Adverse life events and cognition in older adults: the role of gender and psychological resilience.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined gender differences in the association between stressful life events and late-life cognition, with psychological resilience as a potential moderating factor.

METHODS

Longitudinal data were drawn from a population-based sample of 1,815 participants (Mage = 70.71, SDage = 1.50, 48% women). Stressful life events were indicated by both the number of recent life events in the past 6 months measured by the List of Threatening Events Questionnaire and lifetime traumatic experiences captured by questions from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Cognitive outcomes included neuropsychological assessments of incident dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and domain-specific performance. Psychological resilience was measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Logistic and linear models were conducted, adjusting for common risk factors.

RESULTS

Lifetime trauma was associated with higher MCI (OR = 1.78, p < .001) and dementia risk (OR = 1.18, p = .02), and poorer performance in memory and executive function. Gender differences were found. Psychological resilience was more strongly associated with better executive function in men than in women (B = 0.03, p = .04, 95% CI [0.00, 0.07]). It also buffers the impact of lifetime trauma on working memory, and the effect was stronger in men than in women (B = 0.11, p = .04).

DISCUSSION: The impact of stressful life events on cognition may differ by gender, potentially reflecting gender-specific types of stressors and coping mechanisms. Further investigations on the social and individual factors that contribute to psychological resilience and their role in cognitive aging are warranted.