Online Assessment of Cognitive Functioning: A Reliable Alternative to Laboratory Testing?

Abstract As the population ages, risks for cognitive decline threaten independence and quality of life for older adults. Classically, psychological assessment tools to evaluate cognitive functioning are administered in face-to-face laboratory sessions, which is time- and resource-consuming. With the aim of reducing such costs, the present study set out to develop and validate two new online tools, allowing a rapid assessment of general cognitive abilities and of prospective memory. We collected data from 250 participants equally spread across the adult lifespan (aged 18 – 86). Results suggest that performance assessed via these newly developed online tools is comparable to performance in face-to-face laboratory settings. Our findings thereby indicate that these online tools can reliably measure cognitive functioning across the lifespan at a reduced cost, which may help detect individuals at risk of developing age-related cognitive disorders.

developments in research studying age differences in cognitive performance and longitudinal cognitive change in the second half of life.Hülür et al. examine associations between midlife occupational factors and trajectories of cognitive change using data from the German Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development and Aging (ILSE).Luo et al. use 12-year longitudinal data from 499 older participants in ILSE to study bidirectional associations between social relationships and cognitive performance.Small et al. examine the correspondence between objective and subjective cognitive performance, and measures of fatigue and depressed mood in experience sampling data from breast cancer survivors.Haas et al. compare laboratory and at-home online assessments of cognitive status and prospective memory over the adult lifespan and evaluate the quality of self-administered tests.The discussion by Elizabeth Stine-Morrow will focus on how these approaches contribute to our understanding of processes of cognitive aging and how they can be utilized to promote maintenance of cognitive functioning in old age.

THE ROLE OF MIDLIFE OCCUPATIONAL FACTORS FOR TRAJECTORIES OF COGNITIVE CHANGE
Gizem Hueluer, 1 Jelena Siebert, 2 and Hans-Werner Wahl, 3 1.University of South Florida,Tampa,Florida,United States,2. Heidelberg University,Heidelberg,Germany,3. University of Heidelberg,Heidelberg,Germany Cognitively enriching environments are usually related to higher levels of cognitive performance, while associations with longitudinal change are less clear.In the present study, we used 20-year longitudinal data from the German Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development and Aging (ILSE) to examine the role of occupational factors for longitudinal trajectories of cognitive function in midlife.To do so, we used data from 374 participants in the ILSE midlife cohort (born in 1950-52; mean age at baseline = 44 years; 44 % women).Our findings showed that cognitively enriching work environments were associated with higher levels of cognitive function at baseline; however, these associations were not independent of control variables including education.There was no evidence that enriching work environments were related to the maintenance of cognitive abilities.In sum, our findings are in line with notions of "preserved differentiation".We discuss potential mechanisms underlying these findings.

BIDIRECTIONAL LONGITUDINAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN COGNITIVE ABILITIES AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN OLD AGE
Minxia Luo, 1 Peter Edelsbrunner, 2 Jelena Siebert, 3 Mike Martin, 1 and Damaris Aschwanden, 4 1.University of Zurich,Zurich,Zurich,Switzerland,2. ETH Zurich,Zurich,Zurich,Switzerland,3. Heidelberg University,Heidelberg,Germany,4. Florida State University,Tallahassee,Florida,United States Individuals' social connections can both shape and be shaped by cognitive abilities in aging process.This study examined bidirectional longitudinal associations between cognitive abilities and social relationships using 12-year longitudinal data (3 waves) from 499 German older adults who were born between year 1930 and 1932.Cognitive abilities were assessed as a latent construct consisting of five cognitive tests, i.e., picture completion, block design, information, similarities, and word finding.Social relationships were assessed by the self-reported number of free time partners and scales of perceived social relationships.Using a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model, we focused on within-person causal relations.Results showed that higher cognitive abilities predicted higher number of free time partners over four years and that more positive perceived social relationships predicted higher cognitive abilities at four-year follow-up.In sum, the bidirectional longitudinal associations indicate social relationships and cognitive abilities mutually maintain each other in old age.

UNDERSTANDING COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS AMONG BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS
Brent Small, 1 Heather Jim, 2 Sarah Eisel, 2 and Stacey Scott, 3 1.University of South Florida,Tampa,Florida,United States,2. Moffitt Cancer Center,Tampa,Florida,United States,3. Stony Brook University,Stony Brook,New York,United States Cancer and its treatment can induce accelerated aging changes in physiological and behavioral processes.In studies of cancer associated cognitive decline, subjective reports of cognitive impairment are often many times greater than performance deficits on objective tests of neurocognitive functioning.In an Ecological Momentary Assessment study of 47 breast cancer patients (M age = 53.3years), subjective ratings of cognitive performance and the occurrence of memory lapses assessed at the end of day were predicted by cognitive performance and ratings of fatigue and depressed mood throughout the day.Results indicated that poorer subjective cognition was significantly associated with elevated fatigue throughout the day.Slower processing speed, elevated ratings of fatigue, and depressed mood throughout the day were associated with a greater likelihood of memory lapses.Subjective ratings of cognitive deficits are related to objective performance, as well as common quality of life decrements among cancer survivors.

