doi:10.1080/13825585.2015.1041450 · Cited by 465
Brain reserve and the prevention of dementia
Valenzuela, M. J. (2008) · Current Opinion in Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/yco.0b013e3282f97b1f · Cited by 170
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- VALENZUELA, M. J., & SACHDEV, P.
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2006-11-20
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1015-1025
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2061440472
- Cited by
- 254
- References
- 20
- FWCI
- 1.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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