Date of Award

4-6-2010

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Gerontology Institute

First Advisor

Yong "Tai" Wang - Committee Chair

Second Advisor

Elisabeth O. Burgess - Committee Member

Third Advisor

Nancy P. Kropf - Committee Member

Abstract

This secondary data analysis of the Health and Retirement Study – Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS) examines the relationship between subjective cognition and objective performance, depression, and anxiety in cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND) and dementia. With a cross-sectional design, this study consists of 480 older adults between ages 72-105. Participants completed the Mini-Mental State Examination. The Wechsler Memory Scale- Revised Logical Memory I/II measured memory. Anxiety and depression were measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Subjective memory was measured by the HRS Self-report Memory and Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. Independent t-tests and Pearson correlation analysis were employed to determine differences between the dementia and non-dementia groups. Results demonstrated that the CIND group had significantly better general cognition; more severe cognitive/memory problems in the dementia group showed weaker relationships between general cognition and memory performance; anxiety/depression were weakly related in CIND and moderately related in dementia.