ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2021
Purpose in Life and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome: Replicable Evidence from Two National Samples.
Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Association of motoric cognitive risk syndrome with depression in older adults: a meta-analysis and systematic review of cross-sectional and cohort studies.BMC geriatrics · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of physical and psychological multimorbidity on the risk of dementia: multinational prospective cohorts and a meta-analysis.BMC medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Purpose in Life in Older Adults: A Systematic Review on Conceptualization, Measures, and Determinants.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Sense of Purpose in Life Is Associated with Lower Risk of Incident Dementia: A Meta-Analysis.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2021Pooled it
- Psychological characteristics and functional abilities in older adults with subjective cognitive complaints: A potential new target for early intervention.International psychogeriatrics · 2026Trial
- Development and validation of screening tools for motoric cognitive risk syndrome in community settings.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Trial
- Age-friendly environments and incident motoric cognitive risk syndrome in older adults: A prospective cohort study.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
- The longitudinal relation between purpose in life and accelerometer-measured physical activity.Mental health and physical activity · 2026Article
- Peak expiratory flow predicts motoric cognitive risk syndrome: A cohort study.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2025Article
- Purpose in life and accelerometer-measured physical activity among older adults.Psychology & health · 2025Article
- Multi-trajectories in different domains of social supports and subjective motoric cognitive risk syndrome: a 16-year group-based multi-trajectory analysis.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2024Article
- Association between pain interference and motoric cognitive risk syndrome in older adults: a population-based cohort study.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Purpose in Life and Cognitive Function: Evidence for Momentary Associations in Daily Life.Innovation in aging · 2024Article
- Informant-rated change in personality traits, psychological distress, well-being, and social connection with dementia.Archives of gerontology and geriatrics · 2023Article
- Heterogeneity in Measures and Rates of Reported Dementia and Subjective Memory Complaints Across U.S. National Surveys.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2023Article
- Purpose in life and markers of immunity and inflammation: Testing pathways of episodic memory.Journal of psychosomatic research · 2023Article
- Change in Purpose in Life Before and After Onset of Cognitive Impairment.JAMA network open · 2023Article
- Sense of Purpose in Life and Beliefs and Knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease.Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists · 2023Article
- Association between positive control in self-perceptions of aging and motoric cognitive risk syndrome among Chinese community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2023Article
- Sense of Purpose in Life and Subjective Cognitive Failures.Personality and individual differences · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesMotoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome is characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait speed in the absence of dementia. Consistent evidence indicates that it predicts dementia and premature mortality. Less is known about its antecedents, particularly the role of psychological function. Purpose in life is an aspect of well-being that reflects a goal-oriented and -driven life that has been implicated in cognitive aging. We aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between purpose in life and MCR and to test the hypothesis that purpose is associated with a lower risk of new cases of MCR over an up to 12-year follow-up.
designCross-sectional and longitudinal multi-cohort design.
settingHealth and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS).
participantsA total of 6,785 individuals from the HRS and 5,665 from the NHATS. MEASUREMENTS: Participants reported on their purpose in life and cognitive complaints and completed a walking speed assessment. Cognitive complaints and walking speed were assessed again up to 12 years later in HRS and up to 7 years later in NHATS.
resultsHigher purpose in life was associated with a 33% lower risk of MCR concurrently (meta-analytic odds ratio = .75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .62-.90; P = .002) and an about 26% lower risk of incident MCR longitudinally (meta-analytic hazard ratio = .77; 95% CI = .70-.84; P < .001). These associations were significant in each sample, were independent of sociodemographic covariates, and persisted after controlling for personality and health-related factors (depressive symptoms, physical activity, disease burden).
conclusionPurpose in life is associated with a lower risk of incident MCR, an association that was replicated in two independent samples. Purpose is a malleable aspect of psychological function that is a promising target of intervention for healthier cognitive aging.
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