Handwriting speed may be a sign of cognitive decline in older (institutionalized) people. Really!

When I write, I write 99% all the time on a computer or device keyboard! Thus, I have more and more difficulty to write with my hand over the years.

Longitudinal monitoring or after a stroke of handwriting may seem to make sense for some individuals.

"... The study included 58 older adults, aged between 62 and 92, living in care homes. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:

"Highlights

• Diagnostic differentiation emerged only in tasks with higher cognitive–motor demands.
• Temporal efficiency and stroke organization were the most robust predictors of cognitive impairment.
• Process–product coupling was minimal in healthy aging but pronounced in cognitive impairment.
• Dictation tasks showed greater sensitivity than isolated pen-control tasks.
• Digital handwriting analysis offers a scalable, non-invasive approach for early cognitive screening and longitudinal monitoring.

Background: 

Handwriting is a hierarchical cognitive–motor activity requiring the integration of motor execution, visuospatial processing, working memory, and executive control.

Digital handwriting technology enables simultaneous assessment of process (kinematics) and product (performance outcomes), offering a theoretically grounded approach to detecting cognitive vulnerability in aging.

Methods:

This study examined whether kinematic handwriting features differentiate institutionalized older adults with and without cognitive impairment and whether these features predict handwriting product performance under varying cognitive–motor demands.

Fifty-eight participants (20 cognitively healthy; 38 cognitively impaired), classified using education-adjusted MMSE cutoffs, completed pen-control tasks (DOTS, LINES) and four handwriting-speed tasks (two copy, two dictation) on a digitizing tablet. Nine standardized kinematic variables were analyzed using logistic and multiple linear regression models with correction for multiple comparisons.

Results: 

Pen-control tasks (DOTS, LINES) did not significantly discriminate between the two groups, the handwriting-speed tasks, particularly dictation, revealed significant group differences. 

Temporal efficiency and stroke organization variables (e.g., Duration, Number of Strokes) significantly contributed to classification in high-demand tasks. Among cognitively healthy participants, associations between kinematic and product measures were limited, suggesting preserved compensatory mechanisms.

Conversely, cognitively impaired individuals exhibited stronger process–product coupling, with Start Time, Vertical Size, and Duration significantly predicting handwriting performance in dictation tasks.

Conclusion:

Handwriting kinematics, especially temporal and stroke-related features, are sensitive indicators of cognitive impairment when assessed under high cognitive–motor load. These findings support the use of digitally mediated handwriting tasks—particularly dictation paradigms—as ecologically valid, low-cost tools for screening and monitoring cognitive decline in older adults. ..."

Handwriting speed may be a sign of cognitive decline in older people

Handwriting speed and pen motor control in older adults with and without cognitive impairment (open access)

Pregnancy, breastfeeding associated with higher levels of cognitive function for postmenopausal women, new research shows

Amazing stuff!

"... Researchers used data from the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study and the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging, which annually assessed more than 7,000 women aged about 70 for up to 13 years.

Women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease, something that has not been fully explained by the length of life span. Fox’s study aimed to address this question by examining the relationship between reproductive histories and cognitive function in a large group over a long period, something previous studies had not yet accomplished. ..."

"Key Takeaways

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding may improve long-term cognitive function in women. 
• The study found that an increase in cumulative time spent pregnant and time spent breastfeeding correlated with greater cognition, verbal memory and visual memory later in life. 
• The findings may open the door to potential advancements in preventative strategies targeting women at greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

..."

From the abstract:

"INTRODUCTION

The brains of female mammals evolved to undergo structural and functional changes during pregnancy and lactation, equipping them for motherhood. However, long-term cognitive health implications of these adaptations in women are poorly understood.

METHODS

In the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Memory Study (WHIMS; n = 7427) and WHI Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA; n = 2304), postmenopausal women completed reproductive history interviews, annual global cognitive assessment from mean age 70 for up to 13 years, and multi-domain cognitive testing for up to 8 years.

RESULTS

Each additional month pregnant was associated with higher scores of global cognition.

Each additional month of breastfeeding corresponded to higher scores of global cognition, verbal memory, and visual memory. We observed equivalent results for binary formulations of gravidity and breastfeeding.

DISCUSSION

Low rates of fertility and breastfeeding may have implications for postmenopausal cognitive health at the population level. Next steps include examining mechanisms linking women's reproductive history with postmenopausal cognitive health.

Highlights

• Motherhood may leave an enduring mark on women's brains, shaping cognitive health.
• Over 7000 women were assessed annually from approximately age 70 for up to 13 years.
• Ever being pregnant and cumulative time pregnant were linked with better cognition.
• Ever having breastfed and more time breastfeeding were linked with better cognition.
• These results imply that declining fertility may affect cognitive aging in future generations.

"

Pregnancy, breastfeeding associated with higher levels of cognitive function for postmenopausal women, new research shows | UCLA

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are associated with less later-life cognitive decline in a longitudinal, prospective cohort

Fig. 3 Results from primary hypotheses.

Marriage linked to significant higher dementia risk in older adults compared to unmarried individual, 18-year long-term study finds

Seems to be counter intuitive!

Unfortunately, it appears it was not investigated whether the dementia in widowed participants developed before or after and how it progressed before and after.

