Rodrigues Emma A, Djiberou Mahamadou Abdoul Jalil, Moreno Sylvain
School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada.
Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 28;15(1):31744. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-91171-0.
Cognitive aging is a complex process influenced by diverse life experiences and environmental factors. However, some traditional studies have oversimplified this process by assuming that cognitive aging trajectories follow a uniform process and that all individuals will experience similar declines. This framework minimizes the impact of external factors, neglecting the diversity observed in the aging population. In fact, research has shown significant inter- and intraindividual variability in cognitive trajectories, with some individuals maintaining stable or even improving cognitive function, while others experience rapid decline. To address this gap, emerging research proposes promising alternatives to the homogenous modelling approaches used, focusing on the identification of latent classes of cognitive trajectories. In this work, we build on this by examining the complex interaction of heterogeneous cognitive trajectories with external factors during the aging process, using episodic memory as a measure of cognitive function. We use longitudinal data from 1746 individuals aged 60 and older, assessed at three times over eight years. Our findings revealed three distinct cognitive trajectories - low cognitive performance with early decline , unmodulated cognitive change and high cognitive performance with late decline - each uniquely influenced by specific lifestyle factors. These findings challenge the current theoretical model of cognitive aging by identifying that factors such as concentration activities and social engagement significantly influence the trajectories of low cognitive performance with early decline and high cognitive performance with late decline, whereas the trajectory of unmodulated cognitive change is largely unaffected by environmental influences. Overall, our results highlight the critical role of individual environmental susceptibility in shaping cognitive trajectories. This research provides key insights into the heterogeneity of cognitive aging and underscores the need for a research paradigm shift in understanding cognitive trajectories' heterogeneity. While further research is required to determine how these findings translate into practice, tailoring interventions to these newly identified cognitive trajectories, we can significantly improve individual and public health outcomes through more precise and effective social prescribing interventions.
认知老化是一个受多种生活经历和环境因素影响的复杂过程。然而，一些传统研究将这个过程过于简单化，假设认知老化轨迹遵循统一过程，且所有个体都会经历相似的衰退。这种框架将外部因素的影响最小化，忽视了老年人群体中观察到的多样性。事实上，研究表明认知轨迹存在显著的个体间和个体内差异，一些个体保持稳定甚至改善认知功能，而另一些个体则经历快速衰退。为了弥补这一差距，新兴研究提出了有前景的替代方法，以取代现有的同质化建模方法，重点是识别认知轨迹的潜在类别。在这项工作中，我们在此基础上进行研究，通过将情景记忆作为认知功能的衡量指标，考察老化过程中异质认知轨迹与外部因素的复杂相互作用。我们使用了来自1746名60岁及以上个体的纵向数据，这些个体在八年时间里接受了三次评估。我们的研究结果揭示了三种不同的认知轨迹——早期衰退的低认知表现、未调节的认知变化和晚期衰退的高认知表现——每种轨迹都受到特定生活方式因素的独特影响。这些发现挑战了当前的认知老化理论模型，因为它们表明诸如专注活动和社交参与等因素对早期衰退的低认知表现轨迹和晚期衰退的高认知表现轨迹有显著影响，而未调节的认知变化轨迹在很大程度上不受环境影响。总体而言，我们的结果突出了个体环境易感性在塑造认知轨迹中的关键作用。这项研究为认知老化的异质性提供了关键见解，并强调了在理解认知轨迹异质性方面研究范式转变的必要性。虽然需要进一步研究以确定这些发现如何转化为实践，即针对这些新识别的认知轨迹量身定制干预措施，但我们可以通过更精确和有效的社会处方干预措施显著改善个体和公共健康结果。
