An investigation of cognitive function in relation to psychosocial variables in institutionalized old people.

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Abstract
A group of relatively healthy institutionalized old people were administered a cognitive test battery and tests of personal control, activity, and stress on two occasions separated by about 10 months. There was some evidence that cognitive performance was positively related with control and activity measures, but the main finding was a strong association between changes in cognitive performance and changes in personal control and activity level. Stress did not correlate meaningfully with other measures. The results, which extend the importance of psychosocial variables to cognitive function, highlight the important relation between perceived control and health-related behaviours in the elderly.