Job-worker Mismatch and Cognitive Decline

We use longitudinal test data on various aspects of persons’ cognitive abilities to analyze whether overeducated workers are more vulnerable to cognitive decline, and undereducated workers are less vulnerable. We find that the job-worker mismatch induces cognitive decline with respect to immediate and delayed recall abilities, cognitive flexibility and verbal fluency. Our findings indicate that, to some extent, it is the adjustment of the ability level of the overeducated and undereducated workers that adjusts initial mismatch. This adds to the relevance of preventing overeducation, and shows that being employed above one’s level of education contributes to workers’ cognitive resilience.education, training and the labour market;

A configurable deep network for high-dimensional clinical trial data

Clinical studies provide interesting case studies for data mining researchers, given the often high degree of dimensionality and long term nature of these studies. In areas such as dementia, accurate predictions from data scientists provide vital input into the understanding of how certain features (representing lifestyle) can predict outcomes such as dementia. Most research involved has used traditional or shallow data mining approaches which have been shown to offer varying degrees of accuracy in datasets with high dimensionality. In this research, we explore the use of deep learning architectures, as they have been shown to have high predictive capabilities in image and audio datasets. The purpose of our research is to build a framework which allows easy reconfiguration for the performance of experiments across a number of deep learning approaches. In this paper, we present our framework for a configurable deep learning machine and our evaluation and analysis of two shallow approaches: regression and multi-layer perceptron, as a platform to a deep belief network, and using a dataset created over the course of 12 years by researchers in the area of dementia

INCREASING AUTONOMY OF OLDER ADULTS THROUGH THE USE OF COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET

This paper describes a research project that addresses the potential beneficial effects of newly acquired computer and Internet skills on the cognitive ability and quality of life in older individuals. This project is a randomized controlled study with healthy older participants between 65 and 75 years of age. In this paper, the design of this study, as well as some preliminary results on an everyday competence measure, the Technological Transfer Test (TTT), will be discussed. This test was designed to measure problem solving with respect to everyday technological devices, such as a cash machine. The ability to use such devices is very important for autonomy in later life, as society becomes more and more technology driven

Automating the integration of clinical studies into medical ontologies

A popular approach to knowledge extraction from clinical databases is to first define an ontology of the concepts one wishes to model and subsequently, use these concepts to test various hypotheses and make predictions about a person’s future health and wellbeing. The challenge for medical experts is in the time taken to map between their concepts/hypotheses and information contained within clinical studies. Presently, most of this work is performed manually. We have developed a method to generate links between Risk Factors in a medical ontology and the questions and result data in longitudinal studies. This can then be exploited to express complex queries based on domain concepts, to extract knowledge from external studies

The Neurovegetative Complaints Questionnaire in the Maastricht Aging Study: psychometric properties and normative data

Hoogenhout, E. M., Van der Elst, W., De Groot, R. H. M., Van Boxtel, M. P. J., & Jolles, J. (2010). The neurovegetative complaints questionnaire in the Maastricht aging study: Psychometric properties and normative data. Aging and Mental Health, 14(5), 613-23.Neurovegetative and somatic symptoms (such as headaches, heart palpitations, and dizziness) have a high prevalence. These symptoms are often indicative for ‘masked depression’ or ‘depression without sadness’, especially in older adults. At present, no instrument exists that enables the assessment of these symptoms. The current study presents a questionnaire that assesses neurovegetative and somatic complaints, as well as reactive emotional complaints: the ‘Neurovegetative Complaints Questionnaire’ (NCQ). The factor structure, internal consistency, and validity of the NCQ were evaluated in a large sample of 1,105 healthy subjects aged 24-81 years from the Maastricht Aging Study. The effects of age, gender and educational level on the NCQ measures were established to provide demographically corrected normative data. Two constructs underlay the responses to the NCQ items, i.e., the Neurovegetative/Somatic and Reactive/Emotional complaints factors (eigenvalues were 4.63 and 1.65 respectively, 33.0 % of the variance was explained, Pearson’s r between both factors equalled .448). Internal consistency of both scales was acceptable (i.e. Cronbach’s α = .74 and .71, respectively) and convergent validity was sufficient (Pearson’s r = |.387 - .499|). Females and older participants were characterized by more Neurovegetative/ Somatic and Reactive/Emotional complaints compared to males and younger people. Demographically corrected regression-based norms were provided for use in research and clinical settings. The NCQ is a psychometrically sound questionnaire that is specifically aimed at assessing neurovegetative/somatic and reactive/emotional complaints, symptoms that often are indicative for a ‘masked depression’

Can mindfulness-based interventions influence cognitive functioning in older adults?:A review and considerations for future research

OBJECTIVES: An increased need exists to examine factors that protect against age-related cognitive decline. There is preliminary evidence that meditation can improve cognitive function. However, most studies are cross-sectional and examine a wide variety of meditation techniques. This review focuses on the standard eight-week mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). METHOD: We searched the PsychINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, COCHRANE, and PubMed databases to identify original studies investigating the effects of MBI on cognition in older adults. RESULTS: Six reports were included in the review of which three were randomized controlled trials. Studies reported preliminary positive effects on memory, executive function and processing speed. However, most reports had a high risk of bias and sample sizes were small. The only study with low risk of bias, large sample size and active control group reported no significant findings. CONCLUSION: We conclude that eight-week MBI for older adults are feasible, but results on cognitive improvement are inconclusive due a limited number of studies, small sample sizes, and a high risk of bias. Rather than a narrow focus on cognitive training per se, future research may productively shift to investigate MBI as a tool to alleviate suffering in older adults, and to prevent cognitive problems in later life already in younger target populations

Repeated automatic versus ambulatory blood pressure measurement:the effects of age and sex in a normal ageing population

Objectives To study blood pressure adaptation in relation to age and sex, In a subsample, laboratory blood pressure measurements were compared with ambulatory daytime blood pressure measurements to determine the degree of agreement between the two methods, The night-time blood pressure reduction was analysed as a function of blood pressure status, age and sex.Design A cross-sectional study in 469 healthy volunteers, aged 23-82 years, stratified for age, sex and educational level.Methods Laboratory blood pressure was measured automatically (Dinamap 8100) five times during a 20min recording session, Cardiovascular events in the medical history were identified in order to treat the cardiovascular event-free group separately in subsequent analyses, Within 3 weeks after laboratory blood pressure measurement, ambulatory blood pressure was measured for 24h in 135 volunteers from the main study.Results Both diastolic and systolic blood pressure varied markedly in a single measurement session as a function of age, independent of mean pressure level, After 15min no further blood pressure decrease was observed, On the basis of the average of the final two blood pressure measurements, 18.8% of the subjects were in the hypertensive range (WHO/ISH guidelines). Ambulatory blood pressure measurements were in accord with earlier findings and correlated 0.74 and 0.73 with laboratory diastolic and systolic blood pressure, respectively, but weighted kappa values indicated only moderate agreement (0.42 and 0.51), Women showed a more profound reduction in cnight-time blood pressure than did men.Conclusions There is a substantial change in blood pressure during a single measurement session which is greater in older age groups, The moderate agreement between the two methods of blood pressure measurement supports the notion that blood pressure measured in a single session has limited generalizability to average daytime levels in a population sample