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Repetitive negative thinking moderates the association between self-referential thoughts and cognition amongst older adults: a natural speech analysis approach
Solé-Padullés C, Perera-Cruz O, Güell-Brugués A, Cabello-Toscano M, Mulet-Pons L, Morse RM, Cattaneo G, Solana-Sánchez J et al.. Research Square, 2026-09-04
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
Natural language processing has been examined as a possible biomarker for cognitive decline and dementia, but it has also been associated with components of well-being and psychological distress. Additionally, there are psychological variables that may influence contents of thoughts during spontaneous speech. We aimed to explore whether self-referential thoughts, emotional tone and time orientation, measured during a think aloud paradigm and analyzed using natural language processing, were related to cognitive performance in older adults, and whether psychological characteristics influenced these associations. In total, 110 cognitively healthy adults aged 65 years and above were recruited. Cognitive assessment included tests of episodic memory and executive functions, and participants completed psychological questionnaires of depressive and anxiety symptoms, personality traits, repetitive negative thinking, and purpose in life. Increased proportion of self-related words, used as a proxy for self-referential thoughts, was associated with poorer episodic memory and executive functions. These associations were moderated by levels of rumination and worry, respectively, two components of repetitive negative thinking reflecting cognitive debt and previously related to reduced cognitive resilience. We concluded that self-referential thoughts measured through natural speech represent an ecological marker related to suboptimal cognitive performance when linked to high levels of repetitive negative thinking, even beyond the influence of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and we highlight the need to consider psychological factors when addressing natural speech studies with a focus on aging and cognition.
Key findings
- Natural language processing has been examined as a possible biomarker for cognitive decline and dementia, but it has also been associated with components of well-being and psychological distress.
- Increased proportion of self-related words, used as a proxy for self-referential thoughts, was associated with poorer episodic memory and executive functions.
- We concluded that self-referential thoughts measured through natural speech represent an ecological marker related to suboptimal cognitive performance when linked to high levels of repetitive negative thinking, even beyond the influence of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and we highlight the need to consider psychological factors when addressing natural speech studies with a focus on aging and cognition.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 21 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 13 of the 62 points we could judge it on, which is 21 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (Research Square) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 13 / 62 | Scored on 12 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 13 of the 62 points we could judge it on is 21 out of 100. |
| Total | 21 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
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Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Solé-Padullés, C., Perera-Cruz, O., Güell-Brugués, A., Cabello-Toscano, M., Mulet-Pons, L., Morse, R. M., et al. (2026). Repetitive negative thinking moderates the association between self-referential thoughts and cognition amongst older adults: a natural speech analysis approach. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10775960/v1
Vancouver
Solé-Padullés C, Perera-Cruz O, Güell-Brugués A, Cabello-Toscano M, Mulet-Pons L, Morse RM, et al. Repetitive negative thinking moderates the association between self-referential thoughts and cognition amongst older adults: a natural speech analysis approach. Research Square. 2026. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10775960/v1.
BibTeX
@article{solepadulles2026-9d60841a,
author = {Solé-Padullés, C. and Perera-Cruz, O. and Güell-Brugués, A. and Cabello-Toscano, M. and Mulet-Pons, L. and Morse, R. M. and Cattaneo, G. and Solana-Sánchez, J. and others},
title = {{Repetitive negative thinking moderates the association between self-referential thoughts and cognition amongst older adults: a natural speech analysis approach}},
journal = {Research Square},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-10775960/v1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10775960/v1}
}