Title | Cognitively-Impaired-Not-Demented Status Moderates the Time-Varying Association between Finger Tapping Inconsistency and Executive Performance. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2016 |
Authors | Halliday, DWR, Stawski, RS, MacDonald, SWS |
Journal | Arch Clin Neuropsychol |
Date Published | 2016 Oct 13 |
ISSN | 1873-5843 |
Abstract | OBJECTIVE: Response time inconsistency (RTI) in cognitive performance predicts deleterious health outcomes in late-life; however, RTI estimates are often confounded by additional influences (e.g., individual differences in learning). Finger tapping is a basic sensorimotor measure largely independent of higher-order cognition that may circumvent such confounds of RTI estimates. We examined the within-person coupling of finger-tapping mean and RTI on working memory, and the moderation of these associations by cognitive status. METHOD: A total of 262 older adults were recruited and classified as controls, cognitively-impaired-not-demented (CIND) unstable or CIND stable. Participants completed finger-tapping and working-memory tasks during multiple weekly assessments, repeated annually for 4 years. RESULTS: Within-person coupling estimates from multilevel models indicated that on occasions when RTI was greater, working-memory response latency was slower for the CIND-stable, but not for the CIND-unstable or control individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The finger-tapping task shows potential for minimizing confounds on RTI estimates, and for yielding RTI estimates sensitive to central nervous system function and cognitive status. |
DOI | 10.1093/arclin/acw084 |
Alternate Journal | Arch Clin Neuropsychol |
PubMed ID | 27737850 |