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Research has shown that diverse activity engagement has positive effects on cognitive functioning in older age. However, it is unknown whether the positive effect holds within persons across days and across people. We examined daily within-person association between activity diversity and working memory in older age and effects of potential moderators therein. We examined 16-day smartphone-based ambulatory assessment data from 150 older adults (aged 65+). Participants reported their present activities and completed working memory tasks seven times per day. Within persons, higher daily activity diversity was positively associated with higher daily working memory. Moreover, the prior day’s activity diversity led to that day’s higher working memory, but not vice versa. We did not find any moderating effects of age, education, or fluid and crystallized intelligence. Our results strengthen the evidence on the beneficial effect of activity diversity on cognitive performance. Results are discussed in the context of cognitive reserve theory.

Ageing is a multi-factorial physiological process and the development of novel IoT systems, tools and devices, specifically targeted to older people, must be based on a holistic framework built on robust scientific knowledge in different health domains. Furthermore, interoperability must be guaranteed using standardized frameworks or approaches. These aspects still largely lack in the specific literature. The main aim of the paper is to develop a new ontology (the NESTORE ontology) to extend the available ontologies provided by universAAL-IoT (uAAL-IoT). The ontology is based on a multidomain healthy ageing holistic model, structuring well-assessed scientific knowledge, specifically targeted to healthy older adults aged between 65 and 75. The tool is intended to support, and standardize heterogeneous data about ageing in compliance with the uAAL-IoT framework. The NESTORE ontology covers all the relevant concepts to represent 3 significant domains of ageing: (1) Physiological Status and Physical Activity Behaviour; (2) Nutrition; and (3) Cognitive and Mental Status and Social Behaviour. In total, 12 sub-ontologies were modelled with more than 60 classes and sub-classes referenced among them by using more than 100 relations and around 20 enumerations. The proposed ontology increases the uAAL collection by 40%. NESTORE ontology provides innovation both in terms of semantic content and technological approach. The thorough use of this ontology can support the development of a decision support system, to promote healthy ageing, with the capacity to do dynamic multi-scale modelling of user-specific data based on the semantic annotations of users’ profile.

Introduction: Mobility as a multidimensional concept has rarely been examined as a day-to-day varying phenomenon in its within-person association with older adults’ daily well-being. This study examined associations between daily mobility and daily well-being in community-dwelling older adults with a set of GPS-derived mobility indicators that were representative of older adults’ daily mobility. Methods: Participants wore a custom-built mobile GPS sensor (“uTrail”) and completed smartphone-based experience sampling questionnaires on momentary affective states (7 times per day) and daily life satisfaction (in the evening). Analyses included data across 947 days from 109 Swiss older adults aged 65–89 years. Results: Multilevel modeling showed that, within persons, a day with a larger life space area, more time spent in passive transport modes, and a higher number of different locations was associated with higher daily life satisfaction but not daily positive or negative affect. Follow-up analysis showed that the daily maximum distance from home was positively associated with daily life satisfaction, providing a first indication that exposure to non-habitual environments might be a possible underlying mechanism to explain the effects of mobility. Conclusions: Traveling a long distance away from home and visiting diverse locations may be a way to improve life satisfaction. Results are discussed in the context of research on healthy aging.

With growing use of machine learning algorithms and big data in health applications, digital measures, such as digital biomarkers, have become highly relevant in digital health. In this paper, we focus on one important use case, the long-term continuous monitoring of cognitive ability in older adults. Cognitive ability is a factor both for long-term monitoring of people living alone as well as a relevant outcome in clinical studies. In this work, we propose a new potential digital biomarker for cognitive abilities based on location eigenbehaviour obtained from contactless ambient sensors. Indoor location information obtained from passive infrared sensors is used to build a location matrix covering several weeks of measurement. Based on the eigenvectors of this matrix, the reconstruction error is calculated for various numbers of used eigenvectors. The reconstruction error in turn is used to predict cognitive ability scores collected at baseline, using linear regression. Additionally, classification of normal versus pathological cognition level is performed using a support-vector machine. Prediction performance is strong for high levels of cognitive ability but grows weaker for low levels of cognitive ability. Classification into normal and older adults with mild cognitive impairment, using age and the reconstruction error, shows high discriminative performance with an ROC AUC of 0.94. This is an improvement of 0.08 as compared with a classification with age only. Due to the unobtrusive method of measurement, this potential digital biomarker of cognitive ability can be obtained entirely unobtrusively-it does not impose any patient burden. In conclusion, the usage of the reconstruction error is a strong potential digital biomarker for binary classification and, to a lesser extent, for more detailed prediction of inter-individual differences in cognition.

