1
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Smith HM, Moodie JE, Monterrubio-Gómez K, Gadd DA, Hillary RF, Chybowska AD, McCartney DL, Campbell A, Redmond P, Page D, Taylor A, Corley J, Harris SE, Valdés Hernández M, Muñoz Maniega S, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ, Boardman JP, Mullin DS, Russ TC, Cox SR, Marioni RE. Epigenetic scores of blood-based proteins as biomarkers of general cognitive function and brain health. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:46. [PMID: 38528588 PMCID: PMC10962132 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01661-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic Scores (EpiScores) for blood protein levels have been associated with disease outcomes and measures of brain health, highlighting their potential usefulness as clinical biomarkers. They are typically derived via penalised regression, whereby a linear weighted sum of DNA methylation (DNAm) levels at CpG sites are predictive of protein levels. Here, we examine 84 previously published protein EpiScores as possible biomarkers of cross-sectional and longitudinal measures of general cognitive function and brain health, and incident dementia across three independent cohorts. RESULTS Using 84 protein EpiScores as candidate biomarkers, associations with general cognitive function (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally) were tested in three independent cohorts: Generation Scotland (GS), and the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936 (LBC1921 and LBC1936, respectively). A meta-analysis of general cognitive functioning results in all three cohorts identified 18 EpiScore associations (absolute meta-analytic standardised estimates ranged from 0.03 to 0.14, median of 0.04, PFDR < 0.05). Several associations were also observed between EpiScores and global brain volumetric measures in the LBC1936. An EpiScore for the S100A9 protein (a known Alzheimer disease biomarker) was associated with general cognitive functioning (meta-analytic standardised beta: - 0.06, P = 1.3 × 10-9), and with time-to-dementia in GS (Hazard ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.44, P = 0.003), but not in LBC1936 (Hazard ratio 1.11, P = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS EpiScores might make a contribution to the risk profile of poor general cognitive function and global brain health, and risk of dementia, however these scores require replication in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Smith
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna E Moodie
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karla Monterrubio-Gómez
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Danni A Gadd
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Aleksandra D Chybowska
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Danielle Page
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Janie Corley
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria Valdés Hernández
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James P Boardman
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Donncha S Mullin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tom C Russ
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, and Edinburgh Centre in the UK Dementia Research Institute, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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2
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Moodie JE, Harris SE, Harris MA, Buchanan CR, Davies G, Taylor A, Redmond P, Liewald DCM, Valdés Hernández MDC, Shenkin S, Russ TC, Muñoz Maniega S, Luciano M, Corley J, Stolicyn A, Shen X, Steele D, Waiter G, Sandu A, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, McIntosh A, Whalley H, Tucker‐Drob EM, Deary IJ, Cox SR. General and specific patterns of cortical gene expression as spatial correlates of complex cognitive functioning. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26641. [PMID: 38488470 PMCID: PMC10941541 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene expression varies across the brain. This spatial patterning denotes specialised support for particular brain functions. However, the way that a given gene's expression fluctuates across the brain may be governed by general rules. Quantifying patterns of spatial covariation across genes would offer insights into the molecular characteristics of brain areas supporting, for example, complex cognitive functions. Here, we use principal component analysis to separate general and unique gene regulatory associations with cortical substrates of cognition. We find that the region-to-region variation in cortical expression profiles of 8235 genes covaries across two major principal components: gene ontology analysis suggests these dimensions are characterised by downregulation and upregulation of cell-signalling/modification and transcription factors. We validate these patterns out-of-sample and across different data processing choices. Brain regions more strongly implicated in general cognitive functioning (g; 3 cohorts, total meta-analytic N = 39,519) tend to be more balanced between downregulation and upregulation of both major components (indicated by regional component scores). We then identify a further 29 genes as candidate cortical spatial correlates of g, beyond the patterning of the two major components (|β| range = 0.18 to 0.53). Many of these genes have been previously associated with clinical neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, or with other health-related phenotypes. The results provide insights into the cortical organisation of gene expression and its association with individual differences in cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna E. Moodie
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
| | - Sarah E. Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Mathew A. Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Colin R. Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
| | - Gail Davies
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Adele Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - David C. M. Liewald
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Maria del C. Valdés Hernández
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | - Susan Shenkin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
- Ageing and Health Research Group, Usher InstituteUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | - Tom C. Russ
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research CentreUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | - Michelle Luciano
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Janie Corley
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Aleks Stolicyn
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | - Xueyi Shen
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | - Douglas Steele
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
| | - Gordon Waiter
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
| | - Anca‐Larisa Sandu
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
| | - Mark E. Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | - Joanna M. Wardlaw
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghUK
| | | | | | | | - Ian J. Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Simon R. Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of PsychologyThe University of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) CollaborationEdinburghUK
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3
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Moodie JE, Harris SE, Harris MA, Buchanan CR, Davies G, Taylor A, Redmond P, Liewald D, Del C Valdés Hernández M, Shenkin S, Russ TC, Muñoz Maniega S, Luciano M, Corley J, Stolicyn A, Shen X, Steele D, Waiter G, Sandu-Giuraniuc A, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, McIntosh A, Whalley H, Tucker-Drob EM, Deary IJ, Cox SR. General and specific patterns of cortical gene expression as spatial correlates of complex cognitive functioning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.16.532915. [PMID: 36993650 PMCID: PMC10055068 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.16.532915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression varies across the brain. This spatial patterning denotes specialised support for particular brain functions. However, the way that a given gene's expression fluctuates across the brain may be governed by general rules. Quantifying patterns of spatial covariation across genes would offer insights into the molecular characteristics of brain areas supporting, for example, complex cognitive functions. Here, we use principal component analysis to separate general and unique gene regulatory associations with cortical substrates of cognition. We find that the region-to-region variation in cortical expression profiles of 8235 genes covaries across two major principal components : gene ontology analysis suggests these dimensions are characterised by downregulation and upregulation of cell-signalling/modification and transcription factors. We validate these patterns out-of-sample and across different data processing choices. Brain regions more strongly implicated in general cognitive functioning (g; 3 cohorts, total meta-analytic N = 39,519) tend to be more balanced between downregulation and upregulation of both major components (indicated by regional component scores). We then identify a further 41 genes as candidate cortical spatial correlates of g, beyond the patterning of the two major components (|β| range = 0.15 to 0.53). Many of these genes have been previously associated with clinical neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, or with other health-related phenotypes. The results provide insights into the cortical organisation of gene expression and its association with individual differences in cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna E Moodie
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mathew A Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin R Buchanan
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gail Davies
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Liewald
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria Del C Valdés Hernández
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susan Shenkin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
- Ageing and Health Research Group, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tom C Russ
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michelle Luciano
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Janie Corley
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Aleks Stolicyn
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xueyi Shen
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Douglas Steele
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gordon Waiter
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anca Sandu-Giuraniuc
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Heather Whalley
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
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4
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Saunders TS, Pozzolo FE, Heslegrave A, King D, McGeachan RI, Spires-Jones MP, Harris SE, Ritchie C, Muniz-Terrera G, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Zetterberg H, Spires-Jones TL. Predictive blood biomarkers and brain changes associated with age-related cognitive decline. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad113. [PMID: 37180996 PMCID: PMC10167767 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence supports the use of plasma levels of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, amyloid-β, neurofilament light and glial fibrillary acidic protein as promising biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. While these blood biomarkers are promising for distinguishing people with Alzheimer's disease from healthy controls, their predictive validity for age-related cognitive decline without dementia remains unclear. Further, while tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 is a promising biomarker, the distribution of this phospho-epitope of tau in the brain is unknown. Here, we tested whether plasma levels of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, amyloid-β, neurofilament light and fibrillary acidic protein predict cognitive decline between ages 72 and 82 in 195 participants in the Lothian birth cohorts 1936 study of cognitive ageing. We further examined post-mortem brain samples from temporal cortex to determine the distribution of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in the brain. Several forms of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 have been shown to contribute to synapse degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, which correlates closely with cognitive decline in this form of dementia, but to date, there have not been investigations of whether tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 is found in synapses in Alzheimer's disease or healthy ageing brain. It was also previously unclear whether tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 accumulated in dystrophic neurites around plaques, which could contribute to tau leakage to the periphery due to impaired membrane integrity in dystrophies. Brain homogenate and biochemically enriched synaptic fractions were examined with western blot to examine tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 levels between groups (n = 10-12 per group), and synaptic and astrocytic localization of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 were examined using array tomography (n = 6-15 per group), and localization of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in plaque-associated dystrophic neurites with associated gliosis were examined with standard immunofluorescence (n = 8-9 per group). Elevated baseline plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, neurofilament light and fibrillary acidic protein predicted steeper general cognitive decline during ageing. Further, increasing tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 over time predicted general cognitive decline in females only. Change in plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 remained a significant predictor of g factor decline when taking into account Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk score, indicating that the increase of blood tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in this cohort was not only due to incipient Alzheimer's disease. Tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 was observed in synapses and astrocytes in both healthy ageing and Alzheimer's disease brain. We observed that a significantly higher proportion of synapses contain tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in Alzheimer's disease relative to aged controls. Aged controls with pre-morbid lifetime cognitive resilience had significantly more tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes than those with pre-morbid lifetime cognitive decline. Further, tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 was found in dystrophic neurites around plaques and in some neurofibrillary tangles. The presence of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in plaque-associated dystrophies may be a source of leakage of tau out of neurons that eventually enters the blood. Together, these data indicate that plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, neurofilament light and fibrillary acidic protein may be useful biomarkers of age-related cognitive decline, and that efficient clearance of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 by astrocytes may promote cognitive resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S Saunders