"... researchers found that older adults who were divorced or never married had a lower risk of developing dementia over an 18-year period compared to their married peers. Findings suggest that being unmarried may not increase vulnerability to cognitive decline, contrary to long-held beliefs in public health and aging research. ...

More than 24,000 participants without dementia at baseline were enrolled from over 42 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers across the United States through the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Annual clinical evaluations were conducted by trained clinicians using standardized protocols to assess cognitive function and determine diagnoses of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. ...

Compared to married participants, divorced or never married showed a consistently lower risk of developing dementia over the study period. Dementia diagnoses occurred in 20.1% of the overall sample. Among married participants, 21.9% developed dementia during the study period. Incidence was identical among widowed participants at 21.9% but notably lower for divorced (12.8%) and never-married participants (12.4%). ..."

From the abstract:

"INTRODUCTION

Marital status is a potential risk/protective factor for adverse health outcomes. This study tested whether marital status was associated with dementia risk in older adults.

METHODS

Participants (N = 24,107; Mean age = 71.79) were from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Cox regressions tested the association between baseline marital status and clinically ascertained dementia over up to 18 years of follow-up.

RESULTS

Compared to married participants,

widowed (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.67–0.79),

divorced (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.59–0.73), and

never-married participants (HR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.52–0.71) were at lower dementia risk, including for Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.

The associations for divorced and never married remained significant accounting for demographic, behavioral, clinical, genetic, referral source, participation, and diagnostic factors. The associations were slightly stronger among professional referrals, males, and relatively younger participants.

DISCUSSION

Unmarried individuals may have a lower risk of dementia compared to married adults. The findings could indicate delayed diagnoses among unmarried individuals or challenge the assumption that marriage protects against dementia.

Highlights

• Widowed, divorced, and never-married older adults had a lower dementia risk, compared to their married counterparts.
• Unmarried older adults were also at a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, with a pattern of mixed findings for frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and no associations with risk of vascular dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
• All unmarried groups were at a lower risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.
• There was some evidence of moderation by age, sex, and referral source. However, stratified analyses showed small differences between groups, and most interactions were not significant, suggesting that the role of marital status in dementia tends to be similar across individuals at different levels of dementia risk due to education, depression, and genetic vulnerability."

Marriage linked to higher dementia risk in older adults, 18-year study finds

Dementia Is More Common Among the Married Than the Unmarried (original news release; PDF file) "Unmarried people are at least 50% less likely to experience cognitive decline."

Marital status and risk of dementia over 18 years: Surprising findings from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (open access)

What are the chances of the 46th U.S. president to be in office until his term ends?

I don't think they are very good. He might not even make it through the first 12 months in his term. His obvious and serious cognitive decline can no longer be hidden from the public. 

What the Dimocratic Party and its enablers in media and business have done is inexcusable and irresponsible!

To term limit the U.S. presidency was not enough! The people of the United States also deserve to learn more about the health status of any presidential candidate before election day and once in office. Were any recent e.g. health checkups of Joseph Biden made public? 

A Tweak to Immune Cells Reverses Aging in Mice

Good news! Towards a cure for Alzheimer's disease in the next 5-15 years! Research is turning from many years of painstaking analysis to targeted intervention!

"... that deleting the EP2 receptor in mouse macrophages and brain-specific microglia ... reduces inflammation and increases neuronal survival in response to both a bacterial toxin and a neurotoxin. ...
The cells from older [blood] donors made much more PGE2 and had higher abundance of the EP2 receptor than did macrophages from younger donors. When the researchers exposed human macrophages to PGE2, the cells altered their metabolism. Rather than using glucose to make energy, the cells converted it to glycogen and stored it, locking it up where the mitochondria couldn’t access it for ATP production. ..."

"Ageing is characterized by the development of persistent pro-inflammatory responses that contribute to atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, cancer and frailty ... Systemically, circulating pro-inflammatory factors can promote cognitive decline, and in the brain, microglia lose the ability to clear misfolded proteins that are associated with neurodegeneration ...
In ageing macrophages and microglia, PGE2 signalling through its EP2 receptor promotes the sequestration of glucose into glycogen, reducing glucose flux and mitochondrial respiration. This energy-deficient state, which drives maladaptive pro-inflammatory responses, is further augmented by a dependence of aged myeloid cells on glucose as a principal fuel source. In aged mice, inhibition of myeloid EP2 signalling rejuvenates cellular bioenergetics, systemic and brain inflammatory states, hippocampal synaptic plasticity and spatial memory. Moreover, blockade of peripheral myeloid EP2 signalling is sufficient to restore cognition in aged mice. ..."

A Tweak to Immune Cells Reverses Aging in Mice | The Scientist Magazine® Knocking out the receptor for a lipid that causes inflammation rejuvenates macrophage metabolism and restores cognitive function in an Alzheimer’s disease model.

Here is the link to the underlying research paper:

Restoring metabolism of myeloid cells reverses cognitive decline in ageing (open access)

There is even a very long commentary published by Nature on this paper:

Reversal of immune-cell shutdown protects the ageing brain Immune cells called macrophages have been found to shut down major metabolic pathways during ageing. Restoring metabolism in these cells is sufficient to alleviate age-associated cognitive decline in mice.