Cognitive domains associated with performance on the telephone interview for cognitive status-modified.

Global cognitive screening tests are increasingly used in clinical and research settings. However, many have not been developed following systematic psychometric principles; thus, construct validity is not clearly defined. It is the aim of this study to identify the cognitive domains that are associated with the total score from the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (TICS-m). Data came from 104 women (75 years of age and older) who were participants in a longitudinal study of dementia and had been given the TICS-m and a battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Factor analysis of all these neuropsychological tests yielded six interpretable factors. episodic memory for words, episodic memory for contextual information, working memory, episodic memory for nonverbal information, attention, and visuospatial processing efficiency. The TICS-m score showed modest associations with several distinct cognitive domains, including episodic memory for words and nonverbal information and attention.

Hormone use and cognitive performance in women of advanced age.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the association between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cognitive performance in a group of elderly women (>/=75) using a battery of well-standardized neuropsychological instruments. DESIGN: Equivalent samples from existing cohort. SETTING: Healthcare provider organization. PARTICIPANTS: All women enrolled were participants in an ongoing study of the association between HRT and the prevalence and incidence of dementia. Prescription records were used to establish HRT status. Fifty-eight users and 47 nonusers of HRT participated in this substudy. MEASUREMENTS: Given previous reports that HRT has a positive effect on verbal memory, the California Verbal Learning Test and the Logical Memory Test were used as primary outcomes. A range of validated tests that assess other cognitive domains was also included. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between users and nonusers of HRT on any cognitive measures. CONCLUSION: Given equivalent groups of users and nonusers of HRT no support was found for the hypothesis that use of HRT improves cognitive performance in older women.