This is a revision of a renewal application for a project known as the Victoria Longitudinal Study (VLS). A prospective study underway for over 20 years, the VLS has operated effectively and productively for the last decade in two coordinated labs. The general objective of the VLS is to examine actual short- and long-term changes in middle-aged and older adults across many domains of cognition as they are dynamically influenced and modified by multiple aspects of health (e.g., conditions, beliefs), biological attributes (e.g., functional, genetic), lifestyle activities (e.g., cognitive, social, physical engagement), and neuropsychological status (e.g., cognitively successful, normal, cognitively impaired). According to our Research Plan, we collect systematic, multivariate, and comprehensive data on long-term volunteer participants through repeated waves of observation at regular intervals (every 3-4 years, with 10-12 hours of testing at each wave). Since its inception, the VLS follows a design that features three initially healthy sequential samples (all initially aged 55-85 years, now about 63-100+ years). The three samples were begun in adjacent decades (1980s, 1990s, and 2000s). The VLS now has longitudinal data that span a gradient of 40 years of aging, plus numerous control (e.g., younger, middle-aged adults) and emerging target and comparison groups (e.g., Type 2 diabetes, Mild Cognitive Impairment). The current Specific Aims are to (a) continue the systematic assembly of a rich data archive on actual cognitive changes with aging, (b) identify key patterns of cognitive differences, changes, and transitions with aging, and (c) investigate theoretically and clinically relevant precursors, correlates, and modifiers of healthy, normal, and impaired changes with aging. We report substantial progress in pursuing these aims in the recent grant period. Our Proposed Research includes (a) continued collection of critical waves of longitudinal data, (b) development and management of all longitudinal and comparison samples, and (c) new research in four integrative themes of contemporary cognitive aging. Each proposed theme involves innovative studies on (a) independent and interacting influences (e.g., health, lifestyle, genetic, functional across (b) multiple domains of reliably measured cognitive change (e.g., declarative memory, executive function, speed and inconsistency) using (c) well-characterized and large samples of broad age-bands of adults who may be (d) representative of theoretically and clinically interesting health groups of significance to aging, and are always (e) followed carefully across longitudinal waves. The General Significance of the VLS lies in its ever-growing rich, unique, and multi-faceted data set on actual changes in human aging. A more specific significance pertains to the increasingly integrative studies showing both independent and interactive influences on cognitive aging trajectories and outcomes. The research we conduct addresses historically valid and currently compelling empirical, theoretical, and practical issues of health and aging.

Public Health Relevance

Our longitudinal study has adopted an approach to the study of human cognitive aging that involves several integrated features. Our perspective involves studying (a) actual aging with change-sensitive designs and analyses, (b) multiple cognitive processes followed over short- and long-term periods, and (c) independent, interacting, and emerging influences and outcomes from health, biological, environmental, lifestyle, and neuropsychological domains. Our studies provide new theoretical and applied information on healthy, normal, and impaired cognitive aging.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG008235-26
Application #
9336774
Study Section
Cognition and Perception Study Section (CP)
Program Officer
King, Jonathan W
Project Start
1989-08-01
Project End
2019-05-31
Budget Start
2017-07-01
Budget End
2019-05-31
Support Year
26
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alberta
Department
Type
DUNS #
208095844
City
Edmonton
State
AB
Country
Canada
Zip Code
T6 2E1
MacDonald, Stuart W S; Keller, Connor J C; Brewster, Paul W H et al. (2018) Contrasting olfaction, vision, and audition as predictors of cognitive change and impairment in non-demented older adults. Neuropsychology 32:450-460
Sapkota, Shraddha; Dixon, Roger A (2018) A Network of Genetic Effects on Non-Demented Cognitive Aging: Alzheimer's Genetic Risk (CLU + CR1?+?PICALM) Intensifies Cognitive Aging Genetic Risk (COMT + BDNF) Selectively for APOE?4 Carriers. J Alzheimers Dis 62:887-900
MacDonald, Stuart W S; Hundza, Sandra; Love, Janet A et al. (2017) Concurrent Indicators of Gait Velocity and Variability Are Associated with 25-Year Cognitive Change: A Retrospective Longitudinal Investigation. Front Aging Neurosci 9:17
Harris, Celia B; Barnier, Amanda J; Sutton, John et al. (2017) ""Going episodic"": collaborative inhibition and facilitation when long-married couples remember together. Memory 25:1148-1159
Han, Wei; Sapkota, Shraddha; Camicioli, Richard et al. (2017) Profiling novel metabolic biomarkers for Parkinson's disease using in-depth metabolomic analysis. Mov Disord 32:1720-1728
McDermott, Kirstie L; McFall, G Peggy; Andrews, Shea J et al. (2017) Memory Resilience to Alzheimer's Genetic Risk: Sex Effects in Predictor Profiles. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 72:937-946
Sapkota, Shraddha; Bäckman, Lars; Dixon, Roger A (2017) Executive function performance and change in aging is predicted by apolipoprotein E, intensified by catechol-O-methyltransferase and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and moderated by age and lifestyle. Neurobiol Aging 52:81-89
Brown, Cassandra L; Robitaille, Annie; Zelinski, Elizabeth M et al. (2016) Cognitive activity mediates the association between social activity and cognitive performance: A longitudinal study. Psychol Aging 31:831-846
DeCarlo, Correne A; MacDonald, Stuart W S; Vergote, David et al. (2016) Vascular Health and Genetic Risk Affect Mild Cognitive Impairment Status and 4-Year Stability: Evidence From the Victoria Longitudinal Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 71:1004-1014
Sapkota, Shraddha; Wiebe, Sandra A; Small, Brent J et al. (2016) Apolipoprotein E and Clusterin can magnify effects of personality vulnerability on declarative memory performance in non-demented older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 31:502-9

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