[en] INTRODUCTION: Mental health conditions are associated with cognition and physical function in older adults. We examined whether worry and ruminative brooding, key symptoms of certain mental health conditions, are related to subjective and/or objective measures of cognitive and physical (cardiovascular) health.
METHODS: We used baseline data from 282 participants from the SCD-Well and Age-Well trials (178 female; agemean = 71.1 years). We measured worry and ruminative brooding using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Ruminative Response Scale-brooding subscale. We assessed subjective physical health using the WHOQOL-Bref physical subscale, and objective physical health via blood pressure and modified versions of the Framingham Risk Score and Charlson Comorbidity Index. With subjective and objective cognition, we utilized the Cognitive Difficulties Scale and a global composite (modified Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite, PACC5, with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV, category fluency, Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2, and either the California Verbal Learning Test or the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test). We conducted linear regressions, adjusted for education, age, sex and cohort.
RESULTS: Worry and ruminative brooding were negatively associated with subjective physical health (worry: β = -0.245, 95%CI -0.357 to -0.133, p < 0.001; ruminative brooding: β = -0.224, 95%CI -0.334 to -0.113, p < 0.001) and subjective cognitive difficulties (worry: β = 0.196, 95%CI 0.091 to 0.302, p < 0.001; ruminative brooding: β = 0.239, 95%CI 0.133 to 0.346, p < 0.001). We did not observe associations between worry or ruminative brooding and any measure of objective health.
DISCUSSION: Worry and ruminative brooding may be common mechanisms associated with subjective but not objective health. Alternatively, cognitively unimpaired older adults may become aware of subtle changes not captured by objective measures used in this study. Interventions reducing worry and ruminative brooding may promote subjective physical and cognitive health; however, more research is needed to determine causality of the relationships.
Research Center/Unit :
GIGA CRC In vivo Imaging - ULiège
Disciplines :
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Morse, Rachel M; Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Koutsoubelis, Freya; Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Whitfield, Tim; Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Demnitz-King, Harriet; Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Ourry, Valentin; Normandy University, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", NeuroPresage Team, Cyceron, Caen, France ; Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, NIMH, Caen, France
Stott, Josh; Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Chocat, Anne; Normandy University, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", NeuroPresage Team, Cyceron, Caen, France
Devouge, Eglantine Ferrand; Normandy University, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", NeuroPresage Team, Cyceron, Caen, France ; Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Department of General Practice, Rouen, France ; Rouen University Hospital, CIC-CRB 1404, Rouen, France
Walker, Zuzana; Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom ; Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Essex, United Kingdom
Klimecki, Olga; Clinical Psychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Collette, Fabienne ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA CRC In vivo Imaging - Aging & Memory
Chetelat, Gael; Normandy University, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", NeuroPresage Team, Cyceron, Caen, France
Gonneaud, Julie; Normandy University, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", NeuroPresage Team, Cyceron, Caen, France
Poisnel, Geraldine; Normandy University, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", NeuroPresage Team, Cyceron, Caen, France
Marchant, Natalie L; Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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