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention & Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Francesca E Pozzolo
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Amanda Heslegrave
- United Kingdom UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Robert I McGeachan
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Maxwell P Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohort studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Craig Ritchie
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention & Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Graciela Muniz-Terrera
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention & Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
- Department of Social Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago 3485, Chile
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohort studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohort studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- United Kingdom UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-431 80 Molndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-431 80 Molndal, Sweden
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
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Baranyi G, Conte F, Deary IJ, Shortt N, Thompson CW, Cox SR, Pearce J. Neighbourhood deprivation across eight decades and late-life cognitive function in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936: a life-course study. Age Ageing 2023; 52:afad056. [PMID: 37097769 PMCID: PMC10128164 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afad056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION although neighbourhood may predict late-life cognitive function, studies mostly rely on measurements at a single time point, with few investigations applying a life-course approach. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the associations between neighbourhood and cognitive test scores relate to specific cognitive domains or general ability. This study explored how neighbourhood deprivation across eight decades contributed to late-life cognitive function. METHODS data were drawn from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 1,091) with cognitive function measured through 10 tests at ages 70, 73, 76, 79 and 82. Participants' residential history was gathered with 'lifegrid' questionnaires and linked to neighbourhood deprivation in childhood, young adulthood and mid-to-late adulthood. Associations were tested with latent growth curve models for levels and slopes of general (g) and domain-specific abilities (visuospatial ability, memory and processing speed), and life-course associations were explored with path analysis. RESULTS higher mid-to-late adulthood neighbourhood deprivation was associated with lower age 70 levels (β = -0.113, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: -0.205, -0.021) and faster decline of g over 12 years (β = -0.160, 95%CI: -0.290, -0.031). Initially apparent findings with domain-specific cognitive functions (e.g. processing speed) were due to their shared variance with g. Path analyses suggested that childhood neighbourhood disadvantage is indirectly linked to late-life cognitive function through lower education and selective residential mobility. CONCLUSIONS to our knowledge, we provide the most comprehensive assessment of the life-course neighbourhood deprivation and cognitive ageing relationship. Living in advantaged areas in mid-to-late adulthood may directly contribute to better cognitive function and slower decline, whereas an advantaged childhood neighbourhood likely affects functioning through cognitive reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergő Baranyi
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, Institute of Geography, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Federica Conte
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Niamh Shortt
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, Institute of Geography, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Catharine Ward Thompson
- OPENspace Research Centre, Edinburgh College of Art, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Pearce
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, Institute of Geography, School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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6
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Corley J, Conte F, Harris SE, Taylor AM, Redmond P, Russ TC, Deary IJ, Cox SR. Predictors of longitudinal cognitive ageing from age 70 to 82 including APOE e4 status, early-life and lifestyle factors: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1256-1271. [PMID: 36481934 PMCID: PMC10005946 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01900-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Discovering why some people's cognitive abilities decline more than others is a key challenge for cognitive ageing research. The most effective strategy may be to address multiple risk factors from across the life-course simultaneously in relation to robust longitudinal cognitive data. We conducted a 12-year follow-up of 1091 (at age 70) men and women from the longitudinal Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study. Comprehensive repeated cognitive measures of visuospatial ability, processing speed, memory, verbal ability, and a general cognitive factor were collected over five assessments (age 70, 73, 76, 79, and 82 years) and analysed using multivariate latent growth curve modelling. Fifteen life-course variables were used to predict variation in cognitive ability levels at age 70 and cognitive slopes from age 70 to 82. Only APOE e4 carrier status was found to be reliably informative of general- and domain-specific cognitive decline, despite there being many life-course correlates of cognitive level at age 70. APOE e4 carriers had significantly steeper slopes across all three fluid cognitive domains compared with non-carriers, especially for memory (β = -0.234, p < 0.001) and general cognitive function (β = -0.246, p < 0.001), denoting a widening gap in cognitive functioning with increasing age. Our findings suggest that when many other candidate predictors of cognitive ageing slope are entered en masse, their unique contributions account for relatively small proportions of variance, beyond variation in APOE e4 status. We conclude that APOE e4 status is important for identifying those at greater risk for accelerated cognitive ageing, even among ostensibly healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janie Corley
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Federica Conte
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele M Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tom C Russ
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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7
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Cox SR, Deary IJ. Brain and cognitive ageing: The present, and some predictions (…about the future). AGING BRAIN 2022; 2:100032. [PMID: 36908875 PMCID: PMC9997131 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2022.100032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiencing decline in one's cognitive abilities is among the most feared aspects of growing old [53]. Age-related cognitive decline carries a huge personal, societal, and financial cost both in pathological ageing (such as dementias) and also within the non-clinical majority of the population. A projected 152 million people worldwide will suffer from dementia by 2050 [3]. The early stages of cognitive decline are much more prevalent than dementia, and can still impose serious limitations of performance on everyday activities, independence, and quality of life in older age [5], [60], [80]. Cognitive decline also predicts poorer health, adherence to medical regimens, and financial decision-making, and can herald dementia, illness, and death [6], [40]. Of course, when seeking to understand why some people experience more severe cognitive ageing than others, researchers have turned to the organ of thinking for clues about the nature, possible mechanisms, and determinants that might underpin more and less successful cognitive agers. However, that organ is relatively inaccessible, a limitation partly alleviated by advances in neuroimaging. Here we discuss lessons for cognitive and brain ageing that have come from neuroimaging research (especially structural brain imaging), what neuroimaging still has left to teach us, and our views on possible ways forward in this multidisciplinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK.,Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
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Conole ELS, Stevenson AJ, Muñoz Maniega S, Harris SE, Green C, Valdés Hernández MDC, Harris MA, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ, Miron VE, Whalley HC, Marioni RE, Cox SR. DNA Methylation and Protein Markers of Chronic Inflammation and Their Associations With Brain and Cognitive Aging. Neurology 2021; 97:e2340-e2352. [PMID: 34789543 PMCID: PMC8665430 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000012997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To investigate chronic inflammation in relation to cognitive aging by comparison of an epigenetic and serum biomarker of C-reactive protein and their associations with neuroimaging and cognitive outcomes. METHODS At baseline, participants (n = 521) were cognitively normal, around 73 years of age (mean 72.4, SD 0.716), and had inflammation, vascular risk (cardiovascular disease history, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index), and neuroimaging (structural and diffusion MRI) data available. Baseline inflammatory status was quantified by a traditional measure of peripheral inflammation-serum C-reactive protein (CRP)-and an epigenetic measure (DNA methylation [DNAm] signature of CRP). Linear models were used to examine the inflammation-brain health associations; mediation analyses were performed to interrogate the relationship between chronic inflammation, brain structure, and cognitive functioning. RESULTS We demonstrate that DNAm CRP shows significantly (on average 6.4-fold) stronger associations with brain health outcomes than serum CRP. DNAm CRP is associated with total brain volume (β = -0.197, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.28 to -0.12, p FDR = 8.42 × 10-6), gray matter volume (β = -0.200, 95% CI -0.28 to -0.12, p FDR = 1.66 × 10-5), and white matter volume (β = -0.150, 95% CI -0.23 to -0.07, p FDR = 0.001) and regional brain atrophy. We also find that DNAm CRP has an inverse association with global and domain-specific (speed, visuospatial, and memory) cognitive functioning and that brain structure partially mediates this CRP-cognitive association (up to 29.7%), dependent on lifestyle and health factors. DISCUSSION These results support the hypothesis that chronic inflammation may contribute to neurodegenerative brain changes that underlie differences in cognitive ability in later life and highlight the potential of DNAm proxies for indexing chronic inflammatory status. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE This study provides Class II evidence that a DNAm signature of CRP levels is more strongly associated with brain health outcomes than serum CRP levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor L S Conole
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Anna J Stevenson
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susana Muñoz Maniega
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire Green
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria Del C Valdés Hernández
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mathew A Harris
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Veronique E Miron
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Heather C Whalley
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- From the Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, Department of Psychology (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., S.E.H., M.d.C.V.H., M.A.H., J.M.W., I.J.D., R.E.M., S.R.C.), Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (E.L.S.C., A.J.S., R.E.M.), Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.L.S.C., S.M.M., M.d.C.V.H., M.E.B., J.M.W., H.C.W.), UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School (A.J.S., V.E.M.), Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital (C.G., M.A.H., H.C.W.), and The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter (V.E.M.), University of Edinburgh, UK
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Hamilton O, Cox SR, Ballerini L, Bastin ME, Corley J, Gow AJ, Muñoz Maniega S, Redmond P, Valdés Hernández MDC, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ. Associations between total MRI-visible small vessel disease burden and domain-specific cognitive abilities in a community-dwelling older-age cohort. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:25-34. [PMID: 34022536 PMCID: PMC8345313 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a leading cause of vascular cognitive impairment, however the precise nature of SVD-related cognitive deficits, and their associations with structural brain changes, remain unclear. We combined computational volumes and visually-rated MRI markers of SVD to quantify total SVD burden, using data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 540; age: 72.6 ± 0.7 years). We found negative associations between total SVD burden and general cognitive ability (standardized β: -0.363; 95%CI: [-0.49, -0.23]; p(FDR) < 0.001), processing speed (-0.371 [-0.50, -0.24]; p(FDR) < 0.001), verbal memory (-0.265; [-0.42, -0.11]; p(FDR) = 0.002), and visuospatial ability (-0.170; [-0.32, -0.02]; p(FDR) = 0.029). Only the association between SVD burden and processing speed remained after accounting for covariance with general cognitive ability (-0.325; [-0.61, -0.04]; p(FDR) = 0.029). This suggests that SVD's association with poorer processing speed is not driven by, but is independent of its association with poorer general cognitive ability. Tests of processing speed may be particularly sensitive to the cognitive impact of SVD, but all major cognitive domains should be tested to determine the full range of SVD-related cognitive characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okl Hamilton
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ
| | - S R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ
| | - L Ballerini
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ
| | - M E Bastin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ
| | - J Corley
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ
| | - A J Gow
- Department of Psychology and the Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK, EH14 4AS
| | - S Muñoz Maniega
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ
| | - P Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ
| | - M Del C Valdés Hernández
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB
| | - J M Wardlaw
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK, EH16 4SB; Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ.
