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The rhythm of cognition: older adulthood edition

dc.contributor.authorMcDermott, Cynthia, author
dc.contributor.authorBielak, Allison, advisor
dc.contributor.authorFenton, Melissa, advisor
dc.contributor.authorBroussard, Josiane, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2024-05-27T10:32:04Z
dc.date.available2024-05-27T10:32:04Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractCircadian rhythm is a delicate function that regulates multiple processes, such as cognition, sleep, and appetite. As humans age, their circadian rhythms shift to become earlier, resulting in their cognitive peak performance being earlier in the day. This study's main goals were to investigate if older adults (N = 139; Mage = 69.22; range = 60-89) who completed online cognitive tasks over 7 days at peak hours performed better than those who completed them at off-peak hours, as well as to determine if there were specific cognitive tasks that older adults did better on during these peak times. Four cognitive tasks were used to measure working memory, inductive reasoning, episodic memory, and processing speed. As tested by Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RMANOVA), results showed no significant between-group differences, which indicated that the different test timing groups did not differ in their cognitive performance. The RMANOVA results also revealed no significant effects of test timing groups for any of the individual cognitive tasks. These findings are inconsistent with the little research available regarding on- and off-peak test timing in older adults and suggest the need for a more well-controlled study focused on older adults. If a more reliable on-peak test time for older participants is identified, then clinicians who test cognition could have the ability to detect cognitive decline earlier on. Ultimately, this could lead to earlier diagnoses or recognition of abnormal changes in cognition.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierMcDermott_colostate_0053N_18312.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/238426
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.titleThe rhythm of cognition: older adulthood edition
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineHuman Development and Family Studies
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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