B - 103 Chronic Stress and Smoking Moderate the Relation between Hippocampal Volume and Long-Term Memory in Older Hispanic Adults

Abstract Objective We evaluated how self-reported chronic stress and lifetime smoking behavior moderates the relation between hippocampal volume and memory. Method 841 Hispanic adults (mean age = 63.12 years, SD = 8.03; mean years of education = 10.01, SD = 4.65; 67% female) underwent MRI of the brain and completed the HCHS Chronic Stress measure, a lifetime nicotine use question, and the WMS-III Logical Memory Delayed Recall subtest (LM-II). Two models evaluating HCHS Chronic Stress score and lifetime smoking behavior as moderators of the relation between hippocampal volume and LM-II were run. Results Moderation analyses revealed the endorsement of ever smoking cigarettes was a significant moderator for the relation between hippocampal volume and LM-II performance (Smoking: Estimate = −0.012, p = 0.005). Additionally, increased chronic stress was also a significant moderator for the relation between hippocampal volume and LM-II performance (Chronic Stress: Estimate = −0.001, p = 0.021). Conclusions The current findings suggest that smoking and chronic stress each acted as a moderator of the relation between hippocampal volume and memory, though the effects were small. Future research should examine whether there is a dose–response relationship for cigarette smoking and how this moderates brain health and memory. Additionally, whether there is an interactive effect between stress and smoking warrants further study.