| | - I J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, UK, EH8 9JZ.
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Cerebral small vessel disease burden and longitudinal cognitive decline from age 73 to 82: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:376. [PMID: 34226517 PMCID: PMC8257729 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01495-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Slowed processing speed is considered a hallmark feature of cognitive decline in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD); however, it is unclear whether SVD's association with slowed processing might be due to its association with overall declining general cognitive ability. We quantified the total MRI-visible SVD burden of 540 members of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (age: 72.6 ± 0.7 years; 47% female). Using latent growth curve modelling, we tested associations between total SVD burden at mean age 73 and changes in general cognitive ability, processing speed, verbal memory and visuospatial ability, measured at age 73, 76, 79 and 82. Covariates included age, sex, vascular risk and childhood cognitive ability. In the fully adjusted models, greater SVD burden was associated with greater declines in general cognitive ability (standardised β: -0.201; 95% CI: [-0.36, -0.04]; pFDR = 0.022) and processing speed (-0.222; [-0.40, -0.04]; pFDR = 0.022). SVD burden accounted for between 4 and 5% of variance in declines of general cognitive ability and processing speed. After accounting for the covariance between tests of processing speed and general cognitive ability, only SVD's association with greater decline in general cognitive ability remained significant, prior to FDR correction (-0.222; [-0.39, -0.06]; p = 0.008; pFDR = 0.085). Our findings do not support the notion that SVD has a specific association with declining processing speed, independent of decline in general cognitive ability (which captures the variance shared across domains of cognitive ability). The association between SVD burden and declining general cognitive ability supports the notion of SVD as a diffuse, whole-brain disease and suggests that trials monitoring SVD-related cognitive changes should consider domain-specific changes in the context of overall, general cognitive decline.
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12
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Andreou M, Tsimpli IM, Masoura E, Agathopoulou E. Cognitive Mechanisms of Monolingual and Bilingual Children in Monoliterate Educational Settings: Evidence From Sentence Repetition. Front Psychol 2021; 11:613992. [PMID: 33551924 PMCID: PMC7855031 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sentence repetition (SR) tasks have been extensively employed to assess bilingual children’s linguistic and cognitive resources. The present study examined whether monoliterate bilingual children differ from their monolingual (and monoliterate) peers in SR accuracy and cognitive tasks, and investigated links between vocabulary, updating, verbal and visuospatial working memory and SR performance in the same children. Participants were two groups of 35 children, 8–12 years of age: one group consisted of Albanian-Greek monoliterate bilingual children and the other of Greek monolingual children attending a monolingual-Greek educational setting. The findings demonstrate that the two groups performed similarly in the grammaticality scores of the SR. However, monolinguals outperformed the monoliterate bilinguals in SR accuracy, as well as in the visuospatial working memory and updating tasks. The findings did not indicate any bilingual advantage in cognitive performance. The results also demonstrate that updating and visuospatial working memory significantly predicted monolingual children’s SR accuracy scores, whereas Greek vocabulary predicted the performance of our monoliterate bilingual children in the same task. We attribute this outcome to the fact that monoliterate bilingual children do not rely on their fluid cognitive resources to perform the task, but instead rely on language proficiency (indicated by expressive vocabulary) while performing the SR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Andreou
- Department of Philology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.,Department of English, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ianthi Maria Tsimpli
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elvira Masoura
- Department of Developmental and School Psychology, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eleni Agathopoulou
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, School of English, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Cox SR, Harris MA, Ritchie SJ, Buchanan CR, Valdés Hernández MC, Corley J, Taylor AM, Madole JW, Harris SE, Whalley HC, McIntosh AM, Russ TC, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ, Tucker-Drob EM. Three major dimensions of human brain cortical ageing in relation to cognitive decline across the eighth decade of life. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2651-2662. [PMID: 33398085 PMCID: PMC8254824 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00975-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Different brain regions can be grouped together, based on cross-sectional correlations among their cortical characteristics; this patterning has been used to make inferences about ageing processes. However, cross-sectional brain data conflate information on ageing with patterns that are present throughout life. We characterised brain cortical ageing across the eighth decade of life in a longitudinal ageing cohort, at ages ~73, ~76, and ~79 years, with a total of 1376 MRI scans. Volumetric changes among cortical regions of interest (ROIs) were more strongly correlated (average r = 0.805, SD = 0.252) than were cross-sectional volumes of the same ROIs (average r = 0.350, SD = 0.178). We identified a broad, cortex-wide, dimension of atrophy that explained 66% of the variance in longitudinal changes across the cortex. Our modelling also discovered more specific fronto-temporal and occipito-parietal dimensions that were orthogonal to the general factor and together explained an additional 20% of the variance. The general factor was associated with declines in general cognitive ability (r = 0.431, p < 0.001) and in the domains of visuospatial ability (r = 0.415, p = 0.002), processing speed (r = 0.383, p < 0.001) and memory (r = 0.372, p < 0.001). Individual differences in brain cortical atrophy with ageing are manifest across three broad dimensions of the cerebral cortex, the most general of which is linked with cognitive declines across domains. Longitudinal approaches are invaluable for distinguishing lifelong patterns of brain-behaviour associations from patterns that are specific to aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. R. Cox
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M. A. Harris
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Division of Psychiatry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - S. J. Ritchie
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - C. R. Buchanan
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M. C. Valdés Hernández
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J. Corley
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A. M. Taylor
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J. W. Madole
- grid.55460.320000000121548364Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA
| | - S. E. Harris
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - H. C. Whalley
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Division of Psychiatry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A. M. McIntosh
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Division of Psychiatry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - T. C. Russ
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Division of Psychiatry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M. E. Bastin
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J. M. Wardlaw
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - I. J. Deary
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Lothian Birth Cohorts Group, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - E. M. Tucker-Drob
- grid.55460.320000000121548364Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA
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14
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Dietary patterns and trajectories of global- and domain-specific cognitive decline in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Br J Nutr 2020; 126:1237-1246. [DOI: 10.1017/s0007114520005139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractHealthy dietary patterns may protect against age-related cognitive decline, but results of studies have been inconsistent and few have had extensive longitudinal follow-up with comprehensive cognitive testing. The aim of the present study was to determine associations of dietary patterns with trajectories of global- and domain-specific cognitive change over a 12-year period. Data from 863 community-dwelling, dementia-free participants from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study of ageing completed a FFQ at baseline (aged 70 years) and underwent cognitive testing at baseline, and at the ages of 73, 76, 79 and 82 years. Composite cognitive scores were constructed for four cognitive domains (visuospatial ability, processing speed, memory and verbal ability) and global cognitive function. A Mediterranean-style pattern and a traditional pattern were derived using principal component analysis of self-reported dietary intakes. In fully adjusted latent growth curve models, higher baseline adherence to the Mediterranean-style dietary pattern (β = 0·056, P = 0·009) and lower baseline adherence to the traditional dietary pattern (β = −0·087, P < 0·001) were cross-sectionally associated with better verbal ability. A slightly steeper decline in verbal ability over 12 years was observed in those with higher Mediterranean-style diet scores at baseline (β = −0·003, P = 0·008). All other associations were non-significant. Our findings in this well-characterised Scottish cohort indicate that adherence to a healthy Mediterranean-style diet is associated cross-sectionally with better verbal (crystallised) ability, with the converse being true for the traditional diet. A healthier baseline diet did not predict a reduced risk of global- or domain-specific cognitive decline.
