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Psychophysiological mediators of caregiver stress and differential cognitive decline.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Vitaliano, PP; Echeverria, D; Yi, J; Phillips, PEM; Young, H; Siegler, IC
Published in: Psychol Aging
September 2005

The authors examined relationships between chronic stress and cognitive decline and whether such relationships were mediated by psychophysiological factors. Ninety-six caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were compared with 95 similar noncaregiver spouses. All were free of diabetes. Although the groups started similarly, over 2 years caregivers declined by a small but significant amount (1 raw score point and 4 percentile points, each p<.05) on Shipley Vocabulary. In contrast, noncaregivers did not change. Higher hostile attribution (beta=-.09; p<.05) and metabolic risk (beta=-.10; p<.05) in caregivers mediated the cognitive decline. This is the first study of cognitive decline and mediators in caregivers. This work has implications for caregiver and care-recipient health and for research on cognition, psychophysiology, diabetes, and AD.

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Published In

Psychol Aging

DOI

ISSN

0882-7974

Publication Date

September 2005

Volume

20

Issue

3

Start / End Page

402 / 411

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Spouses
  • Risk
  • Reference Values
  • Psychophysiology
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Inventory
  • Personality Assessment
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Middle Aged
 

Citation

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Vitaliano, P. P., Echeverria, D., Yi, J., Phillips, P. E. M., Young, H., & Siegler, I. C. (2005). Psychophysiological mediators of caregiver stress and differential cognitive decline. Psychol Aging, 20(3), 402–411. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.20.3.402
Vitaliano, Peter P., Diana Echeverria, Joyce Yi, Paul E. M. Phillips, Heather Young, and Ilene C. Siegler. “Psychophysiological mediators of caregiver stress and differential cognitive decline.Psychol Aging 20, no. 3 (September 2005): 402–11. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.20.3.402.
Vitaliano PP, Echeverria D, Yi J, Phillips PEM, Young H, Siegler IC. Psychophysiological mediators of caregiver stress and differential cognitive decline. Psychol Aging. 2005 Sep;20(3):402–11.
Vitaliano, Peter P., et al. “Psychophysiological mediators of caregiver stress and differential cognitive decline.Psychol Aging, vol. 20, no. 3, Sept. 2005, pp. 402–11. Pubmed, doi:10.1037/0882-7974.20.3.402.
Vitaliano PP, Echeverria D, Yi J, Phillips PEM, Young H, Siegler IC. Psychophysiological mediators of caregiver stress and differential cognitive decline. Psychol Aging. 2005 Sep;20(3):402–411.

Published In

Psychol Aging

DOI

ISSN

0882-7974

Publication Date

September 2005

Volume

20

Issue

3

Start / End Page

402 / 411

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Spouses
  • Risk
  • Reference Values
  • Psychophysiology
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Inventory
  • Personality Assessment
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Middle Aged