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dc.contributor.authorBoyle, Patricia A.
dc.contributor.authorYu, Lei
dc.contributor.authorBuchman, Aron S.
dc.contributor.authorLaibson, David I.
dc.contributor.authorBennett, David A.
dc.date.accessioned2012-11-21T21:57:10Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.identifier.citationBoyle, Patricia A., Lei Yu, Aron S. Buchman, David I. Laibson, and David A. Bennett. 2011. Cognitive function is associated with risk aversion in community-based older persons. BMC Geriatrics 11:53.en_US
dc.identifier.issn1471-2318en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:9938145
dc.description.abstractBackground: Emerging data from younger and middle-aged persons suggest that cognitive ability is negatively associated with risk aversion, but this association has not been studied among older persons who are at high risk of experiencing loss of cognitive function. Methods: Using data from 369 community-dwelling older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal epidemiologic study of aging, we examined the correlates of risk aversion and tested the hypothesis that cognition is negatively associated with risk aversion. Global cognition and five specific cognitive abilities were measured via detailed cognitive testing, and risk aversion was measured using standard behavioral economics questions in which participants were asked to choose between a certain monetary payment ($15) versus a gamble in which they could gain more than $15 or gain nothing; potential gamble gains ranged from $21.79 to $151.19 with the gain amounts varied randomly over questions. We first examined the bivariate associations of age, education, sex, income and cognition with risk aversion. Next, we examined the associations between cognition and risk aversion via mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, and income. Finally, we conducted sensitivity analyses to ensure that our results were not driven by persons with preclinical cognitive impairment. Results: In bivariate analyses, sex, education, income and global cognition were associated with risk aversion. However, in a mixed effect model, only sex (estimate = -1.49, standard error (SE) = 0.39, p < 0.001) and global cognitive function (estimate = -1.05, standard error (SE) = 0.34, p < 0.003) were significantly inversely associated with risk aversion. Thus, a lower level of global cognitive function and female sex were associated with greater risk aversion. Moreover, performance on four out of the five cognitive domains was negatively related to risk aversion (i.e., semantic memory, episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed); performance on visuospatial abilities was not. Conclusion: A lower level of cognitive ability and female sex are associated with greater risk aversion in advanced age.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipEconomicsen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipGovernmenten_US
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherBioMed Centralen_US
dc.relation.isversionofdoi:10.1186/1471-2318-11-53en_US
dc.relation.hasversionhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21906402en_US
dash.licenseOAP
dc.titleCognitive Function Is Associated with Risk Aversion in Community-Based Older Personsen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
dc.description.versionVersion of Recorden_US
dc.relation.journalBMC Geriatricsen_US
dash.depositing.authorLaibson, David I.
dc.date.available2012-11-21T21:57:10Z
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/1471-2318-11-53*
dash.contributor.affiliatedYu, Lei
dash.contributor.affiliatedLaibson, David


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