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Neuropsychological correlates of early grief in bereaved older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2024

Brianna M. Hoffmann ,
Nutta-on P. Blair ,
Timothy L. McAuliffe ,
Gyujoon Hwang ,
Eric Larson ,
Stacy A. Claesges ,
Abigail Webber ,
Charles F. Reynolds III  and
Joseph S. Goveas Open the ORCID record for Joseph S. Goveas [Opens in a new window]
Brianna M. Hoffmann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Nutta-on P. Blair
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Timothy L. McAuliffe
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Gyujoon Hwang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Eric Larson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Stacy A. Claesges
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Abigail Webber
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Charles F. Reynolds III
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Joseph S. Goveas*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J. S. Goveas, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (primary appointment), Professor, Institute for Health and Equity (secondary appointment), Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, Wis. 53226, USA. Tel: (414) 955-8983. E-mail: jgoveas@mcw.edu
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Abstract

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is associated with impairments in cognitive functioning, but the neuropsychological correlates of early grief in older adults are poorly understood. This preliminary study cross-sectionally examined neuropsychological functioning in bereaved adults with high and low grief symptoms and a non-bereaved comparison sample and further explored the relationship between multidomain cognitive measures and grief severity. A total of ninety-three nondemented older adults (high grief: n = 44; low grief: n = 49) within 12 months post-bereavement and non-bereaved comparison participants (n = 43) completed neuropsychological battery including global and multiple domain-specific cognitive functioning. Linear regression models were used to analyze differences in multidomain cognitive measures between the groups and specifically examine the associations between cognitive performance and grief severity in the bereaved, after covariate adjustment, including depressive symptoms. Bereaved older adults with higher grief symptoms performed worse than those with lower symptoms and non-bereaved participants on executive functioning and attention and processing speed measures. In the bereaved, poorer executive functioning, attention and processing speed correlated with higher grief severity. Attention/processing speed–grief severity correlation was seen in those with time since loss ≤ 6 months, but not > 6 months. Intense early grief is characterised by poorer executive functioning, attention, and processing speed, resembling findings in PGD. The putative role of poorer cognitive functioning during early grief on the transition to integrated grief or the development of PGD remains to be elucidated.

Keywords

bereavementgriefolder adultsagingcognition
Type
Brief Report
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , First View , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Psychogeriatric Association

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Footnotes

*

Both Dr. Brianna M. Hoffmann and Dr. Nutta-on P.Blair are co-first authors of this paper.

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