Operationalized definition of older adults with high cognitive performance

ABSTRACT Recently, there has been an increasing number of studies on exceptional cognitive aging. Herein, we aim to objectively provide the operationalized characterization of older adults with unusually high memory ability. Some authors have defined them as “SuperAgers”, individuals aged 80 years or older with memory ability similar or superior to middle-aged subjects. On the other hand, the terminology “high-performing older adults” (HPOA) seems to appropriately conceptualize these individuals without exaggeration. A threshold for age is not a reliable criterion, but may be defined as 75 and 80 years of age for developing and developed countries, respectively. We propose that HPOA may exhibit episodic memory test scores equal to or greater than those of individuals aged 50-60 years, according to the validated tables for the respective country. This group must also have global cognition scores within expected average values for age and education. Executive functioning may play a central role in the exceptional memory performance of this group. Further studies are essential to confirm existing findings and may provide important evidence for cognitive aging theory and the neurobiology of dementia.

摘要：近年来，有关超常认知老化的研究数量持续增长。本研究旨在客观地对记忆能力异乎寻常优异的老年人开展可操作化表征。部分学者将这类人群定义为“超级老化者（SuperAgers）”，即年龄达到或超过80岁、记忆能力等同于或优于中年受试者的个体。相较而言，“高表现老年人（high-performing older adults, HPOA）”这一术语更为恰当地对该类人群进行了概念界定，且未出现过度阐释。年龄阈值并非可靠的判定依据，但发展中国家与发达国家可分别以75岁和80岁作为参考阈值。本研究提出，结合所在国家已验证的认知常模表格，高表现老年人的情景记忆测验得分应大于或等于50~60岁个体的平均得分。此外，该群体的整体认知得分需符合其年龄与受教育水平对应的正常平均区间。执行功能可能在该群体的超常记忆表现中发挥核心作用。未来需开展进一步研究以验证现有发现，此类研究或将为认知老化理论及痴呆的神经生物学研究提供重要实证依据。

搜集汇总

背景与挑战

背景概述

该数据集聚焦于定义和评估具有异常高记忆能力的老年人群体(HPOA)，提出了基于记忆测试分数和全球认知评分的操作性标准，并探讨了执行功能在此群体中的核心作用。数据集包含相关研究表格，旨在为认知老化理论和痴呆症神经生物学提供证据。