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Marital status, brain health, and cognitive reserve among diverse older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2024

Ji Hyun Lee Open the ORCID record for Ji Hyun Lee [Opens in a new window] ,
Kiana A. Scambray Open the ORCID record for Kiana A. Scambray [Opens in a new window] ,
Emily P. Morris Open the ORCID record for Emily P. Morris [Opens in a new window] ,
Ketlyne Sol ,
Jordan D. Palms Open the ORCID record for Jordan D. Palms [Opens in a new window] ,
Afsara B. Zaheed Open the ORCID record for Afsara B. Zaheed [Opens in a new window] ,
Michelle N. Martinez ,
Nicole Schupf ,
Jennifer J. Manly Open the ORCID record for Jennifer J. Manly [Opens in a new window]  and
Adam M. Brickman
...Show all authors
Ji Hyun Lee*
Affiliation:
Department of Human Development and Community Health, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
Kiana A. Scambray
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Emily P. Morris
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Ketlyne Sol
Affiliation:
Social Environment and Health Program, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Jordan D. Palms
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Afsara B. Zaheed
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Michelle N. Martinez
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Nicole Schupf
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
Jennifer J. Manly
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
Adam M. Brickman
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
Laura B. Zahodne
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
*
Corresponding author: Ji Hyun Lee; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective:

Being married may protect late-life cognition. Less is known about living arrangement among unmarried adults and mechanisms such as brain health (BH) and cognitive reserve (CR) across race and ethnicity or sex/gender. The current study examines (1) associations between marital status, BH, and CR among diverse older adults and (2) whether one’s living arrangement is linked to BH and CR among unmarried adults.

Method:

Cross-sectional data come from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (N = 778, 41% Hispanic, 33% non-Hispanic Black, 25% non-Hispanic White; 64% women). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of BH included cortical thickness in Alzheimer’s disease signature regions and hippocampal, gray matter, and white matter hyperintensity volumes. CR was residual variance in an episodic memory composite after partialing out MRI markers. Exploratory analyses stratified by race and ethnicity and sex/gender and included potential mediators.

Results:

Marital status was associated with CR, but not BH. Compared to married individuals, those who were previously married (i.e., divorced, widowed, and separated) had lower CR than their married counterparts in the full sample, among White and Hispanic subgroups, and among women. Never married women also had lower CR than married women. These findings were independent of age, education, physical health, and household income. Among never married individuals, living with others was negatively linked to BH.

Conclusions:

Marriage may protect late-life cognition via CR. Findings also highlight differential effects across race and ethnicity and sex/gender. Marital status could be considered when assessing the risk of cognitive impairment during routine screenings.

Keywords

MarriagedivorcewidowhoodcognitionMRIneuroimaging
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , January 2025 , pp. 1 - 10
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Neuropsychological Society

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