ONLINE ASSESSMENT OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING: A RELIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO LABORATORY TESTING?
Maximilian Haas, 1 Sascha Zuber, 2 David Framorando, 3 Elissa El Khawli, 4 Susanne Scheibe, 4 and Matthias Kliegel, 2 1.University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, 2. University of Geneva, Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland, 3. University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia, 4. University of Groningen, Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands As the population ages, risks for cognitive decline threaten independence and quality of life for older adults.Classically, psychological assessment tools to evaluate cognitive functioning are administered in face-to-face laboratory sessions, which is time-and resource-consuming.With the aim of reducing such costs, the present study set out to develop and validate two new online tools, allowing a rapid assessment of general cognitive abilities and of prospective memory.We collected data from 250 participants equally spread across the adult lifespan (aged 18 -86).Results suggest that performance assessed via these newly developed online tools is comparable to performance in face-to-face laboratory settings.Our findings thereby indicate that these online tools can reliably measure cognitive functioning across the lifespan at a reduced cost, which may help detect individuals at risk of developing age-related cognitive disorders.

CONTEXTUAL AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS RELEVANT TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WHITE ADULT POPULATIONS
Chair: Angela Sardina Co-Chair: Adrienne Aiken-Morgan Discussant: Alyssa Gamaldo With the burgeoning older adult population, there will be an increased demand for neighborhood and housing developments conducive to the interests and needs of older adults from diverse backgrounds of varying health and functional status.Several initiatives have sought to develop age-friendly neighborhoods, which focused on improving access and affordability of community resources.However, limited effort has focused on physical and social attributes of immediate housing environments, particularly amongst lower-income older adults.The need for affordable and usable housing developments for older adults that provide greater opportunities for social engagement, social services, and convenience to neighborhood resources (e.g., grocery stores, healthcare) will continue to rise.The objectives of the proposed symposium are the following: (1) to explore the physical and social attributes of older and low-income residents' housing and their surrounding community; and (2) discuss how older and low-income residents' housing and community resources relates to their health and well-being.This symposium will include presentations from three pilot investigations that highlight relevant subjective and objective contextual metrics related to health and well-being in underserved older populations.Tan and colleagues explored the role of well-being (i.e., purpose in life) in the relationships among sociodemographics, health, housing and community resources.Sardina and colleagues explored perceived leisure barriers and their relationship to sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial characteristics.Aiken-Morgan and colleagues examined associations between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health status among low-income African American older adults.Wright and colleagues explored associations between neighborhood disadvantage, brain health, and neurocognitive function in cognitively normal older adults.Having a sense of purpose directs behaviors, hence, purpose in life (PIL) can be a useful indicator/moderator of healthy mental and physical behaviors and outcomes.As such, purpose in life, particularly in lower income older adults, might encourage meaningful engagement in activities and life that lead to positive health.Thirty-nine residents (M=68.01,SD=10.26) of affordable housing for older adults in Wilmington, NC and State College, PA were surveyed on demographics, mental health, well-being (i.e., PIL), health behaviors, and their perceptions on immediate housing and the community resources.Findings suggest that for higher educated, younger and Black older adults, PIL moderates or protects against negative mental outcomes (p<.05).For higher educated older adults, PIL moderates or encourages positive perception of job opportunities in the community (p<.05) and healthier behaviors (p<.05).More research is needed to understand how environment interacts with PIL to promote healthy behaviors and outcomes.Despite increased research pertaining to the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial benefits of leisure engagement, few studies have explored leisure barriers experienced by older adults residing in subsidized housing, and how these barriers relate to sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial characteristics.Thirty-nine Black and White residents (M=68.01,SD=10.26)from two subsidized housing communities (Wilmington, NC and State College, PA) were surveyed as part of the Tailoring Environments for Active Life Engagement study.Findings indicated that lack of available activities and low awareness of activities, limited social connections, and transportation were the most common barriers identified.Additionally, individuals with lesser years of education and poorer quality of education, worse mental and physical health, poorer cognitive function, as well as those experiencing loneliness and social isolation reported significantly more leisure barriers (ps <.05).More research is needed that examines micro-, meso-, and macro-level factors associated with leisure participation for older low-income housing residents.Research has shown the importance of social determinants of health in explaining racial/ethnic disparities in many health outcomes; however, less attention has been given to within-group differences in social determinants of health among low-income African American older adults.The Physical and Cognitive Health Pilot Study (n=50) was utilized to examine associations between level of neighborhood