Difficulty, effort and cardiovascular response to a working memory challenge: Older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment.
We presented cognitively healthy older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) three versions of a modified Sternberg memory task designed to range in difficulty from low to high. Among cognitively healthy older adults, blood pressure responses assessed during the work periods rose with difficulty. By contrast, among MCI patients, blood pressure responses assessed during the work periods were low irrespective of difficulty. Findings are discussed primarily in relation to a conceptual analysis concerned with ability determinants of effort (task engagement) and associated cardiovascular responses. They also are discussed in the context of other recent cardiovascular studies involving older adults and with regard to the potential for exaggerated cardiovascular responses to accelerate cognitive decline in advanced age.
Department of Behavioral Sciences, 1645 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 400, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States. Electronic address: christopher_stewart@rush.edu.
Christopher C
CC
Stewart
Department of Psychology, Motivation Science Laboratory, 1155 Union Circle #311280, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203-5017, United States. Electronic address: Rex.Wright@unt.edu.
Rex A
RA
Wright
Private Practice, Vestavia Hills, AL, United States.
H Randall
HR
Griffith
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
Cardiovascular response; Effort; Engagement; Mild cognitive impairment; Older adults