Psychological and Behavioral Pathways to Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Dear Colleagues,

Cognitive decline and dementia are among the most pressing public-health challenges of our aging societies, with the global number of affected adults projected to triple by 2050. Mounting evidence shows that cognitive aging is shaped by tightly interwoven psychological and behavioral pathways. Psychological pathways, including late-life depression, anxiety, chronic stress, loneliness, social isolation, sleep disturbance, and caregiver burden, accelerate cognitive trajectories and are themselves recognized modifiable dementia risk factors. Behavioral pathways, including physical inactivity, poor diet, disrupted sleep, tobacco and excessive alcohol use, limited cognitive engagement, and reduced social participation, likewise drive cognitive aging and represent some of the most actionable targets in current dementia prevention frameworks. Critically, these pathways do not act in isolation: chronic stress reactivity, sleep disruption, lifestyle-driven cardiometabolic risk, and shared social and environmental contexts link mood, social, and behavioral domains in bidirectional cascades.

This Special Issue invites original research, systematic reviews, and theoretical contributions that advance our understanding of psychological pathways, behavioral pathways, and, most importantly, their interplay in driving cognitive decline among older adults. We particularly welcome longitudinal, multimodal, and intervention studies that integrate behavioral, social, and clinical evidence, as well as work addressing health disparities and culturally tailored interventions. We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Xiang Qi
Dr. Zhongfang Yang
Dr. Ruotong Liu
Guest Editors

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