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Higher levels of neuroticism in older adults predict lower executive functioning across time: The mediating role of perceived stress
Da Silva Coelho,Chloe Joly-Burra,Emilie Ihle,Andreas Ballhausen,Nicola Haas,Maximilian Hering,Alexandra Kunzi,Morgane Laera,Gianvito Mikneviciute,Greta Tinello,Doriana
Da Silva Coelho,Chloe
Joly-Burra,Emilie
Ihle,Andreas
Ballhausen,Nicola
Haas,Maximilian
Hering,Alexandra
Kunzi,Morgane
Laera,Gianvito
Mikneviciute,Greta
Tinello,Doriana
Abstract
Neuroticism has been associated with individual differences across multiple cognitive functions. Yet, the literature on its specific association with executive functions (EF) in older adults is scarce, especially using longitudinal designs. To disentangle the specific influence of neuroticism on EF and on coarse cognitive functioning in old adulthood, respectively, we examined the relationship between neuroticism, the Trail Making Test (TMT) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in a 6-year longitudinal study using Bayesian analyses. Data of 768 older adults (M-age = 73.51 years at Wave 1) were included in a cross-lagged analysis. Results showed no cross-sectional link between neuroticism and TMT performance at Wave 1 and no longitudinal link between neuroticism at Wave 1 and MMSE at Wave 2. However, neuroticism at Wave 1 predicted TMT performance at Wave 2, indicating that the more neurotic participants were, the lower they performed on the TMT six years later. Additional analyses showed that this relation was fully mediated by participants' perceived stress. Our results suggest that the more neurotic older adults are the more stress they may perceive six years later, which in turn negatively relates to their EF. In sum, this study demonstrates that neuroticism may lead to lower EF in older age across six years. It further suggests older adults' perceived stress as mediator, thereby providing novel insights into the mechanisms underlying this relation. Possible intervention approaches to counter these effects are discussed.
Description
Funding Information: The authors acknowledge funding from the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES – Overcoming vulnerability: Life course perspectives (NCCR LIVES) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) (Grant Number: 51NF40-185901).
Date
2022
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Publisher
Research Projects
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Keywords
AGE, Aging, Cross-lagged modeling, DEPRESSION, Executive functions, INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES, INTELLIGENCE, Longitudinal study, MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, MINDFULNESS, Neuroticism, PERFORMANCE, PERSONALITY, Perceived stress, RUMINATION, TRAIL
Citation
Da Silva Coelho, C, Joly-Burra, E, Ihle, A, Ballhausen, N, Haas, M, Hering, A, Kunzi, M, Laera, G, Mikneviciute, G, Tinello, D, Kliegel, M & Zuber, S 2022, 'Higher levels of neuroticism in older adults predict lower executive functioning across time : The mediating role of perceived stress', European Journal of Ageing, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 633-649. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-021-00665-z
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess