Publications
Urbanicity and cognitive functioning in later life.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia
2023 Mar 19, doi: 10.1002/dad2.12429
Lawrence, E., John, S. E., & Bhatta, T.
This longitudinal study used over 20 years of data from nearly 9,000 adults in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study to examine how living in urban, suburban, or exurban areas influences cognitive function in later life. Older adults, particularly men, in suburban and exurban areas had slightly lower cognitive scores than urban residents, even after accounting for education and early-life factors. These differences appeared by midlife and stayed consistent with age, suggesting they emerge early rather than intensify over time. Educational attainment partly explained but did not eliminate these gaps, highlighting the lasting influence of early-life and social environments on cognitive aging.
Subjective memory complaints in White and African American participants
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology
2020 May, doi:10.1177/0891988719868305
Samantha E. John, Sarah A. Evans, John Hanfelt, David W. Loring, Felicia C. Goldstein
This race-matched study used NACC data from cognitively normal adults (n = 912) to compare subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and outcomes in White and African American participants. Whites reported SMCs more often (32.9% vs 24.3%), and SMCs were predicted by poorer delayed verbal memory. Both SMCs and worse baseline memory independently increased the odds of progression to impairment within three years, while African American participants were overall less likely to convert. Longitudinally, African American race and SMC endorsement were each linked to lower baseline memory and steeper declines, indicating that SMCs are clinically meaningful signals of risk in both groups.
Network analysis of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy
2023 Aug 11, doi: 10.1186/s13195-023-01279-6
Goodwin GJ, Moeller S, Nguyen A, Cummings JL, John SE
In this study of 12,494 older adults with MCI or Alzheimer’s disease, network analysis of Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) data revealed strong connectivity among neuropsychiatric symptoms. Disinhibition and agitation/aggression emerged as the most central symptoms, meaning they were highly influential in the network and likely to co-occur with other symptoms. Although depression/dysphoria was the most commonly reported symptom, it was not central to the network. These findings suggest that targeting disinhibition and agitation/aggression in interventions may have the greatest impact on reducing overall neuropsychiatric symptom burden.
Lab Articles
2025
Classification of Alzheimer’s disease and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia using neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric variables: A machine learning study.
Goodwin, G. J., Fonseca, J., Mehrzad, S., Cummings, J. L., & John, S. E.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70782
Exploring discharge to hospice for dementia-related health care among racial and ethnic minority groups in southern Nevada.
Uddin, J., Blasco, D., Grigsby, T. J., John, S. E., Cross, C. L., & Flatt, J. D.
Journal of Palliative Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2025.0039
Comparing clinical features of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease using network analysis.
Goodwin, G. J., Mehrzad, S., Cummings, J. L., Renn, B. N., Kinney, J. W., & John, S. E.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 21(6), e70361. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70361
Mental Status Examination - Chapter
Mohankumar, R., Singsank, K., Renn, B. N., & John, S. E.
In D. L. Segal (Ed.), Diagnostic interviewing (6th ed., pp. 95–119). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-4362-4_4
Can we borrow your intervention? A randomized controlled trial of a telehealth wellness promotion program for older adults and middle-aged people with physical disability.
Molton, I., Singsank, K., Rivera, N., Daymon, D., Munroe, L., Flaster, A., Humbert, A., Thompson, M., & Denison, P.
The Gerontologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf079
Neuropsychiatric symptoms predict rate of change in executive function in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Goodwin, G., Briley, D. A., Singsank, K., Tanner, D., Maloy-Robertson, M., & John, S. E.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 31(1), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617724000730
"Recuerdos de mi abuelo": Producing telenovelas to engage Latinos about Alzheimer's disease.
Vardeman, J., Cajina-Clark, J., Medina, L. D., Woods, S. P., Mullen, R., John, S. E., Kunik, M., Pressman, P., Moeller, S., Martinez, M., Arroyo Miranda, M., Stocker, M., Lopez-Esquibel, N., & Ochoa, L.
Health Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2025.2526810
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Data Slice: Cognitive functioning among U.S. older adults differs by gender and urbanicity.
Lawrence, E., John, S. E., & Bhatta, T. Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. Available from: https://surface.syr.edu/lerner/237/Clinical importance in Alzheimer’s disease: Effects of anchor agreement and disease severity.
Stojanovic, M., Mikula, C., John, S. E., & Kiselica, A. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 36(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-023-02643-0 -
Cognitive aging in rural communities: Preliminary memory characterization of a community cohort from Southern Nevada.
Miller, J. B., Wong, C. G., Kirkland Caldwell, J. Z., Rodrigues, J., Pudumjee, S., John, S. E., & Ritter, A. Frontiers in Dementia, 2, 1236039.Network analysis of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease.
Goodwin, G. J., Moeller, S., Nguyen, A., Cummings, J. L., & John, S. E. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 15(1), 135. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01279-6Global rural health disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: State of the science.
Wiese, L. A. K., Gibson, A., Guest, M. A., Nelson, A. R., Weaver, R., Gupta, A., Carmichael, O., Lewis, J. P., Lindauer, A., Loi, S., Peterson, R., Radford, K., Rhodus, E. K., Wong, C. G., Zuelsdorff, M., Saidi, L. G., Valdivieso-Mora, E., […] Babulal, G. M.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13104A boot camp translation of Alzheimer’s disease in Hispanic/Latino communities.