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15
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Drewelies J, Schade H, Hülür G, Hoppmann CA, Ram N, Gerstorf D. The More We Are in Control, the Merrier? Partner Perceived Control and Negative Affect in the Daily Lives of Older Couples. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 75:338-348. [PMID: 29415244 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES It is well established that daily perceived control is closely associated with lower negative affect (NA) among older adults. However, it is an open question whether control perceptions of one's partner are also uniquely associated with one's own NA. METHOD To examine such associations in dyads of older long-term partners, we make use of data obtained 6 times a day over 7 consecutive days as participants went about their everyday lives (N = 87 couples; mean age = 75 years; mean relationship length = 46 years). Our multilevel actor-partner models for dyadic data analyses covary for relevant individual and couple differences in sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported physical health, and cognitive functioning. RESULTS Corroborating and extending earlier reports, results reveal that higher momentary perceived control was associated with lower NA. Most importantly, we found that higher momentary perceived control of the partner is additionally and uniquely associated with lower NA of the actor. DISCUSSION We discuss possible mechanisms and underlying pathways of how perceived control may help both partners downregulate their negative emotions in daily life. We close by considering conceptual and practical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Schade
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
| | - Gizem Hülür
- Department of Psychology and University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging", University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christiane A Hoppmann
- Department of Psychology & Center for Hip Health and Mobility, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nilam Ram
- Department of Human Development & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.,Department of Human Development & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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16
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Altschul D, Starr J, Deary I. Blood pressure and cognitive function across the eighth decade: a prospective study of the Lothian Birth Cohort of 1936. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e033990. [PMID: 32709639 PMCID: PMC7380861 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We investigated the associations among blood pressure and cognitive functions across the eighth decade, while accounting for antihypertensive medication and lifetime stability in cognitive function. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING This study used data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) study, which recruited participants living in the Lothian region of Scotland when aged 70 years, most of whom had completed an intelligence test at age 11 years. PARTICIPANTS 1091 members of the LBC1936 with assessments of cognitive ability in childhood and older adulthood, and blood pressure measurements in older adulthood. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Participants were followed up at ages 70, 73, 76 and 79, and latent growth curve models and linear mixed models were used to analyse both cognitive functions and blood pressure as primary outcomes. RESULTS Blood pressure followed a quadratic trajectory in the eighth decade: on average blood pressure rose in the first waves and subsequently fell. Intercepts and trajectories were not associated between blood pressure and cognitive functions. Women with higher early-life cognitive function generally had lower blood pressure during the eighth decade. Being prescribed antihypertensive medication was associated with lower blood pressure, but not with better cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that women with higher early-life cognitive function had lower later-life blood pressure. However, we did not find support for the hypothesis that rises in blood pressure and worse cognitive decline are associated with one another in the eighth decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Altschul
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John Starr
- Geriatric Medicine, Royal Victoria Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian Deary
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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17
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The Evidence for Geary's Theory on the Role of Mitochondrial Functioning in Human Intelligence Is Not Entirely Convincing. J Intell 2020; 8:jintelligence8030029. [PMID: 32698405 PMCID: PMC7555447 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence8030029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Geary (2018, 2019) suggested that heritable and environmentally caused differences in mitochondrial functioning affect the integrity and efficiency of neurons and supporting glia cells and may thus contribute to individual differences in higher-order cognitive functioning and physical health. In our comment, we want to pose three questions aimed at different aspects of Geary’s theory that critically evaluate his theory in the light of evidence from neurocognitive, cognitive enhancement, and behavioral genetics research. We question (1) if Geary’s theory explains why certain cognitive processes show a stronger age-related decline than others; (2) if intervention studies in healthy younger adults support the claim that variation in mitochondrial functioning underlies variation in human intelligence; and (3) if predictions arising from the matrilineal heredity of mitochondrial DNA are supported by behavioral genetics research. We come to the conclusion that there are likely many more biological and social factors contributing to variation in human intelligence than mitochondrial functioning.
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18
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Gustavson DE, Elman JA, Panizzon MS, Franz CE, Zuber J, Sanderson-Cimino M, Reynolds CA, Jacobson KC, Xian H, Jak AJ, Toomey R, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS. Association of baseline semantic fluency and progression to mild cognitive impairment in middle-aged men. Neurology 2020; 95:e973-e983. [PMID: 32606222 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000010130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that individual differences in episodic memory and verbal fluency in cognitively normal middle-aged adults will predict progression to amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) after 6 years. METHOD The cohort analyzed included 842 male twins who were cognitively normal at baseline (mean 56 years) and completed measures of episodic memory and verbal fluency at baseline and again 6 years later (mean 62 years). RESULTS Poor episodic memory predicted progression to both amnestic MCI (odds ratio [OR], 4.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.44-10.60) and nonamnestic MCI (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.32-3.44). Poor semantic verbal fluency also independently predicted progression to amnestic MCI (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.12-3.52). In the full sample, a semantic-specific fluency latent variable at wave 1 (which controls for letter fluency) predicted change in episodic memory at wave 2 (β = 0.13), but not vice versa (β = 0.04). Associations between episodic memory and verbal fluency factors were primarily explained by genetic, rather than environmental, correlations. CONCLUSIONS Among individuals who were cognitively normal at wave 1, episodic memory moderately to strongly predicted progression to MCI at average age 62, emphasizing the fact that there is still meaningful variability even among cognitively normal individuals. Episodic memory, which is typically a primary focus for Alzheimer disease (AD) risk, declined earlier and more quickly than fluency. However, semantic fluency at average age 56 predicted 6-year change in memory as well as progression to amnestic MCI even after accounting for baseline memory performance. These findings emphasize the utility of memory and fluency measures in early identification of AD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Gustavson
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Carol E Franz
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Jordan Zuber
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Mark Sanderson-Cimino
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Chandra A Reynolds
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Kristen C Jacobson
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Hong Xian
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Amy J Jak
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Rosemary Toomey
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
| | - William S Kremen
- From the Department of Psychiatry (A.J.J.), Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging (D.E.G., J.A.E., M.S.P., C.E.F., J.Z., M.S.-C., W.S.K.), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Department of Medicine (D.E.G.), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Department of Psychology (M.S.-C.), San Diego State University; Department of Psychology (C.A.R.), University of California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience (K.C.J.), University of Chicago, IL; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (H.X.), St. Louis University; Clinical Epidemiology Center (H.X.), Veterans Affairs St. Louis Healthcare System, MO; Psychology Service (A.J.J.) and Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (A.J.J., W.S.K.), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, CA; and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (R.T., M.J.L.), Boston University, MA
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19
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Cox SR, Ritchie SJ, Allerhand M, Hagenaars SP, Radakovic R, Breen DP, Davies G, Riha RL, Harris SE, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Sleep and cognitive aging in the eighth decade of life. Sleep 2020; 42:5298134. [PMID: 30668819 PMCID: PMC6448287 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsz019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined associations between self-reported sleep measures and cognitive level and change (age 70-76 years) in a longitudinal, same-year-of-birth cohort study (baseline N = 1091; longitudinal N = 664). We also leveraged GWAS summary data to ascertain whether polygenic scores (PGS) of chronotype and sleep duration related to self-reported sleep, and to cognitive level and change. Shorter sleep latency was associated with significantly higher levels of visuospatial ability, processing speed, and verbal memory (β ≥ |0.184|, SE ≤ 0.075, p ≤ 0.003). Longer daytime sleep duration was significantly associated slower processing speed (β = -0.085, SE = 0.027, p = 0.001), and with steeper 6-year decline in visuospatial reasoning (β = -0.009, SE = 0.003, p = 0.008), and processing speed (β = -0.009, SE = 0.002, p < 0.001). Only longitudinal associations between longer daytime sleeping and steeper cognitive declines survived correction for important health covariates and false discovery rate (FDR). PGS of chronotype and sleep duration were nominally associated with specific self-reported sleep characteristics for most SNP thresholds (standardized β range = |0.123 to 0.082|, p range = 0.003 to 0.046), but neither PGS predicted cognitive level or change following FDR. Daytime sleep duration is a potentially important correlate of cognitive decline in visuospatial reasoning and processing speed in older age, whereas cross-sectional associations are partially confounded by important health factors. A genetic propensity toward morningness and sleep duration were weakly, but consistently, related to self-reported sleep characteristics, and did not relate to cognitive level or change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon R Cox
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stuart J Ritchie
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mike Allerhand
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Saskia P Hagenaars
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ratko Radakovic
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.,Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David P Breen
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gail Davies
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Renata L Riha
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Sleep Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John M Starr
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Disentangling the Effects of Processing Speed on the Association between Age Differences and Fluid Intelligence. J Intell 2019; 8:jintelligence8010001. [PMID: 31881681 PMCID: PMC7151009 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence8010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated that individual differences in processing speed fully mediate the association between age and intelligence, whereas the association between processing speed and intelligence cannot be explained by age differences. Because measures of processing speed reflect a plethora of cognitive and motivational processes, it cannot be determined which specific processes give rise to this mediation effect. This makes it hard to decide whether these processes should be conceived of as a cause or an indicator of cognitive aging. In the present study, we addressed this question by using a neurocognitive psychometrics approach to decompose the association between age differences and fluid intelligence. Reanalyzing data from two previously published datasets containing 223 participants between 18 and 61 years, we investigated whether individual differences in diffusion model parameters and in ERP latencies associated with higher-order attentional processing explained the association between age differences and fluid intelligence. We demonstrate that individual differences in the speed of non-decisional processes such as encoding, response preparation, and response execution, and individual differences in latencies of ERP components associated with higher-order cognitive processes explained the negative association between age differences and fluid intelligence. Because both parameters jointly accounted for the association between age differences and fluid intelligence, age-related differences in both parameters may reflect age-related differences in anterior brain regions associated with response planning that are prone to be affected by age-related changes. Conversely, age differences did not account for the association between processing speed and fluid intelligence. Our results suggest that the relationship between age differences and fluid intelligence is multifactorially determined.