Social integration is a key predictor of health in later life, as is cognitive functioning. This chapter describes the evidence related to levels of and interventions on social integration and cognitive functioning for older adults and outlines how this evidence was translated into the personalized coaching approach in NESTORE in both of these domains. From the technological side, social beacons are used to obtain objective contact measures for users' local social networks and thus complement self-report information on social interactions beyond face-to-face contacts. In the cognitive domain, a serious game involving a multidomain cognitive training was developed on the basis of evidence-based game and training principles.

This chapter discusses the theoretical behaviour change framework and its integration and implementation of behaviour change techniques that form the conceptual psychological basis for innovative but efficient coaching approach. We review the current state of e-coaching solutions for older adults that can be found in the literature and identify gaps. Finally, we review and discuss the technological implementation of behaviour change techniques applied in NESTORE to support healthy older adults to adopt a healthy lifestyle in all NESTORE well-being domains as reference case study.

Gesund altern in der Schweiz., Cite as: Zürcher, Markus et al. (2016): Bulletin 1/16 «Gesund altern in der Schweiz».

Von Tagesstrukturen zu Tagesschulen - Entwicklungsperspektiven., Cite as: Zürcher, Markus et al. (2015): Bulletin 3/15 «Von Tagesstrukturen zu Tagesschulen - Entwicklungsperspektiven».

Age-related differences in white matter (WM) microstructure have been linked to lower performance in tasks of processing speed in healthy older individuals. However, only few studies have examined this link in a longitudinal setting. These investigations have been limited to the correlation of simultaneous changes in WM microstructure and processing speed. Still little is known about the nature of age-related changes in WM microstructure, i.e., regionally distinct vs. global changes. In the present study, we addressed these open questions by exploring whether previous changes in WM microstructure were related to subsequent changes in processing speed: (a) 1 year later; or (b) 2 years later. Furthermore, we investigated whether age-related changes in WM microstructure were regionally specific or global. We used data from four occasions (covering 4 years) of the Longitudinal Healthy Aging Brain (LHAB) database project (N = 232; age range at baseline = 64–86). As a measure of WM microstructure, we used mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in 10 major WM tracts averaged across hemispheres. Processing speed was measured with four cognitive tasks. Statistical analyses were conducted with bivariate latent change score (LCS) models. We found, for the first time, evidence for lagged couplings between preceding changes in FA and subsequent changes in processing speed 2 years, but not 1 year later in some of the WM tracts (anterior thalamic radiation, superior longitudinal fasciculus). Our results supported the notion that FA changes were different between regional WM tracts rather than globally shared, with some tracts showing mean declines in FA, and others remaining relatively stable across 4 years.

This document represents the first deliverable D5.1 (Definition of Intervention Techniques) of WP5 (NESTORE Virtual Coach) and contains the main results of discussions and activities performed during Task 5.1 (Definition of Intervention Techniques and Coaching Strategies). In Chapter 2 of this document we summarize seven behaviour change models (BCM) that are frequently used as general theoretical frameworks in health psychology: (1) Theory of Reasoned Action, (2) Theory of Planned Behaviour, (3) Health Belief Model, (4) Protection Motivation Theory, (5) Social Cognitive Theory, (6) Transthoretical Model or Stages of Change Model, and (7) Health Action Process Approach (HAPA). Within the review of these BCMs, we provide an overview of these common theoretical models of how changes in individuals’ (health) behaviours can be predicted and outline that we have selected the HAPA as a theoretical framework for the NESTORE coach because it is one of the only BCMs that specifically addresses the intention-behaviour gap. A wide range of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) has been described in the literature, and recent work has focused on how these can be implemented using digital and technological approaches. In Chapter 3 we first describe intervention strategies (i.e. BCTs and general coaching strategies for health and well-being) and how specific intervention strategies can be implemented in the different NESTORE domains. In Chapter 4 we first provide an overview on how e-coaching interventions have been implemented in the past to change health-related behaviour of older adults. Then, we provide an extensive and systematic review on e-coaching interventions targeting or containing aspects of physical activity, nutrition, social relations, cognitive activity, and, to some extent, emotional well-being. A total of 27 articles were included in the quantitative analysis and the architecture and design of the e-coaching as well as the results of these studies (where reported) are discussed with regards to the type of coaching and companionship, the theoretical frameworks (BCMs) which underlie the e-coaching strategies, the type of BCTs or coaching activities in general that were used for targeting the specific NESTORE domains, as well as the e-coaching system architecture. In Chapter 5 we give an overview on how the NESTORE coaching system will be implemented. In the first section, we describe how the HAPA model components can be mapped onto common and empirically shown to be effective BCT, although there has been a lack of integration of theoretical models in describing BCT and a lack of clear identification of BCT in individual theories of behaviour change in the past. We further describe the architecture, monitoring, data processing, delivery interface and coaching activity strategy of the NESTORE e-coaching based on the e-coaching strategies described in Chapter 4. This is followed by an example of a coaching journey (i.e., improving well-being as pathway choice) in NESTORE as well as the definition of the process of co-designing coaching activities, that is, how both participants and domain experts co-design the pathway choice process in an integrative manner. Finally, Chapter 5 closes with recommendations for WP5 and the integration with other WPs. Chapter 6 provides a short conclusion based on our discussion and synthesis of behaviour change models, techniques and previous eHealth and eCoaching approaches and the suggested implementation in NESTORE

