Kristin Krueger | Rush University Medical Center (original) (raw)

Papers by Kristin Krueger

Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology

Alzheimer's & Dementia

BMJ

ObjectiveTo determine the impact of lifestyle factors on life expectancy lived with and without A... more ObjectiveTo determine the impact of lifestyle factors on life expectancy lived with and without Alzheimer’s dementia.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingThe Chicago Health and Aging Project, a population based cohort study in the United States.Participants2449 men and women aged 65 years and older.Main exposureA healthy lifestyle score was developed based on five modifiable lifestyle factors: a diet for brain health (Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay—MIND diet score in upper 40% of cohort distribution), late life cognitive activities (composite score in upper 40%), moderate or vigorous physical activity (≥150 min/week), no smoking, and light to moderate alcohol consumption (women 1-15 g/day; men 1-30 g/day).Main outcomeLife expectancy with and without Alzheimer’s dementia in women and men.ResultsWomen aged 65 with four or five healthy factors had a life expectancy of 24.2 years (95% confidence interval 22.8 to 25.5) and lived 3.1 years longer than wo...

Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2021

More frequent engagement in late‐life cognitive activities (e.g. reading, playing games) has been... more More frequent engagement in late‐life cognitive activities (e.g. reading, playing games) has been associated with slower cognitive decline in old age. Even after adjusting for neuropathological burden, cognitive activities were associated with less cognitive decline. However, it is not known whether people who engage more frequently in cognitive activities show differences in brain anatomy compared to those who participate less frequently. We tested the hypothesis that brain anatomy, as measured by structural MRI indices, mediates the association of cognitive activities and cognitive decline in old age.

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2021

Objective:To evaluate the properties of the cognitive battery used in the MIND Diet Intervention ... more Objective:To evaluate the properties of the cognitive battery used in the MIND Diet Intervention to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. The MIND Diet Intervention is a randomized control trial to determine the relative effectiveness of the MIND diet in slowing cognitive decline and reducing brain atrophy in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s dementia.Methods:The MIND cognitive function battery was administered at baseline to 604 participants of an average age of 70 years, who agreed to participate in the diet intervention study, and was designed to measure change over time. The battery included 12 cognitive tests, measuring the 4 cognitive domains of executive function, perceptual speed, episodic memory, and semantic memory. We conducted a principal component analysis to examine the consistency between our theoretical domains and the statistical performance of participants in each domain. To further establish the validity of each domain, we regressed the domain scores against a late-life...

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2005

Little is known about the relative benefits of cognitively stimulating activities at different po... more Little is known about the relative benefits of cognitively stimulating activities at different points in the lifespan. In a cohort of 576 older persons without dementia, we assessed current and past (childhood, young adulthood, middle age) frequency of cognitive activity; availability of cognitively stimulating resources in the home in childhood and middle age; and 5 domains of cognitive function. Past cognitive activity and cognitive resources were positively correlated with both current cognitive activity and current cognitive function. The association with cognitive function was reduced after controlling for current cognitive activity, however. Current cognitive activity was associated with better cognitive function, especially semantic memory and perceptual speed, even after controlling for past activity. The results suggest that past cognitive activity contributes to current cognition principally through its association with cognitive activity in old age. (JINS, 2005,11, 400–407.)

AIDS (London, England), Jan 9, 2016

Older persons with HIV are at risk for impaired cognition, yet there is limited information on mo... more Older persons with HIV are at risk for impaired cognition, yet there is limited information on modifiable factors associated with neurocognitive function in this group. This is a cross-sectional observational study of cognitive activities and neurocognitive function. We examined the relation between frequency of cognitive activity and current neurocognitive performance in 176 older persons with HIV (70% African American, 76% male; mean age = 58.7 (SD = 5.5); mean education = 13.2 (SD = 2.8). In linear regression models adjusted for demographic variables, we found that higher frequency of cognitive activity was associated with better cognition in global cognition, semantic memory, and perceptual speed. Subsequent models that examined the role of race, demonstrated that the association was significant only among Blacks for global cognition, episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed (interaction of cognitive activity by race Estimates range = 0.38 - 0.55; all P < 0.05). ...