Medina, L. D., Woods, S. P., Mullen, R., John, S. E., Kunik, M., Pressman, P., Moeller, S., Martinez, M., Arroyo Miranda, M., Stocker, M., Lopez-Esquibel, N., & Vardeman, J. Alzheimer’s & Dementia (New York, N.Y.), 9(2), e12390. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.12390Urbanicity and cognitive functioning in later life.
Lawrence, E., John, S. E., & Bhatta, T. Alzheimer’s & Dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 15(2), e12429. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12429Cortical thickness is related to cognitive-motor automaticity and attention allocation in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease: A regions of interest study.
Longhurst, J. K., Sreenivasan, K. R., Kim, J., Cummings, J. L., John, S. E., Poston, B., Cordes, D., Rider, J. V., & Landers, M. R. Experimental Brain Research, 241(6), 1489–1499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-023-06618-5Changes in ImPACT cognitive subtest networks following sport-related concussion.
Goodwin, G. J., John, S. E., Donohue, B., Keene, J., Kuwabara, H. C., Maietta, J. E., Kinsora, T. F., Ross, S., & Allen, D. N. Brain Sciences, 13(2), 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13020177
Select Presentations & Posters
2025
Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Annual Scientific Meeting
Recruitment of underrepresented older adults in mental health research: A scoping review.
Authors: Butt, M. I., Flores, V., Cobos, K., & Renn, B. N.
National Academy of Neuropsychology
Ethnicity moderates the relationship between education and chronic stress in an aging cohort
Authors: Cobos, K., Levine, T. F., Caldwell, J., & Pudumjee, S. B.
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference
Network Analysis of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia
Authors: Goodwin, G. J., Mehrzad, S., & John, S. E.
Nevada Psychological Association
Differential Item Functioning in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire by Ethnoracial Group
Authors: Singsank, K. T., Cross, C. L., & John, S. E.
International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Differential Item Functioning in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire by Ethnoracial Group
Authors: Singsank, K. T., Cross, C. L., & John, S. E.
International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Distinguishing Neurobehavioral Features of Alzheimer's Disease and Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia Using Network Analysis
Authors: Goodwin, G. J., Mehrzad, S., Cummings, J. L., & John, S. E.
International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
A Scoping Review of Multiracial Inclusion in Alzheimer’s Disease Research Using Neuropsychological Data
Authors: Moeller, S., Singsank, K., Goodwin, G. J., Lafont-Tanner, D., & John, S. E.
International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Exploration of sex differences in the relationship between memory and cortical thickness in a clinical sample.
Authors: Cobos, K., Levine, T. F., Caldwell, J. Z. K., Miller, J. B., & Pudumjee, S. B.
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Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting
Self-efficacy partially mediates physical functioning and quality of life in middle-aged adults with disability
Authors: Singsank, K. T., John, S. E., & Molton, I. R.International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Bridging neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s disease: A network analysis
Authors: Goodwin, G. J., Cummings, J. L., & John, S. E.International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Simulated Alzheimer clinical trial enrollment: Which criteria hinder diverse participants?
Authors: Moeller, S., & John, S. E.International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Differential item functioning in the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 by ethnoracial group
Authors: Singsank, K. T., Cross, C. L., & John, S. E.International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Pilot investigation of blood-based cytokines in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Maloy-Robertson, M., & John, S. E -
International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Clinically meaningful change in Alzheimer’s disease depends on anchor agreement and disease severity
Authors: Kiselica, A., Mikula, C., John, S. E., & Stojanovic, M.International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Ethnoracial differences in anchor agreement and MCID estimation in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: John, S. E., Moeller, S., & Tanner, D.International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Network analysis of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Goodwin, G. J., Moeller, S., Nguyen, A., & John, S. E.Gerontological Society of America
RCT of a behavioral, telehealth wellness promotion program for middle-aged adults with disabilities
Authors: Molton, I. R., Rivera, D., Singsank, K. T., Munroe, L. A., Flaster, A., & Humbert, A. T.National Academy of Neuropsychology
Caregiver relationship type significantly moderates association among NPI-Q symptoms: A moderated network analysis
Authors: Singsank, K. T., Goodwin, G. J., Moeller, S., Salva, C., & John, S. E.National Academy of Neuropsychology 43rd Annual Conference
Neuropsychiatric symptom severity predicts rate of executive function decline
Authors: Goodwin, G. J., Singsank, K. T., Maloy-Robertson, M., Tanner, D., Salva, C., Briley, D. A., & John, S. E.Alzheimer’s Association International Conference
Engaging young adult Hispanics to encourage Alzheimer’s disease research
Authors: Singsank, K. T., Nguyen, A., Martinez, M. N., Medina, L. D., & John, S. E.Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) Satellite Symposium
Increasing Alzheimer’s awareness among young Hispanics: Results of a Boot Camp Translation model
Authors: Tanner, D., Mortero, J., Moeller, S., Martinez, M., Medina, L., & John, S. E.International Neuropsychological Society Annual Conference
Network analysis of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Goodwin, G. J., Moeller, S., Nguyen, A., & John, S. E.Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) Annual Meeting
Challenges and opportunities in a resource desert: Las Vegas Boot Camp Translation
Authors: John, S. E., Moeller, S., & Tanner, D.