Cognitive activity mediates the association between social activity and cognitive performance: A longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT: Social activity is 1 aspect of an active lifestyle and some evidence indicates it is related to preserved cognitive function in older adulthood. However, the potential mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. We investigate 4 potential mediational pathways through which social activity may relate to cognitive performance. A multilevel structural equation modeling approach to mediation was used to investigate whether cognitive activity, physical activity, depressive symptoms, and vascular health conditions mediate the association between social activity and cognitive function in older adults. Using data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study, we tested 4 cognitive outcomes: fluency, episodic memory, reasoning, and vocabulary. Three important findings emerged. First, the associat

SUBMITTER: Brown CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5190511 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature