Association Between Season of Birth and Cognitive Aging in Older Adults: Pan-European Population-Based Study on 70,000 Individuals

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Matej Kucera ◽  
Katrin Wolfova ◽  
Pavla Cermakova
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Population Based ◽  
European Population ◽  
Season Of Birth ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall

Background: Several early-life factors have been associated with higher risk of developing dementia. It is unclear whether season of birth (SOB) can affect cognitive aging in older adults or not. Objective: We aimed to study the association of SOB with the level of cognitive performance as well as with the rate of cognitive decline. Methods: We studied 70,203 individuals who participated in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe. Cognition was measured with tests on verbal fluency and immediate and delayed recall. We assessed the association of SOB with the level of cognitive performance using multiple linear regression and with the rate of cognitive decline using linear mixed-effects models. Results: When compared to individuals born in winter and adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, being born in summer was associated with a higher level of delayed recall (B 0.05; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.09) and verbal fluency (B 0.15; 95%CI 0.00 to 0.29) and being born in fall with a higher level of immediate recall (B 0.04; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.08) and verbal fluency (B 0.15; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.29). Individuals born in summer had a higher yearly decline in delayed recall (B –0.005; 95%CI –0.009 to 0.000), while the scores in delayed recall in participants born in spring showed an inverse trend (B 0.005; 95%CI 0.000 to 0.010). Conclusion: Individuals born in winter seem to carry a life-long disadvantage in a lower level of cognitive performance; however, being born in winter does not seem to affect the rate of cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic position in childhood and cognitive aging in Europe

Neurology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 91 (17) ◽  
pp. e1602-e1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavla Cermakova ◽  
Tomas Formanek ◽  
Anna Kagstrom ◽  
Petr Winkler
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risk Factors ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Rate Of Decline

ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate whether socioeconomic position (SEP) in childhood has an effect on the level of cognitive performance and the rate of cognitive decline in older adults.MethodsWe performed a prospective cohort study of individuals enrolled in a multicenter population-based study, SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe). Interviews were conducted in 6 waves at approximately 2-year intervals and included examinations of cognitive performance (memory, verbal fluency, delayed recall) and measurements of childhood SEP (participants' household characteristics at the age of 10 years). We estimated the associations of SEP with the level of cognitive performance using linear regression and the relation to the rate of cognitive decline with mixed-effects models.ResultsThis study included 20,244 participants from 16 European countries (median age at baseline 71 years, 54% women). Adverse childhood SEP was associated with a lower level of baseline cognitive performance. This association was attenuated after adjustment for clinical and social risk factors but remained statistically significant. Childhood SEP was not related to the rate of cognitive decline.ConclusionsVariation in childhood SEP helps to explain differences in cognitive performance between older people, but not the rate of decline from their previous level of cognition. Strategies to protect cognitive aging should be applied early in life.

scholarly journals Role of sex in the association between childhood socioeconomic position and cognitive ageing in later life

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Wolfova ◽  
Zsofia Csajbok ◽  
Anna Kagstrom ◽  
Ingemar Kåreholt ◽  
Pavla Cermakova
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Multilevel Linear Regression

AbstractWe aimed to explore sex differences in the association of childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) with the level of cognitive performance and the rate of cognitive decline. We studied 84,059 individuals (55% women; mean age 64 years) from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Sex differences in the association of childhood SEP (household characteristics at age 10) with the level of cognitive performance (verbal fluency, immediate recall, delayed recall) were analysed using multilevel linear regression. Structural equation modelling tested education, depressive symptoms and physical state as mediators. The relationship between childhood socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage and the rate of cognitive decline was assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Higher childhood SEP was associated with a higher level of cognitive performance to a greater extent in women (B = 0.122; 95% CI 0.092–0.151) than in men (B = 0.109; 95% CI 0.084–0.135). The strongest mediator was education. Childhood socioeconomic disadvantage was related to a higher rate of decline in delayed recall in both sexes, with a greater association in women. Strategies to prevent impaired late-life cognitive functioning, such as reducing childhood socioeconomic disadvantages and improving education, might have a greater benefit for women.

Living arrangement and cognitive decline among older people in Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1111-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEFANO MAZZUCO ◽  
SILVIA MEGGIOLARO ◽  
FAUSTA ONGARO ◽  
VERONICA TOFFOLUTTI
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Family Resources ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall

ABSTRACTFamily resources may play an important role in the wellbeing of older people. In this paper, we examine the association between living arrangement and cognitive decline among people over 65 living in different European countries. The underlined hypothesis is that living with others (i.e. spouse or/and children) vis-à-vis living alone may have a positive role in maintaining cognitive functioning, but also that such beneficial influence varies according to the circumstances. To this end, we used data from the first two waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which provides indicators of several cognitive functions: orientation, immediate recall, delayed recall, verbal fluency and numeracy. Net of both the potential biases due to the selective attrition and the re-test effects, the evidence shows that the association between living arrangement and cognitive decline depends on the geographical area and on the starting level of cognitive function.

scholarly journals Resting-state functional brain connectivity in a predominantly African-American sample of older adults: exploring links among personality traits, cognitive performance, and the default mode network

