Differences in cognitive functioning in two birth cohorts born 20 years apart

• Verfasst von: Degen, Christina [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Frankenberg, Claudia [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Toro, Pablo [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Schröder, Johannes [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Differences in cognitive functioning in two birth cohorts born 20 years apart
• Titelzusatz: data from the interdisciplinary longitudinal study of ageing
• Verf.angabe: Christina Degen, Claudia Frankenberg, Pablo Toro and Johannes Schröder
• E-Jahr: 2022
• Jahr: 15 February 2022
• Umfang: 8 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 31.03.2022
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Brain Sciences
• Ort Quelle: Basel : MDPI AG, 2011
• Jahr Quelle: 2022
• Band/Heft Quelle: 12(2022), 2, Artikel-ID 271, Seite 1-8
• ISSN Quelle: 2076-3425
• DOI: doi:10.3390/brainsci12020271
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: aging
• Sach-SW: cognitive performance
• Sach-SW: cognitive reserve
• Sach-SW: Flynn effect
• K10plus-PPN: 1797150421
• K10plus-PPN:
  Universitätsbibliothek
• Lokale URL UB: Zum Volltext

Abstract

We compared neuropsychological functioning and prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in two birth cohorts born 20 years apart when participants had reached the same age, i.e., the mid-60s. The study followed up 500 volunteers born 1930-1932 (C30) and 502 born 1950-1952 (C50). Participants underwent medical, neuropsychological, and psychiatric examinations in 1993-1996 (T1), 1997-2000 (T2), 2005-2008 (T3), and 2014-2016 (T4), including assessment of abstract thinking, memory performance, verbal fluency, visuo-spatial thinking, psychomotor speed, and attention. Healthy participants from C30 at T2 (n = 298) and from C50 at T4 (n = 205) were compared using multivariate ANCOVAs. Groups slightly differed with respect to age (C50: 63.86 ± 1.14 vs. C30: 66.80 ± 0.91; p < 0.05) and years of education (13.28 ± 2.89 vs. 14.56 ± 2.45). After correcting for age, C50 significantly outperformed C30 in all domains except concentration and verbal fluency. After additionally adjusting for education, C50 significantly outperformed C30 in declarative memory performances and abstract thinking only. Prevalence rates of MCI were 25.2% in C30 and 9.6% in C50 (p < 0.001). Our findings confirm the association between better educational attainment and enhanced cognitive performance in “younger” old individuals. While this association corresponds to the Flynn effect, various life course influences may have also contributed to better performance, including improvements in healthcare provision, medication, and lifestyle factors. Their overall effects may foster cognitive reserve and thus translate into the decline in MCI prevalence reported here.