Operationalized definition of older adults with high cognitive performance

ABSTRACT Recently, there has been an increasing number of studies on exceptional cognitive aging. Herein, we aim to objectively provide the operationalized characterization of older adults with unusually high memory ability. Some authors have defined them as “SuperAgers”, individuals aged 80 years or older with memory ability similar or superior to middle-aged subjects. On the other hand, the terminology “high-performing older adults” (HPOA) seems to appropriately conceptualize these individuals without exaggeration. A threshold for age is not a reliable criterion, but may be defined as 75 and 80 years of age for developing and developed countries, respectively. We propose that HPOA may exhibit episodic memory test scores equal to or greater than those of individuals aged 50-60 years, according to the validated tables for the respective country. This group must also have global cognition scores within expected average values for age and education. Executive functioning may play a central role in the exceptional memory performance of this group. Further studies are essential to confirm existing findings and may provide important evidence for cognitive aging theory and the neurobiology of dementia.

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集聚焦于定义和评估具有异常高记忆能力的老年人群体(HPOA)，提出了基于记忆测试分数和全球认知评分的操作性标准，并探讨了执行功能在此群体中的核心作用。数据集包含相关研究表格，旨在为认知老化理论和痴呆症神经生物学提供证据。