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Sanderson-Cimino M, Panizzon MS, Elman JA, Gustavson DE, Franz CE, Reynolds CA, Toomey R, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS. Genetic and environmental architecture of processing speed across midlife. Neuropsychology 2019; 33:862-871. [PMID: 31192653 PMCID: PMC6710143 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Processing Speed (PS) is an important domain in cognitive aging that is characterized by multiple related but nonidentical abilities. Few studies have directly investigated the relationships among PS measures, and none have used genetically informed methods. In this study, we examined the relationship between measures of PS at up to two time points during middle age. METHOD We examined data from 1,262 middle-aged men when the sample was at a mean age of 56 and a mean age 62 years. Participants completed 6 measures of PS from three different cognitive tests. We used a genetically informative, confirmatory factor analytic approach to evaluate the phenotypic and genetic relationships cross-sectionally at both single time points and across time. RESULTS A higher-order common PS factor accounted for the covariance among three test-specific factors, and each test-specific factor accounted for the covariance between two observed measures. The general PS factor was explained primarily by genetic influences at both time points (a²age56 = .75, a²age62 = .64), and all test-specific factors were heritable (a² range: .45 to .65). Factor loadings from the test-specific factors to the general PS factor varied from λ = .46 to .82. The model was stable over time, although there were differing rates of phenotypic change among latent factors (.20 SD to .44 SD). Cross-time genetic correlations were near unity for all latent factors. CONCLUSION These results suggest that PS is highly heritable when considered at a latent variable level, and that there are different rates of change in tests of PS within this sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Sanderson-Cimino
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State/University of California, San Diego
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego
| | - Matthew S. Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego
| | - Jeremy A. Elman
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego
| | - Daniel E. Gustavson
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego
| | - Carol E. Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego
| | | | - Rosemary Toomey
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Boston University
| | | | - William S. Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System
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22
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McGrory S, Ballerini L, Okely JA, Ritchie SJ, Doubal FN, Doney ASF, Dhillon B, Starr JM, MacGillivray TJ, Trucco E, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ. Retinal microvascular features and cognitive change in the Lothian-Birth Cohort 1936. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT & DISEASE MONITORING 2019; 11:500-509. [PMID: 31338413 PMCID: PMC6625967 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadm.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction We test whether measures of the retinal vasculature are associated with cognitive functioning and cognitive change. Methods Retinal images from a narrow-age cohort were analyzed using Vessel Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the Retina, producing a comprehensive range of quantitative measurements of the retinal vasculature, at mean age 72.5 years (SD = 0.7). Cognitive ability and change were measured using a battery of multiple measures of memory, visuospatial, processing speed, and crystallized cognitive abilities at mean ages 73, 76, and 79 years. We applied multivariate growth curve models to test the association between retinal vascular measurements with cognitive abilities and their changes. Results Almost all associations were nonsignificant. In our most parsimonious model, venular asymmetry factor was associated with speed at age 73. Discussion Our null findings suggest that the quantitative retinal parameters applied in this study are not significantly associated with cognitive functioning or cognitive change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah McGrory
- VAMPIRE project, Center for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lucia Ballerini
- VAMPIRE project, Center for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Judith A Okely
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Center for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stuart J Ritchie
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Fergus N Doubal
- VAMPIRE project, Center for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alex S F Doney
- Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, Medical Research Institute, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK
| | - Baljean Dhillon
- VAMPIRE project, Center for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John M Starr
- Center for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas J MacGillivray
- VAMPIRE project, Center for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emanuele Trucco
- VAMPIRE Project, Computing, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Center for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Center for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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MacPherson SE, Allerhand M, Cox SR, Deary IJ. Individual differences in cognitive processes underlying Trail Making Test-B performance in old age: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. INTELLIGENCE 2019; 75:23-32. [PMID: 31293282 PMCID: PMC6588265 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B) is commonly used as a brief and simple neuropsychological assessment of executive dysfunction. The TMT-B is thought to rely on a number of distinct cognitive processes that predict individual differences in performance. The current study examined the unique and shared contributions of latent component variables in a large cohort of older people. Five hundred and eighty-seven healthy, community-dwelling older adults who were all born in 1936 were assessed on the TMT-B and multiple tasks tapping cognitive domains of visuospatial ability, processing speed, memory and reading ability. Firstly, a first-order measurement model examining independent contributions of the four cognitive domains was fitted; a significant relationship between TMT-B completion times and processing speed was found (β = −0.610, p < .001). Secondly, a bifactor model examined the unique influence of each cognitive ability when controlling for a general cognitive factor. Importantly, both a general cognitive factor (g; β = −0.561, p < .001) and additional g-independent variance from processing speed (β = −0.464, p < .001) contributed to successful TMT-B performance. These findings suggest that older adults' TMT-B performance is influenced by both general intelligence and processing speed, which may help understand poor performance on such tasks in clinical populations. Speed and general cognitive ability (g) contribute to Trail Making completion times. Faster processing speed was associated with faster completion times. Higher g was a strong contributor to faster completion times. Visuospatial and crystallized ability did not uniquely contribute to completion times. Memory did not independently contribute to completion times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E MacPherson
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael Allerhand
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK.,Scottish Imaging Network, a Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, UK
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24
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Taylor AM, Pattie A, Deary IJ. Cohort Profile Update: The Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936. Int J Epidemiol 2019; 47:1042-1042r. [PMID: 29546429 PMCID: PMC6124629 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adele M Taylor
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alison Pattie
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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25
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Tucker-Drob EM, Brandmaier AM, Lindenberger U. Coupled cognitive changes in adulthood: A meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 2019; 145:273-301. [PMID: 30676035 PMCID: PMC6375773 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
With advancing age, healthy adults typically exhibit decreases in performance across many different cognitive abilities such as memory, processing speed, spatial ability, and abstract reasoning. However, there are marked individual differences in rates of cognitive decline, with some adults declining steeply and others maintaining high levels of functioning. To move toward a comprehensive understanding of cognitive aging, it is critical to know whether individual differences in longitudinal changes interrelate across different cognitive abilities. We identified 89 effect sizes representing shared variance in longitudinal cognitive change from 22 unique datasets composed of more than 30,000 unique individuals, which we meta-analyzed using a series of multilevel metaregression models. An average of 60% of the variation in cognitive changes was shared across cognitive abilities. Shared variation in changes increased with age, from approximately 45% at age 35 years to approximately 70% at age 85 years. There was a moderate-to-strong correspondence (r = .49, congruence coefficient = .98) between the extent to which a variable indicated general intelligence and the extent to which change in that variable indicated a general factor of aging-related change. Shared variation in changes did not differ substantially across cognitive ability domain classifications. In a sensitivity analysis based on studies that carefully controlled for dementia, shared variation in longitudinal cognitive changes remained at upward of 60%, and age-related increases in shared variation in cognitive changes continued to be evident. These results together provide strong evidence for a general factor of cognitive aging that strengthens with advancing adult age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas M. Brandmaier
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany, and London, United Kingdom
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany, and London, United Kingdom
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26
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Alhusaini S, Karama S, Nguyen T, Thiel A, Bernhardt BC, Cox SR, Corley J, Taylor A, Evans AC, Star JM, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, Deary IJ, Ducharme S. Association between carotid atheroma and cerebral cortex structure at age 73 years. Ann Neurol 2018; 84:576-587. [PMID: 30179274 PMCID: PMC6328248 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cerebral cortical thickness and investigate whether cortical thickness mediates the association between carotid atheroma and relative cognitive decline. METHODS We assessed 554 community-dwelling subjects (male/female: 296/258) from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and carotid Doppler ultrasound studies at age 73 years. The relationship between carotid atherosclerosis markers (internal carotid artery stenosis, intima-media thickness, velocity, pulsatility, and resistivity indexes) and vertex-wide cerebral cortical thickness was examined cross-sectionally, controlling for gender, extensive vascular risk factors (VRFs), and intelligence quotient at age 11 (IQ-11). We also determined the association between carotid stenosis and a composite measure of fluid intelligence at age 73 years. A mediation model was applied to examine whether cortical thickness mediated the relationship between carotid stenosis and cognitive function. RESULTS A widespread negative association was identified between carotid stenosis (median = 15%) and cerebral cortical thickness at age 73 years, independent of the side of carotid stenosis, other carotid measures, VRFs, and IQ-11. This association increased in an almost dose-response relationship from mild to severe degrees of carotid stenosis, across the anterior and posterior circulation territories. A negative association was also noted between carotid stenosis and fluid intelligence (standardized beta coefficient = -0.151, p = 0.001), which appeared partly (approximately 22%) mediated by carotid stenosis-related thinning of the cerebral cortex. INTERPRETATION The findings suggest that carotid stenosis represents a marker of processes that accelerate aging of the cerebral cortex and cognition that is in part independent of measurable VRFs. Cortical thinning within the anterior and posterior circulation territories partially mediated the relationship between carotid atheroma and fluid intelligence. Ann Neurol 2018;84:576-587.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saud Alhusaini