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole T. Crane ◽  
Jessica M. Hayes ◽  
Raymond P. Viviano ◽  
Tim Bogg ◽  
Jessica S. Damoiseaux
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Default Mode Network ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Default Mode

Abstract The personality traits of neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness are relevant factors for cognitive aging outcomes. The present study examined how these traits were associated with cognitive abilities and corresponding resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the default mode network (DMN) in an older and predominantly minority sample. A sample of 58 cognitively unimpaired, largely African-American, older adults (M age = 68.28 ± 8.33) completed a standard RSFC magnetic resonance imaging sequence, a Big Five measure of personality, and delayed memory, Stroop, and verbal fluency tasks. Personality trait associations of within-network connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a hub of the DMN, were examined using a seed-based approach. Trait scores were regressed on cognitive performance (delayed memory for neuroticism, Stroop for conscientiousness, and verbal fluency for openness). Greater openness predicted greater verbal fluency and greater RSFC between the PCC and eight clusters, including the medial prefrontal cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, and precuneus. Greater PCC–precuneus connectivity predicted greater verbal fluency. Neuroticism and conscientiousness did not significantly predict either cognitive performance or RSFC. Although requiring replication and elaboration, the results implicate openness as a contributing factor to cognitive aging via concomitant cognitive performance and connectivity within cortical hubs of the DMN and add to the sparse literature on these variables in a diverse group of older adults.

scholarly journals Differences in cognitive performance and cognitive decline across European regions: a population-based prospective cohort study

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 80-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Formanek ◽  
Anna Kagstrom ◽  
Petr Winkler ◽  
Pavla Cermakova
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Population Based ◽  
European Regions ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Older Europeans

AbstractBackground:A large variation in cognitive performance exists between European regions. However, it is unclear how older Europeans differ in the rate of cognitive decline.Methods:We analysed data from 22 181 individuals (54% women; median age 71) who participated in the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Cognition was measured using tests on verbal fluency, immediate and delayed recall. We used linear regression and linear mixed effects regression to examine regional differences in the level of cognitive performance and the rate of cognitive decline.Results:Scandinavians had the highest baseline cognitive scores (mean standardized overall cognitive score 0.3), followed by Western Europeans (mean 0.2), Central and Eastern Europeans (mean 0.1) and individuals from Mediterranean countries (mean -0.4). These differences persisted even after adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The annual cognitive decline in Scandinavia (0.59%) was approximately two times greater than in Western Europe (0.28%), Central and Eastern Europe (0.25%) and Mediterranean countries (0.23%).Discussion:There are substantial differences in cognitive performance as well as rates of cognitive decline among the elderly throughout European regions. This might be explained by differing levels of cognitive reserve.

scholarly journals Chronic Stress, C-Reactive Protein, and Cognition Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 362-362
Author(s):  
Emily Morris ◽  
Laura Zahodne
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Hispanic White

Abstract Objective: Previous research suggests that chronic stress is associated with worse cognitive aging, but minimal research has examined potential mechanisms and moderators of these associations. Chronic stress is known to increase inflammation (e.g., C-reactive protein [CRP]), which has in turn been associated with worse cognition among older adults. The present study examined whether (1) CRP mediates associations between chronic stress and episodic memory and verbal fluency; and (2) these relationships differ by race/ethnicity. Methods: Participants included 18,968 adults (64% non-Hispanic White; 19% non-Hispanic Black; 14% Hispanic; 3% non-Hispanic other race/ethnicity; Mage=71.8; SDage=6.0) from the Health and Retirement Study. Chronic stress was operationalized as the occurrence and impact of eight ongoing stressors. Cross-sectional, stratified mediation models were conducted for three cognitive outcomes: immediate recall, delayed recall, and verbal fluency. Covariates included sociodemographics and vascular disease burden. Results: Chronic stress was associated worse immediate recall (beta=-.028). Higher CRP was not associated with any cognitive domains. Non-Hispanic Black participants reported more chronic stress than non-Hispanic White and Hispanic participants. Chronic stress was less strongly associated with higher CRP in non-Hispanic Black (beta=-.035) participants than non-Hispanic White (beta=.046) or Hispanic (beta=.059) participants. Discussion: Chronic stress may negatively influence episodic memory, but findings do not suggest that CRP mediates links between chronic stress and cognition. CRP may not track as closely with chronic stress among non-Hispanic Black older adults who may experience additional risk factors for inflammation and/or adapt to increased chronic stress.

scholarly journals Association between physical-activity trajectories and cognitive decline in adults 50 years of age or older

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Cheval ◽  
Zsófia Csajbók ◽  
Tomáš Formánek ◽  
Stefan Sieber ◽  
Matthieu P. Boisgontier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
High Physical Activity ◽  
Activity Group ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
Growth Mixture Modelling ◽  
Physical Activity Group

