My long-term career objective is to conduct independent epidemiological research related to cognitive function in older adults as a member of an academic epidemiology program. My training goals for this fellowship are to build my knowledge and skills in four primary areas: neuropsychology, gerontology, epidemiologic methods and biostatistical analysis. l will accomplish these goals through the design and implementation of a research protocol to study the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in older adults. Specifically, l will utilize existing data from an ongoing cohort study of older adults that is being conducted by my advisor, Ira Tager, M.D., M.P.H.; I will develop a protocol to collect more comprehensive information about the cognitive status of study participants with guidance from Joel Kramer, Psy.D.; I will conduct detailed cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the data; and I will present and publish my findings. In aggregate, the training provided by this fellowship will allow me to build the knowledge base and skills required to initiate my career as an Cognitive function declines with age, and cognitive impairment in the elderly often leads to a general decline in health status. The goal of this study is to determine whether physical activity is associated with maintenance of cognitive functional status in older adults. The study population will be participants in the Study of Physical Performance and Age-Related Changes in Sonomans (SPPARCS), which is an ongoing cohort study of 2,092 adults aged 55 or older (median age 70 years at intake) who live in Sonoma, CA. In 1994, 1996 and 1998, participants have been interviewed extensively about a variety of medical, physical, emotional, mental and social issues, which include detailed questions about patterns of physical activity. Cognitive function has been evaluated using an abbreviated version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (aMMSE). For this study, comprehensive tests of cognitive function will be conducted in the year 2000. Analyses will be conducted to evaluate (1) aMMSE scores in 1994 as a function of physical activity patterns reported in 1994; (2) change in aMMSE scores from 1994 to 1998 as a function of physical activity reported from 1994 to 1998; and (3) cognitive function in the year 2000, based on a comprehensive panel of tests, as a function of physical activity reported from 1994 to 1998. Gender, education, depression, vision, hearing, medication use, and underlying health status will be considered as potential confounders/effect modifiers.
| Barnes, Deborah E; Tager, Ira B; Satariano, William A et al. (2004) The relationship between literacy and cognition in well-educated elders. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 59:390-5 |
| Barnes, Deborah E; Yaffe, Kristine; Satariano, William A et al. (2003) A longitudinal study of cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function in healthy older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 51:459-65 |