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and HospitalMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Sherif Karama
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological InstituteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University InstituteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Tuong‐Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health CentreMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Obstetrics–Gynecology, McGill University Health CentreMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Alexander Thiel
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and HospitalMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of NeurologyJewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute for Medical ResearchMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Boris C. Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological InstituteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Simon R. Cox
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Janie Corley
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Adele Taylor
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Alan C. Evans
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological InstituteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - John M. Star
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Mark E. Bastin
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Brain Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Joanna M. Wardlaw
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Brain Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Ian J. Deary
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, Department of PsychologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute and HospitalMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological InstituteMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Health CentreMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
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27
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Gustavson DE, Panizzon MS, Elman JA, Franz CE, Reynolds CA, Jacobson KC, Friedman NP, Xian H, Toomey R, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS. Stability of genetic and environmental influences on executive functions in midlife. Psychol Aging 2018; 33:219-231. [PMID: 29658745 PMCID: PMC5905725 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Research on executive functions (EFs) has revealed that individual differences in general EF abilities are highly correlated across the first few decades of life, especially at the level of genetic influences. Our work has also provided evidence for substantial heritability of this Common EF factor in midlife, but it remains unclear whether individual differences in Common EFs continue to show strong stability in middle age. We examined data from 1,464 middle-aged twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging, most of whom completed 7 neuropsychological measures of EFs at 2 points in middle age (Mages = 56 and 62). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that individual differences in Common EF, a latent factor explaining variation in seven neuropsychological EF tasks, were highly correlated across this 6-year period (r = .97), and that the same genetic and environmental influences were operating across this interval (genetic and shared environmental correlations = 1.0, nonshared environment correlation = .95). Similar phenotypic and genetic stability was observed for a Working Memory (WM)-Specific latent factor, which explained additional variance in working memory span tasks not captured by Common EF (r = .98, genetic correlation = 1.0, nonshared environmental correlation = .88). There was a large mean-level performance decline in Common EF (d = -.60) but not WM-Specific (d = -.03). These results suggest that there is substantial decline in Common EF abilities across middle age but that individual differences are almost perfectly stable. (PsycINFO Database Record
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28
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Moehring A, Schroeders U, Wilhelm O. Knowledge Is Power for Medical Assistants: Crystallized and Fluid Intelligence As Predictors of Vocational Knowledge. Front Psychol 2018; 9:28. [PMID: 29449819 PMCID: PMC5799592 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Medical education research has focused almost entirely on the education of future physicians. In comparison, findings on other health-related occupations, such as medical assistants, are scarce. With the current study, we wanted to examine the knowledge-is-power hypothesis in a real life educational setting and add to the sparse literature on medical assistants. Acquisition of vocational knowledge in vocational education and training (VET) was examined for medical assistant students (n = 448). Differences in domain-specific vocational knowledge were predicted by crystallized and fluid intelligence in the course of VET. A multiple matrix design with 3 year-specific booklets was used for the vocational knowledge tests of the medical assistants. The unique and joint contributions of the predictors were investigated with structural equation modeling. Crystallized intelligence emerged as the strongest predictor of vocational knowledge at every stage of VET, while fluid intelligence only showed weak effects. The present results support the knowledge-is-power hypothesis, even in a broad and more naturalistic setting. This emphasizes the relevance of general knowledge for occupations, such as medical assistants, which are more focused on learning hands-on skills than the acquisition of academic knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Moehring
- Institute of Social Medicine and Prevention, University Hospital of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schroeders
- Department Psychological Assessment, Institute of Psychology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | - Oliver Wilhelm
- Department Individual Differences and Psychological Assessment, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Abstract
In the face of shifting demographics and an increase in human longevity, it is important to examine carefully what is known about cognitive ageing, and to identify and promote possibly malleable lifestyle and health-related factors that might mitigate age-associated cognitive decline. The Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 (LBC1921, n = 550) and 1936 (LBC1936, n = 1091) are longitudinal studies of cognitive and brain ageing based in Scotland. Childhood IQ data are available for these participants, who were recruited in later life and then followed up regularly. This overview summarises some of the main LBC findings to date, illustrating the possible genetic and environmental contributions to cognitive function (level and change) and brain imaging biomarkers in later life. Key associations include genetic variation, health and fitness, psychosocial and lifestyle factors, and aspects of the brain's structure. It addresses some key methodological issues such as confounding by early-life intelligence and social factors and emphasises areas requiring further investigation. Overall, the findings that have emerged from the LBC studies highlight that there are multiple correlates of cognitive ability level in later life, many of which have small effects, that there are as yet few reliable predictors of cognitive change, and that not all of the correlates have independent additive associations. The concept of marginal gains, whereby there might be a cumulative effect of small incremental improvements across a wide range of lifestyle and health-related factors, may offer a useful way to think about and promote a multivariate recipe for healthy cognitive and brain ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Corley
- Department of Psychology,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK
| | - S R Cox
- Department of Psychology,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK
| | - I J Deary
- Department of Psychology,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK
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30
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Foong HF, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R, Haron SA, Shahar S. Predicting cognitive function of the Malaysian elderly: a structural equation modelling approach. Aging Ment Health 2018; 22:109-120. [PMID: 27732054 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2016.1231172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of elderly's cognitive function based on biopsychosocial and cognitive reserve perspectives. METHOD The study included 2322 community-dwelling elderly in Malaysia, randomly selected through a multi-stage proportional cluster random sampling from Peninsular Malaysia. The elderly were surveyed on socio-demographic information, biomarkers, psychosocial status, disability, and cognitive function. A biopsychosocial model of cognitive function was developed to test variables' predictive power on cognitive function. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 15.0) in conjunction with Analysis of Moment Structures Graphics (AMOS 7.0). RESULTS The estimated theoretical model fitted the data well. Psychosocial stress and metabolic syndrome (MetS) negatively predicted cognitive function and psychosocial stress appeared as a main predictor. Socio-demographic characteristics, except gender, also had significant effects on cognitive function. However, disability failed to predict cognitive function. CONCLUSION Several factors together may predict cognitive function in the Malaysian elderly population, and the variance accounted for it is large enough to be considered substantial. Key factor associated with the elderly's cognitive function seems to be psychosocial well-being. Thus, psychosocial well-being should be included in the elderly assessment, apart from medical conditions, both in clinical and community setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Foh Foong
- a Malaysian Research Institute on Aging (MyAging), Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang , Malaysia
| | - Tengku Aizan Hamid
- a Malaysian Research Institute on Aging (MyAging), Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang , Malaysia.,b Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang , Malaysia
| | - Rahimah Ibrahim
- a Malaysian Research Institute on Aging (MyAging), Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang , Malaysia.,b Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang , Malaysia
| | - Sharifah Azizah Haron
- a Malaysian Research Institute on Aging (MyAging), Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang , Malaysia.,c Department of Resource Management and Consumer Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology , Universiti Putra Malaysia , Serdang , Malaysia
| | - Suzana Shahar
- d Dietetic Programme, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
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31
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Brain cortical characteristics of lifetime cognitive ageing. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:509-518. [PMID: 28879544 PMCID: PMC5772145 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1505-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Regional cortical brain volume is the product of surface area and thickness. These measures exhibit partially distinct trajectories of change across the brain’s cortex in older age, but it is unclear which cortical characteristics at which loci are sensitive to cognitive ageing differences. We examine associations between change in intelligence from age 11 to 73 years and regional cortical volume, surface area, and thickness measured at age 73 years in 568 community-dwelling older adults, all born in 1936. A relative positive change in intelligence from 11 to 73 was associated with larger volume and surface area in selective frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions (r < 0.180, FDR-corrected q < 0.05). There were no significant associations between cognitive ageing and a thinner cortex for any region. Interestingly, thickness and surface area were phenotypically independent across bilateral lateral temporal loci, whose surface area was significantly related to change in intelligence. These findings suggest that associations between regional cortical volume and cognitive ageing differences are predominantly driven by surface area rather than thickness among healthy older adults. Regional brain surface area has been relatively underexplored, and is a potentially informative biomarker for identifying determinants of cognitive ageing differences.
