Trends and determinants of the Flynn effect in cognitive functioning among older individuals in 10 European countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 383-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Hessel ◽  
Jonas M Kinge ◽  
Vegard Skirbekk ◽  
Ursula M Staudinger
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Performance Levels ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Random Intercept

BackgroundAlthough cognitive performance levels in old age have increased in most countries, recent evidence documents a slowing down or even decline in cohort gains in highly developed countries. The aim of this study was to assess trends and determinants in secular cohort gains in cognitive functioning among older individuals and whether cohort gains are levelling off in most advanced countries.MethodsData for individuals aged between 50 and 84 years from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe in 10 European countries between 2004 and 2013 (n=92 739) were used to assess country and age-specific changes in immediate word recall. Multivariate random intercept models were used to assess associations between secular cohort changes in immediate word recall, initial performance levels and changes in country-level socio-demographic characteristics.ResultsPerformance in immediate word recall improved in all countries between 2004 and 2013 (from 4.40 to 5.08 words, P<0.05). However, secular cohort gains were significantly smaller in countries with initially higher performance levels (coeff.=−0.554, 95% CI −0.682 to –0.426). Changes in socio-demographic and health conditions, including decreases in cardiovascular disease, physical activity and educational achievement, were associated with larger secular cohort gains.ConclusionsResults may either reflect that some countries are approaching the limits of cognitive plasticity, are slowing in their progress or that societal structures have not yet been optimised to improve cognitive abilities in midlife and beyond, or a combination of these interpretations.

scholarly journals Dynamic interplay of cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Schroeders ◽  
Johannes Zimmermann ◽  
Tamara Wicke ◽  
Martina Schaumburg ◽  
Elisabeth Lang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Random Intercept ◽  
Behavioral Enrichment ◽  
Dynamic Interplay

Objective: We examine the trajectories of and the dynamic interplay between cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in comparison to healthy controls (HC) from an intraindividual perspective.Method: The DeNoPa study is a single-center, observational, longitudinal study with biennial follow-ups over 8 years. The present analyses are based on 123 PD (79 male) and 107 HC (64 male) with a mean age of 64.1. PD and HC completed a comprehensive battery of neurological tests and scales assessing depressive symptoms. To study their trajectories and the dynamic interplay we used a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model.Results: Cognitive abilities of PD were on average d = -0.56 worse at baseline and d = -0.93 at 8-years follow-up in comparison to HC. Depressive symptoms in PD showed a large variability and followed a U-shaped trajectory. From an intraindividual perspective, stronger impairments in cognitive abilities were subsequently associated with increased depressive symptoms (b = -0.52, p = .01), whereas the effect in the opposite direction was not significant.Conclusions: We found no indication that depressive symptoms can be seen as precursors of dementia. On the contrary, to counter cognitive losses and the subsequent mood deterioration, patient education and early cognitive (and behavioral) enrichment seem promising candidates for treatment.

scholarly journals Cross-national differences in the association between retirement and memory decline

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Mäcken ◽  
Alicia Riley ◽  
Maria M Glymour
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Stressful Life Event ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Memory Decline ◽  
Country Level ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Cross National

Abstract Objective Retirement is a potential trigger for cognitive aging as it may be a stressful life event accompanied by changes in everyday activities. However, the consequences of retirement may differ across institutional contexts which shape retirement options. Comparing memory trajectories before and after retirement in 17 European countries, this study aims to identify cross-national differences in the association between retirement and memory decline. Methods Respondents to the longitudinal Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE; N=8,646) aged 50+ who were in paid work at baseline and retired during the observation period completed up to 6 memory assessments (immediate and delayed word recall) over 13 years. Three-level (time-points, individuals, countries) linear mixed models with country level random slopes for retirement were estimated to evaluate whether memory decline accelerated after retirement and if this association differed between countries. Results On average, retirement was associated with a moderate decrement in word recall (b= -0.273, 95% CI -0.441, -0.104) and memory decline accelerated after retirement (b= -0.044, 95% CI -0.070, -0.018). Significant between-country heterogeneity in memory decline after retirement existed (variance=0.047,95% CI (0.013,0.168). Memory decline after retirement was more rapid in Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, and Estonia compared to Northern and Central European countries. Discussion Memory decline post-retirement was faster in Mediterranean and eastern European countries, which are characterized by less generous welfare systems with comparatively low pension benefits. Evaluation of resources that could protect retirees from memory decline would be valuable.

