Mental health and cognitive function in adults aged 18 to 92 years

Abstract

Mental health and cognitive function were investigated in 195 community-dwelling adults aged 18 to 92 years (M = 46.64). Cognitive domains assessed included psychomotor, executive function, and episodic memory. A significant Age x Mental health interaction was found in relation to within-person (WP) variability (trial-to-trial variability in RT performance) in a 4-choice psychomotor, and a Stroop task, but not in relation to mean RT measures from those tasks. Poorer mental health was associated with greater WP variability in older adults. This effect was not found in relation to memory. The findings suggest that measures of WP variability may be sensitive to relatively subtle effects associated with age and poor mental health, and provide valuable insights into cognitive function in old age.