Cognitive Aging with Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment, or No Impairment: A Comparison of Same- and Mixed-Sex Couples

Background: Lesbian and gay older adults have health disparities that are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, yet little is known about the neurocognitive aging of sexual minority groups. Objective: To explore cross-sectional and longitudinal dementia outcomes for adults in same-sex relationships (SSR) and those in mixed-sex relationships (MSR). Methods: This prospective observational study utilized data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set (NACC UDS) collected from contributing Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Participants were adults aged 55+ years at baseline with at least two visits in NACC UDS (from September 2005 to March 2021) who had a spouse, partner, or companion as a co-participant. Outcome measures included CDR (R) Dementia Staging Instrument, NACC UDS neuropsychological testing, and the Functional Activities Questionnaire. Multivariable linear mixed-effects models accounted for center clustering and repeated measures by individual. Results: Both MSR and SSR groups experienced cognitive decline regardless of baseline diagnosis. In general, MSR and SSR groups did not differ statistically on cross-sectional or longitudinal estimates of functioning, dementia severity, or neuropsychological testing, with two primary exceptions. People in SSR with mild cognitive impairment showed less functional impairment at baseline (FAQ M= 2.61, SD = 3.18 vs. M= 3.97, SD = 4.53, respectively; p < 0.01). The SSR group with dementia had less steep decline in attention/working memory (beta estimates = -0.10 versus -0.18; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Participants in SSR did not show cognitive health disparities consistent with a minority stress model. Additional research into protective factors is warranted.

Automated summary

This study explored the cognitive decline and dementia outcomes among same-sex and mixed-sex couples. The results showed that both groups experienced cognitive decline regardless of baseline diagnosis. Generally, there were no statistically significant differences between the same-sex and mixed-sex groups in terms of functioning, dementia severity, or neuropsychological testing, except for two exceptions. Participants with mild cognitive impairment in same-sex relationships showed less functional impairment at baseline, while the same-sex group with dementia had a slower decline in attention/working memory. Therefore, there were no cognitive health disparities among same-sex couples consistent with a minority stress model. Further research on protective factors is needed.