A Diffusion Model Account of Cognitive Variability in Healthy Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Within-person variation in cognitive performance is linked to pathological aging. Cognitive fluctuations have not been analyzed using cognitive process models, such as the diffusion model, to characterize which cognitive processes contribute to variability in cognition. We collected 21 daily assessments of attention and personality in younger adults, healthy older adults, and those with mild cognitive impairment. We employed mixed-effects location scale models to analyze group differences on mean diffusion parameters and daily variability. Discussion focuses on how these methods extend our understanding of how cognitive deficits might appear in aging and disease and the moderating influence of daily personality.