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32
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Wardlaw JM, Allerhand M, Eadie E, Thomas A, Corley J, Pattie A, Taylor A, Shenkin SD, Cox S, Gow A, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Carotid disease at age 73 and cognitive change from age 70 to 76 years: A longitudinal cohort study. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2017; 37:3042-3052. [PMID: 28155579 PMCID: PMC5536260 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x16683693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive decline and carotid artery atheroma are common at older ages. In community-dwelling subjects, we assessed cognition at ages 70, 73 and 76 and carotid Doppler ultrasound at age 73, to determine whether carotid stenosis was related to cognitive decline. We used latent growth curve models to examine associations between four carotid measures (internal carotid artery stenosis, velocity, pulsatility and resistivity indices) and four cognitive ability domains (memory, visuospatial function, crystallised intelligence, processing speed) adjusted for cognitive ability at age 11, current age, gender and vascular risk factors. Amongst 866 participants, carotid stenosis (median 12.96%) was not associated with cognitive abilities at age 70 or cognitive decline from age 70 to 76. Increased ICA pulsatility and resistivity indices were associated with slower processing speed (both P < 0.001) and worse visuospatial function ( P = 0.036, 0.031, respectively) at age 70, and declining crystallised intelligence from ages 70 to 76 ( P = 0.008, 0.006, respectively). The findings suggest that vascular stiffening, rather than carotid luminal narrowing, adversely influences cognitive ageing and provides a potential target for ameliorating age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Wardlaw
- 1 Brain Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,2 Department of Neuroradiology, NHS Lothian, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.,3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael Allerhand
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elizabeth Eadie
- 2 Department of Neuroradiology, NHS Lothian, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Avril Thomas
- 2 Department of Neuroradiology, NHS Lothian, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Janey Corley
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alison Pattie
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele Taylor
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susan D Shenkin
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,4 Geriatric Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon Cox
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alan Gow
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,5 Department of Psychology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John M Starr
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- 3 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Taylor AM, Ritchie SJ, Deary IJ. Associations of intelligence across the life course with optimism and pessimism in older age. INTELLIGENCE 2017; 62:79-88. [PMID: 28626274 PMCID: PMC5466381 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining good cognitive function is important for successful aging, and it has been suggested recently that having and optimistic outlook may also be valuable. However few have studied the relationship between cognitive ability and dispositional optimism and pessimism in older age. It is unclear whether associations found previously between cognitive ability and pessimism in older age, are evident across the life course, and are consistent at different points in older age. In the present study we examined associations between dispositional optimism and pessimism measured in the eighth and ninth decade of life and childhood and older age cognitive ability, and lifetime change in cognitive ability. Participants were two independent narrow-age samples of older individuals with mean ages about 73 (n = 847) and 87 (n = 220) years from the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1936 (LBC1936) and 1921 (LBC1921), respectively. Higher cognitive ability in childhood and older-age, and healthier cognitive change across the lifetime were associated with lower pessimism in older age: age-11 IQ (LBC1936: β = - 0.17, p < 0.001; LBC1921: β = - 0.29, p = 0.001), older-age IQ (LBC1936: β = - 0.18, p < 0.001; LBC1921: β = - 0.27, p < 0.001), cognitive change (LBC1936: β = - 0.06, p < 0.04; LBC1921: β = - 0.15, p = 0.05). Cognitive ability was not significantly associated with optimism in bivariate analyses, and after adjustment for covariates had only small associations with optimism and only in the LBC1936. The results are consistent with differential associations between cognitive functions and optimism and pessimism, and indicate that their associations with cognitive ability are similar in the eighth and ninth decades of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adele M. Taylor
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Stuart J. Ritchie
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Ian J. Deary
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
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Royall DR, Al-Rubaye S, Bishnoi R, Palmer RF. Few serum proteins mediate APOE's association with dementia. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172268. [PMID: 28291794 PMCID: PMC5349443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The latent variable "δ" (for "dementia") appears to be uniquely responsible for the dementing aspects of cognitive impairment. Age, depression, gender and the apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele are independently associated with δ. In this analysis, we explore serum proteins as potential mediators of APOE's specific association with δ in a large, ethnically diverse longitudinal cohort, the Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium (TARCC). APOE was associated only with C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Adiponectin (APN) and Amphiregulin (AREG), although the latter two's associations did not survive Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. All three proteins were associated with δ and had weak potential mediation effects on APOE's association with that construct. Our findings suggest that APOE's association with cognitive performance is specific to δ and partially mediated by serum inflammatory proteins. The majority of APOE's significant unadjusted effect on δ is unexplained. It may instead arise from direct central nervous system effects, possibly on native intelligence. If so, then APOE may exert a life-long influence over δ and therefore all-cause dementia risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald R. Royall
- Department of Psychiatry, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- South Texas Veterans’ Health System Audie L. Murphy Division Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Care Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Safa Al-Rubaye
- Department of Psychiatry, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ram Bishnoi
- Department of Psychiatry, the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Raymond F. Palmer
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
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Midlife level and 15-year changes in general cognitive ability in a sample of men: The role of education, early adult ability, BMI, and pulse pressure. INTELLIGENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Do Cognitive and Physical Functions Age in Concert from Age 70 to 76? Evidence from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. SPANISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 19:E90. [PMID: 27917739 DOI: 10.1017/sjp.2016.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The present study concerns the relation of mental and bodily characteristics to one another during ageing. The 'common cause' theory of ageing proposes that declines are shared across multiple, seemingly-disparate functions, including both physical and intellectual abilities. The concept of 'reserve' suggests that healthier cognitive (and perhaps bodily) functions from early in life are protective against the effects of senescence across multiple domains. In three waves of physical and cognitive testing data from the longitudinal Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 1,091 at age 70 years; n = 866 at 73; n = 697 at 76), we used multivariate growth curve modeling to test the 'common cause' and 'reserve' hypotheses. Support for both concepts was mixed: although levels of physical functions and cognitive functions were correlated with one another, physical functions did not decline together, and there was little evidence for shared declines in physical and mental functions. Early-life intelligence, a potential marker of system integrity, made a significant prediction of the levels, but not the slopes, of later life physical functions. These data suggest that common causes, which are likely present within cognitive functions, are not as far-reaching beyond the cognitive arena as has previously been suggested. They also imply that bodily reserve may be similar to cognitive reserve in that it affects the level, but not the slope, of ageing-related declines.