Does Retirement Get Under the Skin and Into the Head? Testing the Pathway from Retirement to Cardio-Metabolic Risk, then to Episodic Memory

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
Katsuya Oi
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Metabolic Risk ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Retirement Status ◽  
Retirement Study

Many studies document significant causal impacts of retirement on cognitive abilities. It remains unclear if cognitive functioning could be hindered in post-retirement due to heightened physiological responses to stress. Using repeated observations of biomarkers, retirement status, and the word-recall test score from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 25,367; 15,343 among women and 10,024 among men), the study tests this pathway, separately for men and women. The study employs the two-stage least squares fixed-effects model that simultaneously fits three equations predicting the total-recall score, cardio-metabolic risk index, and retirement status. Being retired for at least a year decreases cardio-metabolic risk for men and women, and the resulting relief of cardio-metabolic risk improves cognitive functioning for women but not for men. Retirement does not lead to a downward health spiral as previously suggested; rather, it provides a much needed relief from stressors for those who are at health risks.

European and Ukrainian experience in financial support to farming activities through fiscal instruments

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1040-1063
Author(s):  
E.A. Nepochatenko ◽  
E.T. Prokopchuk ◽  
B.S. Guzar
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Financial Regulation ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Statistical Research ◽  
Tax Regimes

Subject. The article considers financial regulation through the use of tax mechanisms. Objectives. The aim of the study is to evaluate European and Ukrainian practices of fiscal incentives for farming through fiscal instruments with VAT playing the key role. Methods. In the study we employed economic and statistical research methods, like monographic, comparison, scientific generalization. Results. Based on the analysis of VAT implementation on farmers in developed countries in Europe we substantiated the conclusion about its focus on simplifying the tax procedures and eliminating the negative impact on operations of economic entities. Special tax treatment (including VAT collection) is mainly used to streamline tax relations, taking into account the specifics of farming, rather than to improve the financial support to farms. We revealed that in the Ukrainian practice its main task is financial support to agricultural production. Conclusions and Relevance. The experience of developed European countries on the use of special tax regimes and taxation procedures should serve as a model for Ukraine. Financial incentives for agricultural production development should be directly supported by the State, and special tax treatment and tax administration should be focused on streamlining tax relations in the region, based on the practice of developed European countries such as UK, Germany, Italy and France.

Associations Between Higher-Order Values Vary with Age, Education, and Income

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maksim Rudnev
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Value Structures ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Representative Samples

A theory of basic human values relies on the similarity of value structures across countries. It has been well established that the quasi-circumplex value structure as a whole is indeed universal. However, less attention has been paid to the associations between specific values. This study investigated associations between four higher-order values across age, education, and income groups. We analyzed the data from national representative samples collected in 29 countries as part of the fourth round of the European Social Survey with a series of multilevel regressions. Younger age, higher levels of education and income coincided with higher independence of the four adjacent higher-order values, whereas among older, less educated, and less wealthy groups, values tended to merge into a single dimension of Social versus Person Focus. These differences were slightly weaker in more economically developed countries. The group differences in value associations may follow from corresponding differences in the degree of societal and individual empowerment, cognitive abilities, and socialization experiences. Accounting for the individual differences in relations between values may bring deeper understanding and higher predictive power to the studies of links between values and various behaviors or attitudes. , value structure, value interactions, European Social Survey

Central and Eastern European states in global production linkages: country-level and sector-level analysis

2017 ◽  
pp. 38-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Cieślik
Keyword(s):  
Global Value Chains ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Large Share ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Western European ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Level Analysis

