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A strong dependency between changes in fluid and crystallized abilities in human cognitive aging.

ABSTRACT: Theories of adult cognitive development classically distinguish between fluid abilities, which require effortful processing at the time of assessment, and crystallized abilities, which require the retrieval and application of knowledge. On average, fluid abilities decline throughout adulthood, whereas crystallized abilities show gains into old age. These diverging age trends, along with marked individual differences in rates of change, have led to the proposition that individuals might compensate for fluid declines with crystallized gains. Here, using data from two large longitudinal studies, we show that rates of change are strongly correlated across fluid and crystallized abilities. Hence, individuals showing greater losses in fluid abilities tend to show smaller gains, or even losses, in crystallized abilities. This observed commonality between fluid and crystallized changes places constraints on theories of compensation and directs attention toward domain-general drivers of adult cognitive decline and maintenance.

SUBMITTER: Tucker-Drob EM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8809681 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A strong dependency between changes in fluid and crystallized abilities in human cognitive aging.

Tucker-Drob Elliot M EM de la Fuente Javier J Köhncke Ylva Y Brandmaier Andreas M AM Nyberg Lars L Lindenberger Ulman U

Science advances 20220202 5

Theories of adult cognitive development classically distinguish between fluid abilities, which require effortful processing at the time of assessment, and crystallized abilities, which require the retrieval and application of knowledge. On average, fluid abilities decline throughout adulthood, whereas crystallized abilities show gains into old age. These diverging age trends, along with marked individual differences in rates of change, have led to the proposition that individuals might compensat ...[more]

PMID: 35108051

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Project description:Prevention of neurocognitive disorders is currently one of the greatest unmet medical challenges. The cognitive effects of solving jigsaw puzzles (JPs) have not been studied so far, despite its frequent use as a leisure activity in all age cohorts worldwide. This study aimed at closing this gap between a lack of science and a frequent real-world use by investigating the cognitive abilities recruited by JP as well as the cognitive benefits of lifetime and 30-day JP experience. A total of 100 cognitively healthy adults (≥50 years of age) were randomized to either a 30-day home-based JP intervention (≥1 h/day) plus four sessions of cognitive health counseling (JP group) or four sessions of cognitive health counseling only (counseling group). We measured global visuospatial cognition by averaging the scores of eight z-standardized visuospatial cognitive abilities (perception, constructional praxis, mental rotation, speed, flexibility, working memory, reasoning, and episodic memory). JP skill was assessed with an untrained 40 piece JP and lifetime JP experience with retrospective self-report. JP skill was associated with all assessed cognitive abilities (rs ≥ 0.45, ps < 0.001), and global visuospatial cognition (r = 0.80 [95% CI: 0.72-0.86], p < 0.001). Lifetime JP experience was associated with global visuospatial cognition, even after accounting for other risk and protective factors (β = 0.34 [95% CI: 0.18-0.50], p < 0.001). The JP group connected on average 3589 pieces in 49 h. Compared to the counseling group, they improved in JP skill (Cohen's d = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.21-0.54], p < 0.001), but not in global visuospatial cognition (Cohen's d = -0.08, [CI: -0.27 to 0.10], p = 0.39). The amount of jigsaw puzzling was related to changes in global visuospatial cognition within the JP group, only after accounting for baseline performance (β = 0.33 [95% CI: 0.02-0.63], p = 0.03). In sum, our results indicate that jigsaw puzzling strongly engages multiple cognitive abilities and long-term, but not short-term JP experiences could relevantly benefit cognition. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02667314.

Dataset Information

A strong dependency between changes in fluid and crystallized abilities in human cognitive aging.

Publications

A strong dependency between changes in fluid and crystallized abilities in human cognitive aging.

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