Personal Journal Keeping and Linguistic Complexity Predict Late-Life Dementia Risk: The Cache County Journal Pilot Study

Abstract

Objectives We determined the feasibility of accessing personal journals and correlating markers of linguistic complexity with all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Method A stratified random sample of 215 older adults reported on lifetime journal writing habits. From 66 of these participants (49% of those with journals), digital photographs of journal text were transcribed then subjected to the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count program to measure linguistic complexity markers: Words per Sentence, Percentage of 6+ Letter Words, Cognitive Mechanics, Percentage of Unique Words, and Percentage of Words that are Numerals. AD diagnosis was made via in-depth clinical protocol. Results In the larger sample, ever being a journal writer significantly predicted a 53% reduction in all-cause dementia risk. In the subsample with transcribed writings, Percentage of 6+ Letter Words predicted AD and all-cause dementia risk, with all logistic regression models controlling for age, education, gender, and Latter-Day Saints affiliation. Discussion These data suggest the potential viability of adulthood language use as a predictive tool for late-life AD risk, both in the linguistic features and the practice of journal writing itself.