Application of Latent Variable Methods to the Study of Cognitive Decline When Tests Change over Time.

Pubmed ID: 26414855

Pubmed Central ID: PMC4819068

Journal: Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)

Publication Date: Nov. 1, 2015

Affiliation: From the aDepartment of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; bJohns Hopkins University Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD; cDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; dCenter of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS; eDepartment of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; fDepartment of Biostatistics, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC; and gDepartment of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS.

MeSH Terms: Humans, Male, Female, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cohort Studies, Middle Aged, Longitudinal Studies, Regression Analysis, Diabetes Mellitus, Cognition Disorders, Neuropsychological Tests, Cognition, Executive Function, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Language, Memory

Grants: HHSN268201100005C, HHSN268201100006C, HHSN268201100007C, HHSN268201100008C, HHSN268201100009C, HHSN268201100010C, HHSN268201100011C, HHSN268201100012C, UL1 TR001079, HL096899, U01 HL096812, T32 AG027668, HL096902, R01AG 040282, U01 HL096917, HL096917, U01 HL096902, R01 AG040282, P50AG 005146, R01-HL70825, HL096814, U01 HL096814, R03AG 045494, R01 HL070825, U01 HL096899, T32AG 027668, R03 AG045494, R01 HL096814, HHSN268201100009I, HHSN268201100005G, HHSN268201100008I, HHSN268201100011I, HHSN268201100005I, HHSN268201100007I, P50 AG005146

Authors: Coresh J, Gottesman RF, Sharrett AR, Mosley TH, Gross AL, Power MC, Albert MS, Deal JA, Griswold M, Wruck LM, Bandeen-Roche K

Cite As: Gross AL, Power MC, Albert MS, Deal JA, Gottesman RF, Griswold M, Wruck LM, Mosley TH Jr, Coresh J, Sharrett AR, Bandeen-Roche K. Application of Latent Variable Methods to the Study of Cognitive Decline When Tests Change over Time. Epidemiology 2015 Nov;26(6):878-87.

Studies:

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The way a construct is measured can differ across cohort study visits, complicating longitudinal comparisons. We demonstrated the use of factor analysis to link differing cognitive test batteries over visits to common metrics representing general cognitive performance, memory, executive functioning, and language. METHODS: We used data from three visits (over 26 years) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (N = 14,252). We allowed individual tests to contribute information differentially by race, an important factor to consider in cognitive aging. Using generalized estimating equations, we compared associations of diabetes with cognitive change using general and domain-specific factor scores versus averages of equally weighted standardized test scores. RESULTS: Factor scores provided stronger associations with diabetes at the expense of greater variability around estimates (e.g., for general cognitive performance, -0.064 standard deviation units/year, standard error = 0.015, vs. -0.041 standard deviation units/year, standard error = 0.014), which is consistent with the notion that factor scores more explicitly address error in measuring assessed traits than averages of standardized tests. CONCLUSIONS: Factor analysis facilitates use of all available data when measures change over time, and further, it allows objective evaluation and correction for differential item functioning.