Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Ashley Curtis, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Jennifer O'Brien, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Christina McCrae, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Max Owens, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kristen Salomon, Ph.D.

Keywords

Aging, Metacognition, Cognition, Sleep, Cardiovascular, Health

Abstract

It is unclear how subjective cognition is related to current objective cognitive functioning in older adults, but subjective cognitive complaints are a risk factor for future cognitive decline. A lack of awareness of even subtle changes in objective cognitive performance could lead to missed opportunities for early intervention. Given past work and known associations between sleep, cardiac autonomic functioning, and cognition (both subjective and objective), it is plausible to hypothesize these factors may influence subjective cognition. Understanding how and when the subjective and objective cognition relationship diverges may inform clinicians on how to best assess cognitive functioning and factors (i.e., sleep, cardiac autonomic function) may be important to consider in clinical evaluation and intervention. Thus, across 3 studies I explored subjective cognition in older adults and how it may be related to objective cognition, sleep (average and daily patterns), and cardiac autonomic function. Study 1 evaluated how behavioral sleep (diary and actigraphic sleep onset latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency) moderates the association between subjective (both everyday and tied to recent cognitive performance) and objective cognition in older adults with and without insomnia disorder. Aspects of objective cognition (orienting attention, inhibition) were congruently associated with memory complaints in those with better subjective sleep (longer total sleep time, higher sleep efficiency), and other results revealed aspects of objective cognition (processing speed, attention, inhibition) were congruently associated with blunder complaints in those with worse actigraphic sleep (longer sleep onset latency, shorter total sleep time). When exploring subjective cognition tied to recent cognitive performance, results revealed objective attention was congruently associated with prediction and postdiction scores in those with better subjective and actigraphic sleep (longer total sleep time, higher sleep efficiency), while objective working memory was congruently associated with postdiction scores in those with shorter subjective total sleep time. Study 2 tested if resting cardiac autonomic function moderated associations between subjective (both everyday and tied to recent cognitive performance) and objective cognition in older adults with and without insomnia disorder. Results revealed congruent associations between orienting attention and cognitive complaints (blunders and memory) in those with higher heart rate, higher respiratory sinus arrythmia, and LF/HF ratio, while discrepant relationship between objective attention and memory complaints in those with higher respiratory sinus arrythmia was observed. Other results from Study 2 showed higher heart rate moderated between the congruent association between subjective cognition tied to recent cognitive performance and objective cognition. Study 3 evaluated if intra-individual variability in sleep was associated with metacognitive quality. Worse subjective sleep (shorter sleep duration, longer wake after sleep onset, lower sleep efficiency) than the individuals average was associated with lower metacognition ratings. Better subjective sleep (longer sleep duration, shorter wake after sleep onset, higher sleep efficiency) than the individuals average was associated with higher metacognition ratings. Taken together, these findings suggest how subjective cognition is measured plays a role in associations with sleep, cardiovascular functioning, and objective cognition in older adults with and without insomnia. This dissertation highlights potential health implications, as well as metacognitive theoretical implications, including the need to examine sleep (including intra-individual variability) and cardiovascular functioning when exploring the relationship between subjective and objective cognition in older adults.

Download

Share

COinS