title: Personal Journal Keeping and Linguistic Complexity Predict Late-Life Dementia Risk: The Cache County Journal Pilot Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We determined the feasibility of accessing personal journals and correlating markers of linguistic complexity with all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A stratified random sample of 215 older adults reported on lifetime journal writing habits. From 66 of these participants (49% of those with journals), digital photographs of journal text were transcribed then subjected to the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count program to measure linguistic complexity markers: Words per Sentence, Percentage of 6+ Letter Words, Cognitive Mechanics, Percentage of Unique Words, and Percentage of Words that are Numerals. AD diagnosis was made via in-depth clinical protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the larger sample, ever being a journal writer significantly predicted a 53% reduction in all-cause dementia risk. In the subsample with transcribed writings, Percentage of 6+ Letter Words predicted AD and all-cause dementia risk, with all logistic regression models controlling for age, education, gender, and Latter-Day Saints affiliation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest the potential viability of adulthood language use as a predictive tool for late-life AD risk, both in the linguistic features and the practice of journal writing itself.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Consumer and Human Development, Utah State University, Logan.
authors.forename: Jessica J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Weyerman
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Consumer and Human Development, Utah State University, Logan.
authors.forename: Cassidy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Consumer and Human Development, Utah State University, Logan.|Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Norton
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D058245:Cognitive Reserve; D018450:Disease Progression; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014956:Writing
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Cognitive reserve; Language