The impact of technology-based compensatory behaviors on subjective cognitive decline in older adults with a family history of dementia

Abstract

The current study examined whether greater use of technology to help with daily tasks is associated with less subjective cognitive decline (SCD), especially in individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Individuals over the age of 50 (n = 102; age range 50–85) completed surveys about their digital and analog approaches to daily tasks, physical activity, and SCD. Participants with and without family histories of AD were matched on age, education, sex, and family history of AD using the R package MatchIt. There was no main effect of technology-based behavioral strategies on SCD (p = 0.259). However, a family history of AD moderated the association between technology use and SCD even when controlling for another protective lifestyle factor, physical activity. In individuals with a family history of AD, more reliance on technology-based behavioral strategies was associated with less SCD (p = 0.018), but this relationship was not significant in individuals without family history of AD (p = 0.511). Our findings suggest that technology-based behavioral strategies are associated with less SCD in individuals with a family history of AD, independent of another protective lifestyle factor. Future recommendations provided by healthcare providers to address SCD in cognitively unimpaired older adults might include focusing on technological assistance.

Keywords:

• Alzheimer's disease
• cognitive aging
• cognitive remediation
• physical activity

Acknowledgments

We appreciate the input of the Georgetown Neuroscience Foundation Medical Advisory Board for helpful input in designing the survey and disseminating study materials to its members.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

No funding source was utilized for this project.