Subjective well-being is considered to be one important aspect of successful development and aging (Baltes & Baltes, 1990; Rowe & Kahn, 1997; Ryff & Singer, 1998). It can be studied as a persisting disposition but also as a short-term reaction to endogenic and exogenic events (Eid & Diener, 1999). Traditional cross-sectional and longitudinal studies suggest that emotional well-being remains relatively stable across the adult lifespan (Gross et al., 1997; Kunzmann, Little, & Smith, 2000; Mroczek & Kolarz, 1998). These studies, however, provide merely snapshots on development. Studies of short-term intraindividual variability may be better suited to provide information about age-related and other individual differences in the dynamic nature of emotional experience as it unfolds in everyday life. Studying the dynamics of emotional well-being is important for two main reasons. First, short-term intraindividual fluctuations in psychological functioning are considered to represent meaningful interindividual differences in the adaptive capacity and integrity of the psychological system (e.g., Baltes, Reese, & Nesselroade, 1977; Nesselroade, 1991b). Second, the two central components of emotional well-being, positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), involve different processes and can have profound consequences for other domains of psychological functioning (Carver & Scheier, 1990; Elliot & Thrash, 2002). This dissertation addresses three concerns about age-related differences in PA and NA that have received relatively little attention in the lifespan developmental literature: Age differences (a) in the stable and dynamic characteristics (i.e. short-term fluctuations) of emotional well-being, (b) in trait- and state-like correlates of fluctuations in emotional well-being, and (c) in the day-to-day within-person associations between well-being and cognitive performance. These three research questions are addressed using data from within a larger project (Li, Lindenberger, & Smith, 2005). Self-reported PA and NA and cognitive performance (working memory, vigilance) were assessed in up to 45 daily laboratory sessions (n = 18 young adults, 20-30 years, n = 19 older adults, 70-80 years). Results derived from analyses of variance and multilevel modeling suggest that older adults report higher mean levels of daily PA and show a greater day-to-day stability in PA and NA than younger adults. In addition, age group accounted for substantially greater portions of unique individual difference variance in affect variability than personality factors. Multilevel analyses indicated that daily PA was more strongly related to daily events in young than in older adults. Exploratory correlational analyses yielded a negative relationship between variability in NA and psychological well-being, whereas no significant association between variability in PA and psychological adaptation could be identified. Finally, hierarchical linear modeling of the dynamical coupling between affect and cognitive performance indicated that the average within-person relationship was not significantly different from zero. There were, however, reliable interindividual differences in coupling patterns. These individual differences could not be explained by age. They were, in part, attributable to average daily cognitive performance and personality factors. The present design opens up a new perspective on the day-to-day dynamics of adaptive capacity in older and younger adults in the domain of emotion and its association with cognitive functioning., Subjektives Wohlbefinden (SWB) gilt als ein zentraler Aspekt erfolgreicher Entwicklung und erfolgreichen Alterns (Baltes & Baltes, 1990; Rowe & Kahn, 1997; Ryff & Singer, 1998). SWB läßt sich sowohl als stabile Disposition, aber auch als kurzfristige Reaktion auf endogene und exogene Einflüsse verstehen (z. B. Eid & Diener, 1999). Querschnittliche und klassische Längsschnittuntersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass emotionales Wohlbefinden und emotionale Kompetenzen über das Erwachsenenalter hinweg relativ stabil bleiben und zum Teil sogar einen Anstieg aufweisen (z. B. Gross et al., 1997; Kunzmann, Little & Smith, 2000; Mroczek & Kolarz, 1998). Derartige Studien bieten jedoch lediglich punktuelle Einblicke in subjektives Wohlbefinden, ohne einen Rückschluß auf zugrunde liegende Prozesse zu ermöglichen. Zwei zentrale Gründe machen die Untersuchung der dynamischen Aspekte von emotionalem Wohlbefinden zu einem wichtigen Anliegen: Erstens gelten kurzfristige Fluktuationen in einer Vielfalt psychologischer Funktionsbereiche innerhalb der Lebensspannenpsychologie als ein Merkmal für Plastizität, regulative Prozesse, aber auch Vulnerabilität (Baltes, Reese & Nesselroade, 1977; Nesselroade, 1991b). Zweitens repräsentieren positiver Affekt (PA) und negativer Affekt (NA) zwei distinkte Charakteristika subjektiven emotionalen Wohlbefindens mit unterschiedlichen Konsequenzen und zugrunde liegenden Prozessen (Carver & Scheier, 1990; Elliott & Thrash, 2002). Die vorliegende Dissertation hat drei bislang in der Lebensspannenpsychologie kaum untersuchte Fragestellungen im Zusammenhang mit Wohlbefinden untersucht: Altersunterschiede in (a) den stabilen und vor allem dynamischen Charakteristika von täglichem PA und NA, (b) den Korrelaten von intraindividueller Variabilität in Affekt auf State- und auf Traitebene, sowie (c) dem täglichen intraindividuellen Zusammenhang von Stimmung und kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit. Diese drei Forschungsfragen wurden im Rahmen eines größeren Projektes zu intraindividueller Variabilität addressiert (Li, Lindenberger & Smith, 2005). Selbstberichteter Affekt sowie kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit (Vigilanz, Arbeitsgedächtnis) wurden in bis zu 45 täglichen Laborsitzungen erhoben (n = 18 junge Erwachsene, 20-30 Jahre, n = 19 ältere Erwachsene, 70-80 Jahre). Die Ergebnisse von Varianzanalysen und Mehrebenenmodellen deuteten darauf hin, dass ältere Erwachsene ein höheres mittleres Niveau von täglichem PA sowie größere Stabilität des täglichen PA und NA aufwiesen als junge Erwachsene. Der Faktor Alter erklärte interindividuelle Unterschiede in Affektvariabilität zu einem größeren Anteil als Persönlichkeitsfaktoren. Mehrebenenanalysen zeigten, dass täglicher PA bei jungen Erwachsenen stärker mit täglichen Ereignissen korreliert war als bei älteren. Variabilität in NA war negativ mit allgemeinem psychologischen Wohlbefinden korreliert, während sich keine bedeutsamen Zusammenhänge für Variabilität in PA zeigten. Mehrebenenanalysen ergaben reliable Personenunterschiede in Richtung und Stärke des intraindividuellen Zusammenhangs von Wohlbefinden und Kognition, die jedoch nicht durch Alter erklärt wurden. Diese Unterschiede gingen zum Teil auf Persönlichkeit und die mittlere tägliche Leistung zurück. Das gewählte Design eröffnet eine neue Perspektive auf die tägliche Dynamik adaptiver Kapazität von jungen und älteren Erwachsenen in den Bereichen Emotion und Kognition.

Objectives and Methods. Using 5 measurement bursts spanning 1 year, this study examined correspondences between retrospective end-of-year ratings and momentary ratings of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) in 53 older adult participants from the Berlin Aging Study. Results. Average momentary assessments were moderately positively correlated with retrospective ratings of PA and NA. Hierarchical regression analyses further indicate that mean momentary PA best predicted retrospective PA over and above peak or recent momentary PA, whereas no such pattern emerged for NA. No evidence for age differences in these patterns was found. Discussion. Our discussion focuses on the implications of affective memory biases for examining affective experiences as they occur in peoples’ daily lives and points to implications concerning methods and theory development.