The relationship between emotion and cognition in cognitively healthy cohort: Using NIH toolbox emotion battery

Abstract Background The NIH Toolbox was designed to provide brief, reliable, and valid measures of neurological and behavioral functions. Emotion assessment using the NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery has recently received significant attention given emerging evidence that emotional health is predictive of physical health and overall well‐being. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the modified emotion toolbox model is associated with cognition in sample of cognitively healthy adults. Method Participants were 529 enrollees in the Wisconsin ADRC who had normal cognition. The majority of participants were female (65.8%) and White (78.3%). Average age was 63.69 (SD = 8.37). NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery factors and a measure of executive function, Trail Making Test (TMT) Parts A & B were examined using SEM. To evaluate the overall goodness‐of‐fit, we used the following criteria: χ 2 nonsignificant, χ 2 /df between1‐3, comparative fit index (CFI)>0.95, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI)>0.95, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR)<0.05, and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)<0.08. Result The initial SEM results indicated a non‐acceptable fit for the data: χ 2 (51,N = 529) = 275.99, p<.01 (should be not significant), χ 2 /df = 5.41 (<3), CFI = 0.92(>.95), TLI = 0.90 (>.95), SRMR = 0.05, and RMSEA = 0.09 (<.08), 90% confidence interval (CI) = [0.08, 0.10] based on previously reported goodness‐of‐fit criteria. Based on modification indices, conceptually and statistically meaningful correlated error terms were added to the model (e,g., proximity between emotional support and friendship; emotional support and instrumental support; stress and sadness). After correlating some error terms based on theoretical background and modification indices, the modified SEM results indicated an acceptable fit for the data: χ 2 /df = 2.52 (<3), CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, SRMR = 0.03 and RMSEA = 0.05, 90% confidence interval (CI) = [0.04,0.06]. Conclusion Our modified model using the NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery had an acceptable fit for the data in a cognitively healthy cohort. Although we did not include all emotion toolbox variables, our modified model still had a great fit to the data. We specifically found that positive emotions including social satisfaction measures were correlated with cognition. We did not find any correlation between negative affect and cognition, which could be due to limited sample size. Measuring and identifying positive and negative emotions are important in clinical and research practice.