Late life anxiety is associated with decreased memory and executive functioning in community dwelling older adults

This study assessed the degree to which anxiety and depression symptoms are associated with memory and executive functioning among community-dwelling older adults (N = 120; M age = 74.9 years, SD = 7.2 years; 62% women). Participants completed the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Comorbidity Index, California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II), and the Trail Making, Verbal Fluency, and 20 Questions subtests of the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D–KEFS). Multiple regression analyses indicated that anxiety and depression predicted poorer ability to learn new information (CVLT-II, Trials 1-5). Both anxiety and depression predicted performance on the D–KEFS Trail Making test, Number–Letter Switching condition. Anxiety, but not depression, predicted decreased categorization as measured by the D–KEFS 20 Questions, Initial Abstraction Score. Depression but not anxiety, predicted performance on D–KEFS Letter Fluency and Category Fluency. Findings suggest that anxiety and depression have unique relationships with cognitive functioning in community-dwelling older adults.

► We examine relationships between anxiety and memory and executive functioning among older adults.
► Anxiety predicted lower ability to learn new information.
► Anxiety predicted lower ability to organize information to be learned.
► Anxiety predicted decreased categorization.
► Anxiety relates to ability to learn new information, set-switching, and categorizing information.