COGNITIVE AGING AND DEMENTIA RESEARCH: EXPANDING HORIZONS ON SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS - Session 3175 - Symposium

Sep 29, 2026

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This symposium presents cross-disciplinary research on how early- and midlife social and environmental contexts shape later-life cognition and dementia risk. Early-career speakers draw on CAATSA, HRS, and PSID, applying advanced analyses to test roles of education, neighborhood poverty during early adulthood and midlife, and pre-retirement work conditions. Findings include education’s distinct contribution beyond zygosity and socio-environmental factors, cumulative disadvantage effects, and retirement-linked changes through stress and loneliness. Long-term trajectories show joint increases in cognitive decline and loneliness, while extended work and encore careers may reduce later-life dementia probability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Symposium 3175 (Session 3175)

Research aims and data sources

Education, neighborhood poverty, and work context effects

Sequence and dynamic change model findings

Retirement, loneliness, and cognitive trajectories

Integrative discussion and implications

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 381 SESSION 3175 (SYMPOSIUM) Abstract citation ID: igaf122.1295 COGNITIVE AGING AND DEMENTIA RESEARCH: EXPANDING HORIZONS ON SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS Chair: Jacqui Smith Discussant: Dawn Carr This symposium showcases new cross-disciplinary research into proposals about early-life and midlife contexts associated with later-life cognition and dementia. The early-career speakers utilize data from the Carolina African American Twins Study of Aging (CAATSA), Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and apply advanced analysis methods. Presentations consider the influence of education, early adult and midlife neighborhood poverty, and pre-retirement work contexts in cognitive aging. Early-life education is well-known as a predictor of dementia. Johnson expands this research by revealing a unique role for education beyond zygosity and socio-environmental factors. Kalousová examines the relevance to late life cognition of early-to-late life residential contexts characterized by neighborhood poverty. Using sequence analysis, she identifies distinct patterns of exposure to neighborhood disadvantage over time. Cumulative exposures to areas with limited resources increased the likelihood of late-life cognitive impairment. Retirement from the workforce often contributes to increased stress, loneliness, and reduced cognitive engagement. Kayser, Xiang, and Smith apply cross-wave dynamic change models to HRS multi-wave data to disentangle bidirectional associations between changes in cognition and loneliness after retirement. They report that over the longer-term both cognitive decline and loneliness increase. Working longer and different retirement trajectories may mitigate cognitive decline. Oh used sequence analysis to identify six work-related trajectories prior to retirement. He finds that working longer and engaging in so-called “encore” careers reduce the probability of later-life dementia. The session concludes with an integrative discussion by Carr of the implications of these studies for future research and policy.

FAQs

What research topics does Symposium 3175 cover?

It examines how early-life and midlife contexts, including education, neighborhood poverty, and pre-retirement work conditions, relate to later-life cognition and dementia risk.

Which datasets are used in the symposium presentations?

Speakers use data from the Carolina African American Twins Study of Aging (CAATSA), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).

How do the studies link retirement to cognition and loneliness?

Cross-wave dynamic change models suggest that over the longer term, both cognitive decline and loneliness increase after retirement, and working longer or following different retirement trajectories may mitigate cognitive decline.

Sep 29, 2026

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