The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2005

The authors tested the relationship of hallucinations and delusions to mortality in Alzheimer dis... more The authors tested the relationship of hallucinations and delusions to mortality in Alzheimer disease (AD). A group of 407 persons with clinically diagnosed AD completed a uniform clinical evaluation, after which vital status was monitored for a mean of 3.7 years. At the initial evaluation, a previously established, structured, informant interview was used to ascertain the presence of hallucinations and delusional thinking. The evaluation also included a structured medical history, inspection of all medications, and detailed assessment of cognitive functioning and parkinsonian signs. At study onset, hallucinations were present in 41.0% of participants and delusions in 54.4%. During follow-up, 146 deaths occurred. In a proportional-hazards model adjusted for age, sex, race, and education, hallucinations were associated with a 78% increase in risk of death. The association was not substantially altered in subsequent analyses that controlled for level of cognitive impairment, severity ...

Psychosomatic Medicine, 2005

The objective of this study was to test the association of the personality traits of neuroticism ... more The objective of this study was to test the association of the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion with risk of death in old age. Methods: A census was taken of a geographically defined urban community in Chicago, and those aged 65 years or older were invited to participate in an in-home interview; 6158 (79% of those eligible) did so. The interview included brief measures of neuroticism and extraversion, medical history, and questions about current participation in cognitive, social, and physical activities. Vital status was subsequently monitored. The association of each trait with risk of death was examined in a series of accelerated failure-time models that controlled for age, sex, race, and education. Results: During a mean of more than 6 years of observation, 2430 persons (39.5%) died. A high level of neuroticism (score ϭ 27; 90th percentile) was associated with a 33% increase in risk of death compared with a low level of neuroticism (score ϭ 9; 10th percentile). A high level of extraversion (score ϭ 33; 90th percentile) was associated with a 21% decrease in risk of death compared with a low level (score ϭ 18; 10th percentile). Adjustment for medical conditions and health-related variables did not substantially affect results, but adjusting for baseline levels of cognitive, social, and physical activity reduced the association of both traits with mortality. Conclusions: The results suggest that higher extraversion and lower neuroticism are associated with reduced risk of mortality in old age and that these associations are mediated in part by personality-related patterns of cognitive, social, and physical activity.

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 2010

Background Basic lexical skills are hypothesised to be relatively preserved in mild dementia, but... more Background Basic lexical skills are hypothesised to be relatively preserved in mild dementia, but clinical studies have reported inconsistent results. Methods More than 400 older Catholic nuns, priests and brothers recruited from groups across the USA completed annual evaluations for up to 15 years, died

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2006

A reading test for Spanish speakers in the United States was developed called the Word Accentuati... more A reading test for Spanish speakers in the United States was developed called the Word Accentuation Test-Chicago. The construction and validation of this 40 item test was modeled after reading tests developed in Spain and Argentina, and is based on irregular accentuation of words. The Word Accentuation Test-Chicago was validated on 45 community participants using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III in Spanish. Better reading performance was associated with higher intelligence test performance, with an additional 5% of the variation in intelligence score accounted for by reading performance after controlling for age and education. These results indicate that the Word Accentuation Test-Chicago is a psychometrically sound measure of Spanish reading ability that is robustly related to general cognitive ability.

Age and Ageing, 2006

Objective: to examine the relation of personality to the development of disability in old age. Me... more Objective: to examine the relation of personality to the development of disability in old age. Methods: participants are 813 older Catholic nuns, priests and brothers without dementia or disability at study onset. As part of a uniform baseline evaluation, they completed standard measures of the five principal dimensions of personality. Disability was assessed at baseline and annually thereafter with the Katz scale. The relation of each trait to incident disability was assessed in proportional hazard models controlled for age, sex, education and selected clinical variables. Results: during a mean of about 6 years of observation, 255 persons (31%) became dependent on at least one activity of daily living. Risk of becoming disabled was 85% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 80.5-89.6%] lower in persons with high (90th percentile) compared to low (10th percentile) extraversion and 50% (95% CI = 46.6-54.2%) lower in those with high compared to low conscientiousness, and controlling for chronic medical conditions, depressive symptoms or social and cognitive activity did not substantially affect these associations. By contrast, neuroticism had a marginal association with disability risk that was eliminated after controlling for depressive symptomatology, and openness and agreeableness were unrelated to disability risk. Conclusions: The results suggest that higher levels of extraversion and conscientiousness may be associated with a reduced risk of incident disability in old age.

Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 2009

With the proportion of older Latinos in the United States rapidly growing, dementia is expected t... more With the proportion of older Latinos in the United States rapidly growing, dementia is expected to be an increasing public health problem in this segment of the population. Yet relatively few cognitive test batteries have been developed for evaluating older Spanish speaking persons. We selected a battery of cognitive tests used in cognitive aging studies of English speakers, adapted it for Spanish speakers, and administered it to 66 older Latinos (mean age = 71.1, SD = 8.1). The results of a factor analysis supported grouping the tests into the same five functional domains identified for English speakers. Composite measures of performance in each domain were positively related to education and, with some exceptions, inversely related to age. The results suggest that this battery may be useful in epidemiologic research on cognition in older Latinos.

Journal of mental health (Abingdon, England), Jan 4, 2017

Improvisational theater exercises (improv) are used in various settings to improve mental health ... more Improvisational theater exercises (improv) are used in various settings to improve mental health and medical outcomes. However, there is little documented evidence of the effectiveness of these interventions. We developed a short-term, group intervention that used improv exercises in a therapeutic manner to treat psychiatric patients. We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability and five clinical outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms, self-esteem, perfectionism and satisfaction with social roles) of this intervention in an outpatient setting. Participants were 32 patients with symptoms of anxiety and depression and who had variable exposure to psychiatric treatment. In paired samples t-tests, participants demonstrated reduced symptoms of anxiety (t(31) = 4.67, p < 0.001) and depression (t(31) = 3.78, p = 0.001), and improved self-esteem (t(31)= -3.31, p = 0.002) following the intervention. There was a trend towards reduction of perfectionism (t(31) = 1.77, p = 0.087), bu...

Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 2005

... Rush University Medical Center Maria Camargo Lori Ramos Centro San Bonifacio Diane Lauderdale... more ... Rush University Medical Center Maria Camargo Lori Ramos Centro San Bonifacio Diane Lauderdale University of Chicago Kristin Krueger Rush ... factors in improving perceived control, individual coping capacity, health behaviors, and health status (Cohen &amp;amp; Syme, 1985; Eng &amp;amp; ...

Experimental Aging Research, 2009

We examined the association of diverse measures of social engagement with level of function in mu... more We examined the association of diverse measures of social engagement with level of function in multiple cognitive domains in 838 persons without dementia who had a mean age of 80.2 (SD = 7.5). Social network size, frequency of social activity, and level of perceived social support were assessed in linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, and other covariates. Social activity and social support were related to better cognitive function, whereas social network size was not strongly related to global cognition. The results confirm that higher level of social engagement in old age is associated with better cognitive function but the association varies across domains of social engagement.

Archives of General Psychiatry, 2007

American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2006

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that higher level of childhood adversity i... more The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that higher level of childhood adversity is associated with lower level of psychosocial adjustment in old age. Participants are 253 older persons (mean age: 79.8, standard deviation: 2.1; 73.9% women) from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a clinicopathologic study of common chronic conditions of old age. Childhood adversity was assessed with a 16-item measure based on portions of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and other inventories. Psychosocial adjustment was assessed with multiple measures of neuroticism (i.e., proneness to negative emotions) and social engagement. Based in part on a factor analysis, composite measures of total adversity, emotional neglect, parental intimidation, parental violence, family turmoil, and financial need were developed. In a series of linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, own education, and parental education, the composite measure of childhood adversity was associated with all facets of neuroticism and accounted for more than 13% of the variance in the composite neuroticism measure. Emotional neglect and parental intimidation had the strongest associations with neuroticism. Childhood adversity was not related to frequency of participation in social activities, but more adversity was associated with having a smaller network (accounting for 3% of the variance) and feeling more emotionally isolated (accounting for 7% of the variance). Childhood adversity is associated with less adaptive psychosocial functioning in old age.