Perceived control, brain health, and cognitive reserve: longitudinal resilience mechanisms in Black, White, and Hispanic older adults

Monica E Walters, Kiana A Scambray, Emily P Morris, Jordan D Palms, Robrielle M Pierce, Ketlyne Sol, Nicole Schupf, Adam M Brickman, Laura B Zahodne and Elizabeth Muñoz

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2026, vol. 81, issue 3, gbaf270.

Abstract: ObjectivesPerceived control is a psychosocial factor consisting of internal (mastery) and external (constraints) control. We assessed whether mastery and constraints related to two longitudinal resilience mechanisms, brain maintenance and cognitive reserve.MethodsParticipants included White (n = 199), Black (n = 262), and Hispanic (n = 319) older adults (Mage=74.48, SD = 6.04; 63% women) from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project. Brain health measures included cortical thickness in Alzheimer’s disease signature regions, total hippocampal volume, total gray matter volume, white matter hyperintensities, and their composite. Global cognition was a composite of four cognitive domains. Mastery and constraints were assessed separately in relation to longitudinal brain health and cognitive reserve (residual and moderation approaches). Univariate and bivariate latent growth curve models assessed patterns overall, and multiple-group models assessed differences by race and ethnicity. Covariates included age, sex/gender, years of education, intracranial volume, and race and ethnicity.ResultsGreater mastery related to greater baseline cortical thickness for Hispanic participants. Greater constraints related to greater baseline hippocampal volume for Black participants, but faster hippocampal volume decline for White participants. Controlling for brain health, greater constraints related to worse cognition initially and over time for the entire group. Greater brain health decline more strongly related to greater cognitive decline at higher levels of constraints among Hispanic and Black individuals.DiscussionWe found more evidence for cognitive reserve, rather than brain maintenance, as a resilience mechanism linking perceived control to cognitive health. Minoritized older adults may be particularly vulnerable to the negative impact of environmental constraints on cognitive reserve.

Keywords: Cognition; Health disparities; Latent growth curve models; Multiple-group models; Locus of control (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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