The paper evaluates Central and Eastern European countries’ (CEEs) location in global vertical specialization (global value chains, GVCs). To locate each country in global value chains (upstream or downstream segment/market) and to compare them with the selected countries, a very selective methodology was adopted. We concluded that (a) CEE countries differ in the levels of their participation in production linkages. Countries that have stronger links with Western European countries, especially with Germany, are more integrated; (b) a large share of the CEE countries’ gross exports passes through Western European GVCs; (c) most exporters in Central and Eastern Europe are positioned in the downstream segments of production rather than in the upstream markets. JEL classification: F14, F15.

scholarly journals Online Assessment of Cognitive Functioning: A Reliable Alternative to Laboratory Testing?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 576-577
Author(s):  
Maximilian Haas ◽  
Sascha Zuber ◽  
David Framorando ◽  
Elissa El Khawli ◽  
Susanne Scheibe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Cognitive Disorders ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Online Tools

Abstract As the population ages, risks for cognitive decline threaten independence and quality of life for older adults. Classically, psychological assessment tools to evaluate cognitive functioning are administered in face-to-face laboratory sessions, which is time- and resource-consuming. With the aim of reducing such costs, the present study set out to develop and validate two new online tools, allowing a rapid assessment of general cognitive abilities and of prospective memory. We collected data from 250 participants equally spread across the adult lifespan (aged 18 – 86). Results suggest that performance assessed via these newly developed online tools is comparable to performance in face-to-face laboratory settings. Our findings thereby indicate that these online tools can reliably measure cognitive functioning across the lifespan at a reduced cost, which may help detect individuals at risk of developing age-related cognitive disorders.

scholarly journals Relationship between MODIS Derived NDVI and Yield of Cereals for Selected European Countries

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 340
Author(s):  
Ewa Panek ◽  
Dariusz Gozdowski
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Yield Prediction ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Using Data

In this study, the relationships between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) obtained based on MODIS satellite data and grain yield of all cereals, wheat and barley at a country level were analyzed. The analysis was performed by using data from 2010–2018 for 20 European countries, where percentage of cereals is high (at least 35% of the arable land). The analysis was performed for each country separately and for all of the collected data together. The relationships between NDVI and cumulative NDVI (cNDVI) were analyzed by using linear regression. Relationships between NDVI in early spring and grain yield of cereals were very strong for Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. This means that the yield prediction for these countries can be as far back as 4 months before the harvest. The increase of NDVI in early spring was related to the increase of grain yield by about 0.5–1.6 t/ha. The cumulative of averaged NDVI gives more stable prediction of grain yield per season. For France and Belgium, the relationships between NDVI and grain yield were very weak.

scholarly journals Identification and genetic diversity of hepatitis E virus in domestic swine from Slovakia

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Jackova ◽  
Katarina Dudasova ◽  
Slavomira Salamunova ◽  
Rene Mandelik ◽  
Jaroslav Novotny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Major Clade ◽  
Information Gap ◽  
Production Stages ◽  
Suckling Piglets ◽  
Domestic Swine

Abstract Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is agent causing hepatitis worldwide. Originally considered to be limited to developing countries, this virus was also detected in developed countries. In recent years an increasing number of reports indicate that farmed domestic pigs are widely infected with HEV in several European countries. The HEV status in Slovakia is still missing. Results In this study, the circulation of HEV among domestic swine in Slovakia and genetic diversity of the virus was studied. Overall HEV RNA was detected in 53/388 (13.7, 95% CI: 10.40–17.48%) pig rectal swabs in five production stages (age categories) with statistically significant differences among all the stages. The highest HEV prevalence was observed in weaners 24/81 (29.6, 95% CI: 19.99–40.81%) and then significantly declined in growers and fatteners. No HEV was detected in suckling piglets and sows. Twenty-eight partial sequences of ORF1 (242 bp) and seventeen of ORF2 (304 bp) were analysed. Phylogenetic analysis and p-distance comparisons confirmed in both ORFs that all Slovak HEV sequences belong to the genotype HEV-3, major clade 3abchij with higher identity to 3a and 3i subtypes. Three sequences were outside of all lastly updated HEV-3 subtypes. Conclusion This is the first report to fill the information gap about HEV infection in pigs in Slovakia. The results suggested a lower prevalence of HEV in Slovak pig farms than observed in other European countries. While most HEV isolates were typed as HEV-3 clade 3abchij, three sequences were unclassified.

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