Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
7-1-2024
Journal
Psychosomatic Medicine
DOI
10.1097/PSY.0000000000001312
PMID
38666654
PMCID
PMC11230842
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
4-26-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Objective: Chronic stress adversely affects mental and physical well-being. However, health outcomes vary among people experiencing the same stressor. Individual differences in physical and emotional well-being may depend on mitochondrial biology, as energy production is crucial for stress regulation. This study investigated whether mitochondrial respiratory capacity corresponds to individual differences in dementia spousal caregivers' mental and physical health.
Methods: Spousal caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias ( N = 102, mean age = 71, 78% female, 83% White) provided peripheral blood samples and completed self-report questionnaires on quality of life, caregiver burden, and a 7-day affect scale. Multiple and mixed linear regressions were used to test the relationship between mitochondrial biology and well-being.
Results: Spare respiratory capacity ( b = 12.76, confidence interval [CI] = 5.23-20.28, p = .001), maximum respiratory capacity ( b = 8.45, CI = 4.54-12.35, p < .0001), and ATP-linked respiration ( b = 10.11, CI = 5.05-15.18, p = .0001) were positively associated with physical functioning. At average ( b = -2.23, CI = -3.64 to -0.82, p = .002) and below average ( b = -4.96, CI = -7.22 to 2.70, p < .0001) levels of spare respiratory capacity, caregiver burden was negatively associated with daily positive affect. At above average levels of spare respiratory capacity, caregiver burden was not associated with positive affect ( p = .65).
Conclusions: Findings suggest that higher mitochondrial respiratory capacity is associated with better psychological and physical health-a pattern consistent with related research. These findings provide some of the earliest evidence that cellular bioenergetics are related to well-being.
Keywords
Humans, Female, Male, Caregivers, Aged, Middle Aged, Dementia, Energy Metabolism, Mitochondria, Quality of Life, Alzheimer Disease, Affect, Aged, 80 and over, Health Status, Caregiver Burden, Spouses, Stress, Psychological
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Wu-Chung, E Lydia; Medina, Luis D; Paoletti-Hatcher, Jensine; et al., "Mitochondrial Health, Physical Functioning, and Daily Affect: Bioenergetic Mechanisms of Dementia Caregiver Well-Being" (2024). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 4996.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthgsbs_docs/4996
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