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate the associations of physical-activity trajectories with the level of cognitive performance and its decline in adults 50 years of age or older.MethodsWe studied 38729 individuals (63 ± 9 years; 57% women) enrolled in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Physical activity was self-reported and cognitive performance was assessed based on immediate recall, verbal fluency, and delayed recall. Physical-activity trajectories were estimated using growth mixture modelling and linear mixed effects models were used to investigate the associations between the trajectories and cognitive performance.ResultsThe models identified two physical-activity trajectories of physical activity: constantly-high physical activity (N=27634: 71%) and decreasing physical activity (N=11095; 29%). Results showed that participants in the decreasing physical-activity group exhibited a lower level of cognitive performance compared to the high physical-activity group (immediate recall: ß=0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.92 to 0.95; verbal fluency: ß=0.98; 95% CI=0.97 to 0.98; delayed recall: ß=0.95; 95% CI=0.94 to 0.97). Moreover, compared with participants in the constantly-high physical-activity group, participants in the decreasing physical-activity group showed a steeper decline in all cognitive measures (immediate recall: ß=-0.04; 95% CI=-0.05 to −0.04; verbal fluency: ß=-0.22; 95% CI=-0.24 to −0.21; delayed recall: ß=-0.04; 95% CI=-0.05 to −0.04).ConclusionsPhysical-activity trajectories are associated with the level and evolution of cognitive performance in adults over 50 years. Specifically, our findings suggest that a decline in physical activity over multiple years is associated with a lower level and a steeper decline in cognitive performance.

scholarly journals Trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated patterns of cognitive decline

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Formánek ◽  
Zsófia Csajbók ◽  
Katrin Wolfová ◽  
Matěj Kučera ◽  
Sarah Tom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Smoothing Splines ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
Growth Mixture Modelling

AbstractThe aim was to investigate the pattern and rate of cognitive decline across distinctive trajectories of depressive symptoms in older adults. In this prospective multinational cohort study on 69,066 participants (on average 64 years at baseline, 55% women), assessments of cognitive functions (immediate recall, delayed recall, verbal fluency) and depressive symptoms (EURO-D scale) were conducted at 2-year intervals. The trajectories of depressive symptoms were obtained using latent growth mixture modelling, cognitive decline was assessed using smoothing splines and linear mixed effects models. Four distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: constantly low (n = 49,660), constantly high (n = 2999), increasing (n = 6828) and decreasing (n = 9579). Individuals with increasing and constantly high depressive symptoms showed linear cognitive decline, while those with constantly low and decreasing depressive symptoms had fluctuating cognition. Participants with increasing depressive symptoms had the fastest decline, while those with decreasing symptoms were spared from decline in cognition. This study suggests that the pattern as well as the rate of cognitive decline co-occurs with specific patterns of changes in depressive symptoms over time. The most pronounced cognitive decline is present in individuals, in whom depressive symptoms increase late in life. Unique mechanisms of cognitive decline may exist for subgroups of the population, and are associated with the trajectory of depressive symptoms.

Activity Engagement in Cognitive Aging: A Review of the Evidence

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rogalski ◽  
Muriel Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The population of older adults is rapidly increasing, as is the number and type of products and interventions proposed to prevent or reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Advocacy and prevention are part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) scope of practice documents, and speech-language pathologists must have basic awareness of the evidence contributing to healthy cognitive aging. In this article, we provide a brief overview outlining the evidence on activity engagement and its effects on cognition in older adults. We explore the current evidence around the activities of eating and drinking with a discussion on the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, alcohol, and coffee. We investigate the evidence on the hypothesized neuroprotective effects of social activity, the evidence on computerized cognitive training, and the emerging behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on physical activity. We conclude that actively aging using a combination of several strategies may be our best line of defense against cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Fear of Falling and Cognitive Decline in Healthy Aging Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 265-265
Author(s):  
Rebecca Kraut ◽  
Roee Holtzer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
Composite Score ◽  
Cognitive Measures ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Aging Adults

Abstract Fear of Falling (FOF) is common and associated with poor mobility in aging but whether persistence of FOF endorsement influences cognitive decline has not been reported. Here we determined the effect of FOF, measured dichotomously and after accounting for persistence, on decline in global cognitive function (GCF), memory, and attention/executive functions. Older adults with persistent FOF (n=81; mean age=77.63±6.67 yrs; %female=74.1), transient FOF (n=60; mean age=76.93±6.01 yrs; %female=61.7), and no FOF (n=286; mean age=75.77±6.42 yrs; %female=49.3) were included. FOF was assessed through yes/no responses to “do you have a fear of falling?” at baseline. GCF was assessed using RBANS; memory was assessed using a composite score comprising the immediate and delayed recall index scores from RBANS; attention/executive functions were assessed via a composite score comprising TMT A & B, letter and category fluency tasks, and digit symbol modalities. Cognitive measures were administered annually for up to six years. Linear mixed effects models revealed that persistent FOF was associated with a worse decline in GCF compared to both transient FOF (estimate=0.78, p=.022) and no FOF (estimate=0.75, p=.004). Persistent FOF was also associated with a worse decline in memory compared to those with transient FOF (estimate=0.08, p=.004) and those with no FOF (estimate=0.06, p=.006). Associations between FOF status and decline in attention/executive functions were not significant. These findings demonstrate that persistent FOF is a risk factor for cognitive decline in community-residing older adults.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document