Correspondence should be addressed to Wendy Loken Thornton, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6. E-mail:
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2014 Mar;69(2):219-27. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbs120. Epub 2013 Jan 16.
Age reductions in theory of mind (ToM) are well documented, though underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Research suggests that traditional cognitive abilities underlie ToM in part; however, whether age-associated health modifiers also predict ToM remains unknown. We investigated the role of pulse pressure (PP), an age-related marker of vascular risk, in modifying ToM performance.
Sixty-six community-dwelling older adults (65-92 years) completed a short story paradigm assessing ToM. Participants also completed measures assessing blood pressure and cognitive abilities empirically linked to ToM. We used hierarchical regression to test our prediction that high PP would adversely influence associations between ToM and cognition.
Reduced ToM was associated with older age and decreased verbal memory, processing speed, and working memory; however, associations between ToM and working memory were attenuated when PP was included in the regression model. Importantly, associations between ToM, memory, and processing speed were qualified by vascular health, in that participants with elevated PP showed stronger associations between reduced ToM and lower memory/speed.
This is the first study to demonstrate that vascular risk modifies the strength of associations between ToM and age-sensitive cognitive resources. Results add to current perspectives on mechanisms influencing reduced ToM in older age.
心理理论（Theory of Mind，ToM）的年龄降低现象已有充分的文献记载，但相关的潜在机制仍未得到很好的理解。研究表明，传统的认知能力在一定程度上是 ToM 的基础；然而，年龄相关的健康调节剂是否也能预测 ToM 仍然未知。我们研究了脉搏压（Pulse Pressure，PP），一种与血管风险相关的年龄标志物，在改变 ToM 表现中的作用。
66 名居住在社区的老年人（65-92 岁）完成了一个短篇故事范式来评估 ToM。参与者还完成了测量血压和认知能力的测试，这些测试与 ToM 在经验上相关。我们使用分层回归来检验我们的预测，即高 PP 会对 ToM 和认知之间的关联产生不利影响。
降低的 ToM 与年龄较大和言语记忆、处理速度和工作记忆下降有关；然而，当 PP 被纳入回归模型时，ToM 和工作记忆之间的关联被减弱了。重要的是，ToM、记忆和处理速度之间的关联受到血管健康的限制，即 PP 升高的参与者在降低的 ToM 和较低的记忆/速度之间表现出更强的关联。
这是第一项表明血管风险会改变 ToM 和年龄敏感认知资源之间关联强度的研究。结果增加了当前对影响老年人 ToM 降低的机制的观点。
