Improved Cognitive Function in the Tromsø Study in Norway From 2001 to 2016
AbstractObjective:Physical capacity and cardiovascular risk profiles seem to be improving in the population. Cognition have been improving due to a birth cohort effect, but evidence is conflicting on whether this improvement remains in the latest decades, and what is causing the changes in our population over 60 years old. We aimed to investigate birth cohort differences in cognition.Method:The study comprised 9514 participants from the Tromsø study, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study. Participants were in the ages 60–87 years, born between 1914 and 1956. They did four cognitive tests in three waves during 2001-2016. Linear regression was applied, and adjusted for age, education, blood pressure, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, stroke, heart attack, depression, diabetes, physical activity, alcohol use, BMI and height.Results:Cognitive test scores were better in later-born birth cohorts for all age groups, and in both sexes, compared with earlier born cohorts. Increased education, physical activity, alcohol intake, decreasing smoking prevalence and increasing height was associated with one third of this improvement across birth cohorts in women and one half of the improvement in men.Conclusion:Cognitive results were better in more recent born birth cohorts compared with earlier born, assessed at the same age. The improvement was present in all cognitive domains, suggesting an overall improvement in cognitive performance. The 80-year-olds assessed in 2015-16 performed like 60-year-olds assessed in 2001. The improved scores were associated with increased education level, increase in modest drinking frequency, increased physical activity and for men, smoking cessation and increased height.