Cross-sectional association between objective cognitive performance and perceived age-related gains and losses in cognition

Abstract

Objectives: Evidence linking subjective concerns about cognition with poorer objective cognitive performance is limited by reliance on unidimensional measures of self-perceptions of aging. We used the awareness of age-related change construct to assess self-perceptions of both positive and negative age-related changes (AARC gains and losses). We tested whether AARC has greater utility in linking self-perceptions to objective cognition compared to well-established measures of self-perceptions of cognition and aging. We examined the associations of AARC with objective cognition, several psychological variables, and engagement in cognitive training. Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Participants: The sample comprised 6,056 cognitively healthy participants (Mean(SD) age= 66.0(7.0) years); divided into sub-groups representing middle, early old, and advanced old age. Measurements: We used an online cognitive battery and measures of global AARC, AARC specific to the cognitive domain, subjective cognitive change, attitudes toward own aging, subjective age, depression, anxiety, self-rated health. Results: Scores on the AARC measures showed stronger associations with objective cognition compared to other measures of self-perceptions of cognition and aging. Higher AARC gains were associated with poorer cognition in middle and early old age. Higher AARC losses and poorer cognition were associated across all sub-groups. Higher AARC losses were associated with greater depression and anxiety, more negative self-perceptions of aging, poorer self-rated health, but not with engagement in cognitive training. Conclusions: Assessing both positive and negative self-perceptions of cognition and aging is important when linking self-perceptions to cognitive functioning. Objective cognition is one of the many variables -alongside psychological variables- related to perceived cognitive losses