Medical College of Wisconsin
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Negative Affect Is Associated With Higher Risk of Incident Cognitive Impairment in Nondepressed Postmenopausal Women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2018 Mar 14;73(4):506-512

Date

10/14/2017

Pubmed ID

29028908

Pubmed Central ID

PMC5861908

DOI

10.1093/gerona/glx175

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85044222983 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   25 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) reflect subjective emotional experiences. Although related to depression and anxiety, these dimensions are distinct constructs representing affective states and patterns. Prior studies suggest that elevated depressive symptoms are associated with risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and probable dementia, but whether affective states are associated with cognitive impairment is still unknown. The present study examined relationships between baseline affective states and cognitive impairment (MCI, probable dementia) in nondepressed women.

METHOD: Baseline PA and NA were assessed in postmenopausal women (N = 2,137; mean age = 73.8 years) from the Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA) using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Women were followed annually for an average of 11.3 years; those with elevated depressive symptoms at baseline were excluded.

RESULTS: Higher NA was associated with a higher risk of MCI and probable dementia, even after adjusting for important covariates including age, education, sociodemographic, lifestyle, and cardiovascular risk factors, global cognition, and hormone therapy assignment at baseline. PA was not significantly associated with either outcome.

CONCLUSIONS: We present the first evidence to date that greater NA, even in the absence of elevated depressive symptoms, is associated with higher risk of MCI and dementia. This suggests that NA may be an important, measureable and potentially modifiable risk factor for age-related cognitive decline.

Author List

Korthauer LE, Goveas J, Espeland MA, Shumaker SA, Garcia KR, Tindle H, Salmoirago-Blotcher E, Sink KM, Vaughan L, Rapp SR, Resnick SM, Driscoll I

Author

Joseph S. Goveas MD Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Affect
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cognitive Dysfunction
Depressive Disorder
Female
Humans
Incidence
Longitudinal Studies
Postmenopause
Risk Factors
United States