Assessing Stress Levels in Older Adults During Cognitive and Motor Testing to Advance Earlier Dementia Screening - Session 7185 - Poster

Sep 29, 2026

Dementia is a highly feared diagnosis, yet routine cognitive testing for early signs remains uncommon in primary care. This study examined stress responses of older adults immediately prior to and during cognitive screening, and compared a traditional assessment (MoCA) with a novel alternative (BEAN). Twenty-one unimpaired adults underwent stress measurement using STAI-6 and objective biomarkers (salivary α-amylase and cortisol) across four time points. Results showed no test-related stress across measures versus baseline, supporting minimal-stress screening in clinical care and trials.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose and study design

Stress measurement methods

Findings

Implications and future work

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 739 SESSION 7185 (POSTER) ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS II Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2516 ASSESSING STRESS LEVELS IN OLDER ADULTS DURING COGNITIVE AND MOTOR TESTING TO ADVANCE EARLIER DEMENTIA SCREENING Bernardo Villa-Sánchez, Alexandra Reed, Brianna Branson, Elyana Chacon, and Sydney Schaefer, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States 740 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Dementia is the second most feared diagnosis among adults, yet only a small percentage undergo cognitive testing for early signs during routine visits with primary care providers. It is possible that one reason for the low rate of routine screening maybe patients’ resistance to testing, suggesting that anticipating or completing a cognitive assessment may induce stress in older adults. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the stress responses of older adults immediately prior to and during cognitive screening. This study also compared responses between a traditional (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA) and a novel (Brief Evaluation of Cognition and Daily Function, BEAN) assessment. Twenty-one unimpaired older adults were randomly assigned to either the MoCA or BEAN group and were initially blinded to their group assignment. Test-related stress was measured using subjective (STAI-6) and objective (salivary α-amylase and cortisol) methods at four time points: baseline, in anticipation of assessment type (immediately following unblinding), and then five and 30 minutes after test initiation. Contrary to our hypothesis, neither STAI-6 scores, α-amylase, nor cortisol values indicated test-related stress for either assessment relative to baseline, based on Bonferroni-adjusted repeated-measures ANOVAs. These results are important, as cognitive screening in both clinical care and clinical trials should have minimal stress responses. Future studies should explore test-related stress using continuous measures of stress response, such as electrodermal activity, particularly in patients with cognitive decline.

FAQs

What was the primary goal of this study?

To determine how older adults respond to stress immediately prior to and during cognitive screening.

Which cognitive assessments were compared?

A traditional assessment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and a novel assessment called the Brief Evaluation of Cognition and Daily Function (BEAN).

How was test-related stress measured?

Using subjective STAI-6 scores and objective biomarkers including salivary α-amylase and cortisol at baseline and multiple points around test initiation.

Sep 29, 2026

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