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Mueller S, Wagner J, Drewelies J, Duezel S, Eibich P, Specht J, Demuth I, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Wagner GG, Gerstorf D. Personality development in old age relates to physical health and cognitive performance: Evidence from the Berlin Aging Study II. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Salthouse TA. Shared and unique influences on age-related cognitive change. Neuropsychology 2016; 31:11-19. [PMID: 27808539 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Decompose cognitive change into influences unique to particular cognitive domains, and influences shared across different cognitive domains. METHOD A total of 2,546 adults between 18 and 95 years of age performed a battery of 12 cognitive tests on 2 occasions separated by an average of 3 years. An estimate of general cognitive functioning based on the first principal factor was regressed from the observed cognitive scores to derive an estimate of specific influences on each measure, and this value was subtracted from the observed score to provide an estimate of general influences on the measure. Longitudinal change was assessed by the (T2 - T1) difference between scores on the 2 occasions. RESULTS Although increased age was associated with specific influences on speed in cross-sectional comparisons, and in memory change in longitudinal comparisons among older adults, most of the relations between age and cognitive functioning in both cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons were manifested as general influences shared with other cognitive measures. CONCLUSIONS Differences in cognitive functioning associated with aging are often attributed to domain-specific effects, but results from this and other recent studies suggest that large proportions of the age differences are associated with general influences shared across different types of cognitive measures. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Ritchie SJ, Tucker-Drob EM, Cox SR, Corley J, Dykiert D, Redmond P, Pattie A, Taylor AM, Sibbett R, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Predictors of ageing-related decline across multiple cognitive functions. INTELLIGENCE 2016; 59:115-126. [PMID: 27932854 PMCID: PMC5127886 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
It is critical to discover why some people's cognitive abilities age better than others'. We applied multivariate growth curve models to data from a narrow-age cohort measured on a multi-domain IQ measure at age 11 years and a comprehensive battery of thirteen measures of visuospatial, memory, crystallized, and processing speed abilities at ages 70, 73, and 76 years (n = 1091 at age 70). We found that 48% of the variance in change in performance on the thirteen cognitive measures was shared across all measures, an additional 26% was specific to the four ability domains, and 26% was test-specific. We tested the association of a wide variety of sociodemographic, fitness, health, and genetic variables with each of these cognitive change factors. Models that simultaneously included all covariates accounted for appreciable proportions of variance in the cognitive change factors (e.g. approximately one third of the variance in general cognitive change). However, beyond physical fitness and possession of the APOE e4 allele, very few predictors were incrementally associated with cognitive change at statistically significant levels. The results highlight a small number of factors that predict differences in cognitive ageing, and underscore that correlates of cognitive level are not necessarily predictors of decline. Even larger samples will likely be required to identify additional variables with more modest associations with normal-range heterogeneity in aging-related cognitive declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J Ritchie
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Simon R Cox
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Janie Corley
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Dominika Dykiert
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Redmond
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Pattie
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Adele M Taylor
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Sibbett
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - John M Starr
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
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Schroeders U, Schipolowski S, Zettler I, Golle J, Wilhelm O. Do the smart get smarter? Development of fluid and crystallized intelligence in 3rd grade. INTELLIGENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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41
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McGrory S, Taylor AM, Kirin M, Corley J, Pattie A, Cox SR, Dhillon B, Wardlaw JM, Doubal FN, Starr JM, Trucco E, MacGillivray TJ, Deary IJ. Retinal microvascular network geometry and cognitive abilities in community-dwelling older people: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study. Br J Ophthalmol 2016; 101:993-998. [PMID: 28400371 PMCID: PMC5530803 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2016-309017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Aim To examine the relationship between retinal vascular morphology and cognitive abilities in a narrow-age cohort of community-dwelling older people. Methods Digital retinal images taken at age ∼73 years from 683 participants of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) were analysed with Singapore I Vessel Assessment (SIVA) software. Multiple regression models were applied to determine cross-sectional associations between retinal vascular parameters and general cognitive ability (g), memory, processing speed, visuospatial ability, crystallised cognitive ability and change in IQ from childhood to older age. Results After adjustment for cognitive ability at age 11 years and cardiovascular risk factors, venular length-to-diameter ratio was nominally significantly associated with processing speed (β=−0.116, p=0.01) and g (β=−0.079, p=0.04). Arteriolar length-to-diameter ratio was associated with visuospatial ability (β=0.092, p=0.04). Decreased arteriolar junctional exponent deviation and increased arteriolar branching coefficient values were associated with less relative decline in IQ between childhood and older age (arteriolar junctional exponent deviation: β=−0.101, p=0.02; arteriolar branching coefficient: β=0.089, p=0.04). Data are presented as standardised β coefficients (β) reflecting change in cognitive domain score associated with an increase of 1 SD unit in retinal parameter. None of these nominally significant associations remained significant after correction for multiple statistical testing. Conclusions Retinal parameters contributed <1% of the variance in the majority of associations observed. Whereas retinal analysis may have potential for early detection of some types of age-related cognitive decline and dementia, our results present little evidence that retinal vascular features are associated with non-pathological cognitive ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah McGrory
- Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele M Taylor
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mirna Kirin
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Split, Split, Croatia
| | - Janie Corley
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alison Pattie
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Baljean Dhillon
- Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Fergus N Doubal
- Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John M Starr
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emanuele Trucco
- VAMPIRE project, Computing, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Thomas J MacGillivray
- Division of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Salthouse TA. Little relation of adult age with cognition after controlling general influences. Dev Psychol 2016; 52:1545-1554. [PMID: 27505697 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Both general (i.e., shared across different cognitive measures) and specific (i.e., unique to particular cognitive measures) influences can be postulated to contribute to the relations between adult age and measures of cognitive functioning. Estimates of general and specific influences on measures of memory, speed, reasoning, and spatial visualization were derived in cross-sectional (N = 5,014) and 3-occasion longitudinal (N = 1,353) data in adults between 18 and 99 years of age. Increased age was negatively associated with estimates of general influences on cognitive functioning in both the cross-sectional differences and the longitudinal changes. Furthermore, after statistically controlling general influences, the relations of age on the cognitive measures were much smaller than were those in the original measures. Results from these and other analytical procedures converge on the conclusion that adult age appears to have weak relations with specific measures of cognitive functioning, defined as independent of influences shared across different types of cognitive measures, and that this is true in both cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons. An implication of these findings is that general, as well as domain-specific, influences should be considered when attempting to explain the relations of age on cognitive functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Deary IJ, Cox SR, Ritchie SJ. Getting Spearman off the Skyhook: One More in a Century (Since Thomson, 1916) of Attempts to Vanquish g. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2016; 27:192-199. [PMID: 27570433 PMCID: PMC4975105 DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2016.1186525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian J. Deary
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology and Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Simon R. Cox
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology and Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Scottish Imaging Network, a Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart J. Ritchie
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology and Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Brain white matter structure and information processing speed in healthy older age. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3223-35. [PMID: 26254904 PMCID: PMC4920858 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1097-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive decline, especially the slowing of information processing speed, is associated with normal ageing. This decline may be due to brain cortico-cortical disconnection caused by age-related white matter deterioration. We present results from a large, narrow age range cohort of generally healthy, community-dwelling subjects in their seventies who also had their cognitive ability tested in youth (age 11 years). We investigate associations between older age brain white matter structure, several measures of information processing speed and childhood cognitive ability in 581 subjects. Analysis of diffusion tensor MRI data using Tract-based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) showed that all measures of information processing speed, as well as a general speed factor composed from these tests (gspeed), were significantly associated with fractional anisotropy (FA) across the white matter skeleton rather than in specific tracts. Cognitive ability measured at age 11 years was not associated with older age white matter FA, except for the gspeed-independent components of several individual processing speed tests. These results indicate that quicker and more efficient information processing requires global connectivity in older age, and that associations between white matter FA and information processing speed (both individual test scores and gspeed), unlike some other aspects of later life brain structure, are generally not accounted for by cognitive ability measured in youth.
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Panizzon MS, Neale MC, Docherty AR, Franz CE, Jacobson KC, Toomey R, Xian H, Vasilopoulos T, Rana BK, McKenzie R, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS. Genetic and environmental architecture of changes in episodic memory from middle to late middle age. Psychol Aging 2015; 30:286-300. [PMID: 25938244 PMCID: PMC4451379 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory is a complex construct at both the phenotypic and genetic level. Ample evidence supports age-related cognitive stability and change being accounted for by general and domain-specific factors. We hypothesized that general and specific factors would underlie change even within this single cognitive domain. We examined 6 measures from 3 episodic memory tests in a narrow age cohort at middle and late middle age. The factor structure was invariant across occasions. At both timepoints 2 of 3 test-specific factors (story recall, design recall) had significant genetic influences independent of the general memory factor. Phenotypic stability was moderate to high, and primarily accounted for by genetic influences, except for 1 test-specific factor (list learning). Mean change over time was nonsignificant for 1 test-level factor; 1 declined; 1 improved. The results highlight the phenotypic and genetic complexity of memory and memory change, and shed light on an understudied period of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego
| | - Michael C Neale
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Anna R Docherty
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego
| | - Kristen C Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago
| | - Rosemary Toomey
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
| | - Hong Xian
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Louis University
| | | | - Brinda K Rana
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego
| | - Ruth McKenzie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California, San Diego
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Reaction time in adolescence, cumulative allostatic load, and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adulthood: the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study. Psychosom Med 2015; 77:493-505. [PMID: 25984823 PMCID: PMC4459883 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the relation between reaction time in adolescence and subsequent symptoms of anxiety and depression and investigate the mediating role of sociodemographic measures, health behaviors, and allostatic load. METHODS Participants were 705 members of the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study. Choice reaction time was measured at age 16. At age 36 years, anxiety and depression were assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and measurements were made of blood pressure, pulse rate, waist-to-hip ratio, and total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein, albumin, and glycosolated hemoglobin from which allostatic load was calculated. RESULTS In unadjusted models, longer choice reaction time at age 16 years was positively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression at age 36 years: for a standard deviation increment in choice reaction time, regression coefficients (95% confidence intervals) for logged GHQ score, and square-root-transformed HADS anxiety and depression scores were 0.048 (0.016-0.080), 0.064 (0.009-0.118), and 0.097 (0.032-0.163) respectively. Adjustment for sex, parental social class, GHQ score at age 16 years, health behaviors at age 36 years and allostatic load had little attenuating effect on the association between reaction time and GHQ score, but weakened those between reaction time and the HADS subscales. Part of the effect of reaction time on depression was mediated through allostatic load; this mediating role was of borderline significance after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS Adolescents with slower processing speed may be at increased risk for anxiety and depression. Cumulative allostatic load may partially mediate the relation between processing speed and depression.
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