title: Cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly women. Attentional demands and capacity to direct attention.
abstract: As individuals get older, their capacity to direct attention (CDA) appears to decline. The decline in CDA may be caused by age-related changes in the brain and demands on attentional mechanisms. These demands require older adults to expend significant attentional effort to maintain focus and achieve mental clarity while negotiating activities of daily life. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between attentional demands and CDA among a convenience sample of 72 community-dwelling older women with normal mental status. Findings indicate attentional demands correlated significantly with CDA and accounted for a significant proportion of the variance. No relationship was found between depressive symptoms and CDA. Implications for practice are nursing interventions aimed at decreasing attentional demands, thereby supporting attentional processes and functioning by community-dwelling older adults.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire School of Nursing, Adult Health Nursing, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54702-4004, USA.
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001288:Attention; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D015146:Midwestern United States; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*