Use it or lose it: Engaged lifestyle as a buffer of cognitive decline in aging?
Abstract
Data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study were used to examine the hypothesis that maintaining intellectual engagement through participation in everyday activities buffers individuals against cognitive decline in later life. The sample consisted of 250 middle-aged and older adults tested 3 times over 6 years. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to examine the relationships among changes in lifestyle variables and an array of cognitive variables. There was a relationship between changes in intellectually related activities and changes in cognitive functioning. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that intellectually engaging activities serve to buffer individuals against decline. However, an alternative model suggested the findings were also consistent with the hypothesis that high-ability individuals lead intellectually active lives until cognitive decline in old age limits their activities.
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In Hultsch et al., only changes in working memory were reliably associated with an active lifestyle among cognitive variables.
“when Hultsch et al. (1999) evaluated latent-change correlations of cognitive variables with activity, only changes in working memory were reliably associated with an active lifestyle.”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Hultsch et al., 1999
A second-order general cognitive-change factor produced a highly significant association of cognitive change with intellectually stimulating activities.
“a second-order general cognitive-change factor, defined by these nine cognitive factors, did produce a highly significant association of cognitive change with intellectually stimulating activities.”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Hultsch et al., 1999
The cognitive-enrichment effects identified in old age in the longitudinal studies reviewed are associated with general cognitive functioning, broadly defined, including reasoning, working memory, and episodic memory.
“the cognitive-enrichment effects identified in old age in the longitudinal studies we have reviewed are associated with general cognitive functioning, broadly defined, including an array of specific constructs like reasoning, working memory, and episodic memory (e.g., Hultsch et al., 1999).”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Hultsch et al., 1999
Four other studies did not observe a correlation between neuroticism and cognitive decline.
“four other studies have not observed a correlation between neuroticism and cognitive decline.”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Hultsch et al., 1999
Openness to Experience, especially its Ideas subfactor, relates strongly to pursuit of intellectually engaging activities.
“Openness to Experience, especially its specific subfactor of Ideas, relates strongly to pursuit of intellectually engaging activities (Hultsch et al., 1999).”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Hultsch et al., 1999
The same activity scale used by Jopp and Hertzog that detected no Age-Activity interactions on cognition produced differential cognitive change as a function of activity in the longitudinal study by Hultsch et al. (1999).
“the very same activity scale used by Jopp and Hertzog (2007) that detected no Age -Activity interactions on cognition produced differential cognitive change as a function of activity in the longitudinal study of Hultsch et al. (1999).”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Hultsch et al. (1999)
Enrichment effects have been found in studies using schemes for dealing with practice effects, such as rotating alternate forms and data-analytic techniques minimizing error in measuring change.
“enrichment effects have been found in studies that use schemes for dealing with practice effects, such as rotating alternate forms (Hultsch et al., 1999) and data-analytic techniques minimizing the effects of error on measuring change (Lo ¨vde ´n et al., 2005).”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Hultsch et al., 1999
Reverse causality is a methodological issue particularly for cross-sectional studies that assess the association between social connections and cognitive function.
“Reverse causality is another methodological issue particularly for cross-sectional studies that assess the association between social connections and cognitive function [43].”
From Social Isolation and Cognitive Function in Later Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [43]
Being socially isolated may be associated with having fewer social contacts, a smaller social network, and less engagement in social activity.
“Being socially isolated may be associated with having fewer social contacts, a smaller social network [16, 43], and less engagement in social activity.”
From Social Isolation and Cognitive Function in Later Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [43]
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- Authors
- Hultsch, D. F., Hertzog, C., Small, B. J., & Dixon, R. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Victoria (CA)
- Venue
- Psychology and Aging
- Published
- 1999
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 245-263
- ISSN
- 0882-7974 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1498
- OpenAlex
- W2110683066
- Cited by
- 1,023
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 50 · 2019: 54 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 55 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 47
- FWCI
- 25.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology and Aging (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG008235, AG08235)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Keywords
- intellectual engagement, cognitive decline, aging, everyday activities, middle-aged and older adults, cognitive function, protective factors
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Cognition Disorders, Female, Health, Humans, Intelligence, Life Style, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Memory Disorders, Middle Aged, Models, Theoretical, Psychological Tests, Sampling Studies, Social Adjustment, Exercise
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