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Hooten M, Ortega M, Oyeyemi A, Yu F, Ofori E. Investigating the relationships between motor skills, cognitive status, and area deprivation index in Arizona: a pilot study. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1385435. [PMID: 38983257 PMCID: PMC11231207 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1385435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies highlight the negative impact of adverse socioeconomic conditions throughout life on motor skills and cognitive health. Factors such as cognitive activity, physical activity, lifestyle, and socioeconomic position significantly affect general health status and brain health. This pilot study investigates the relationships among the Area Deprivation Index (ADI)-a measure of neighborhood-level socioeconomic deprivation, brain structure (cortical volume and thickness), and cognitive status in adults in Arizona. Identifying measures sensitive to ADI could elucidate mechanisms driving cognitive decline. Methods The study included 22 adults(mean age = 56.2 ± 15.2) in Arizona, residing in the area for over 10 years(mean = 42.7 ± 15.8). We assessed specific cognitive domains using the NeuroTrax™ cognitive screening test, which evaluates memory, executive function, visual-spatial processing, attention, information processing speed, and motor function. We also measured cortical thickness and volume in 10 cortical regions using FreeSurfer 7.2. Linear regression tests were conducted to examine the relationships between ADI metrics, cognitive status, and brain health measures. Results Results indicated a significant inverse relationship between ADI metrics and memory scores, explaining 25% of the variance. Both national and state ADI metrics negatively correlated with motor skills and global cognition (r's < -0.40, p's < 0.05). In contrast, ADI metrics generally positively correlated with motor-related volumetric and cortical thickness measures (r's > 0.40, p's < 0.05). Conclusion The findings suggest that neighborhood-level social deprivation might influence memory and motor status, primarily through its impact on motor brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline Hooten
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Marcus Ortega
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Adewale Oyeyemi
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Fang Yu
- Edson College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Edward Ofori
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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Topping M, Fletcher J, Kim J. Variation in Adult Cognition Across Domains and Life Course Place Effects in the UK. J Aging Health 2024:8982643241264586. [PMID: 38913720 DOI: 10.1177/08982643241264586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
This study explores the role that place of birth and place of residence have in variation in cognition in adulthood in the UK. We take advantage of both the large sample size and number of cognitive domains in the UK Biobank to estimate the effect of place of birth and place of residence on adulthood cognition using multilevel modeling. We find, consistent with studies in the US, that place effects at both time points contribute modest variation (<3% of the variation) across all measured cognitive domains, suggesting a relative lack of contribution of shared environments in explaining future Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. Moreover, the geographical contribution to cognitive function in adulthood was slightly larger for females than for males. This study is among the first to explore the impact of both the independent and joint associations of place of birth and place of residence with different cognitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Topping
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jason Fletcher
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jinho Kim
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Camacho D, Pacheco K, Moxley J, Aranda MP, Reid C, Wethington E. Loneliness and global cognitive functioning in racially and ethnically diverse US midlife and older adults. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1344044. [PMID: 38962235 PMCID: PMC11221402 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1344044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Few studies have examined the association of loneliness and cognitive functioning in the US. We used two common measures of loneliness and examined their association in a large sample of US Black, Latino, and White adults (ages ≥ 50). Methods We analyzed Wave 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 2,757). We examined loneliness using one item from the CES-D and the Felt Loneliness Measure (NFLM); cognitive functioning was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool, where higher scores indicated better functioning. We used weighted ordinary least squares regressions to examine the effects of loneliness (CES-D loneliness and NFLM in separate models) on MoCA scores. In exploratory analyses, we examined if these relationships varied by race and ethnicity. We adjusted all models for sociodemographic and other salient factors (e.g., chronic disease, depressive symptoms, living alone). Results Mean age was 63.49 years, 52% were female, and 9% were Black and 6% Latino persons. Approximately 54% endorsed feeling lonely on at least one measure; 31% (CES-D) and 46% (NFLM). The relationship between loneliness measures was positive and significant, X 2 (1, N = 2,757) = 435.493 p < 0.001. However, only 40% of lonely individuals were identified as lonely on both assessments. CES-D loneliness was inversely (βˆ = -0.274, p = 0.032) associated with MoCA scores and this association did not vary by race and ethnicity. Greater NFLM loneliness was positively associated (βˆ = 0.445, p < 0.001) with higher MoCA scores for Latino participants only. Discussion Loneliness appears to be an important predictor of cognitive functioning. However, the association of loneliness and cognitive functioning varied when using the CES-D loneliness item or the NFLM. Future work is needed to understand how loneliness and its clinically relevant dimensions (social, emotional, existential, chronicity) relate to global and individual cognitive domains. Research is needed with racially and ethnically diverse midlife and older adults, particularly to understand our counterintuitive finding for Latino participants. Finally, findings also support the need for research on interventions to prevent cognitive decline targeting loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Camacho
- Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kelly Pacheco
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jerad Moxley
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maria P. Aranda
- USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Cary Reid
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elaine Wethington
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
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4
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Reynolds A, Greenfield EA, Nepomnyaschy L. Disparate benefits of higher childhood socioeconomic status on cognition in young adulthood by intersectional social positions. ADVANCES IN LIFE COURSE RESEARCH 2024; 60:100608. [PMID: 38552532 PMCID: PMC11129928 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcr.2024.100608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Emerging evidence supports the protective effects of higher childhood socioeconomic status (cSES) on cognition over the life course. However, less understood is if higher cSES confers benefits equally across intersecting social positions. Guided by a situational intersectionality perspective and the theory of Minority Diminished Returns (MDR), this study examined the extent to which associations between cSES and cognition in young adulthood are jointly moderated by racialized identity and region of childhood residence. METHODS Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we used multilevel modeling to test associations between cSES and delayed recall and working memory 14 years later when participants were ages 25-34. Further, we examined the influence of racialized identity and region of childhood residence on these associations. RESULTS Higher cSES was associated with higher delayed recall and working memory scores across social positions. However, the strength of the association between higher cSES and working memory differed across racialized subgroups and region of childhood residence. We found a statistically significant three-way interaction between cSES, race and region of childhood residence. Of particular important, a small yet statistically robust association was found in all groups, but was especially strong among White Southerners and especially weak among Black participants from the South. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to a growing body of research indicating that the protective effects of higher cSES on cognition are not universal across subgroups of intersecting social positions, consistent with the theory of MDR. These findings provide evidence for the importance of considering the role of systemic racism across geographic contexts as part of initiatives to promote equity in life course cognitive aging and brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Addam Reynolds
- Andrus Gerontology Center, 3715 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Emily A Greenfield
- School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Lenna Nepomnyaschy
- School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Furuya S, Zheng F, Lu Q, Fletcher JM. Separating Scarring Effect and Selection of Early-Life Exposures With Genetic Data. Demography 2024; 61:363-392. [PMID: 38482998 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-11239766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Causal life course research examining consequences of early-life exposures has largely relied on associations between early-life environments and later-life outcomes using exogenous environmental shocks. Nonetheless, even with (quasi-)randomized early-life exposures, these associations may reflect not only causation ("scarring") but also selection (i.e., which members are included in data assessing later life). Investigating this selection and its impacts on estimated effects of early-life conditions has, however, often been ignored because of a lack of pre-exposure data. This study proposes an approach for assessing and correcting selection, separately from scarring, using genetic measurements. Because genetic measurements are determined at the time of conception, any associations with early-life exposures should be interpreted as selection. Using data from the UK Biobank, we find that in utero exposure to a higher area-level infant mortality rate is associated with genetic predispositions correlated with better educational attainment and health. These findings point to the direction and magnitude of selection from this exposure. Corrections for this selection in examinations of effects of exposure on later educational attainment suggest underestimates of 26-74%; effects on other life course outcomes also vary across selection correction methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Furuya
- Department of Sociology, Center for Demography of Health and Aging, and Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Fengyi Zheng
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Qiongshi Lu
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, Department of Statistics, and Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jason M Fletcher
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, Center for Demography and Ecology, La Follette School of Public Affairs, Department of Population Health Science, and Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Fletcher J, Noghanibehambari H. The effects of education on mortality: Evidence using college expansions. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2024; 33:541-575. [PMID: 38093403 PMCID: PMC10900482 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
This paper explores the long-run health benefits of education for longevity. Using mortality data from the Social Security Administration (1988-2005) linked to geographic locations in the 1940-census data, we exploit changes in college availability across cohorts in local areas. Our treatment on the treated calculations suggest increases in longevity between 1.3 and 2.7 years. Some further analyses suggest the results are not driven by pre-tends, endogenous migration, and other time-varying local confounders. This paper adds to the literature on the health and social benefits of education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Fletcher
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Fletcher J, Noghanibehambari H. The Siren Song of Cicadas: Early-Life Pesticide Exposure and Later-Life Male Mortality. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 123:102903. [PMID: 38222798 PMCID: PMC10785703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2023.102903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
This paper studies the long-term effects of in-utero and early-life exposure to pesticide use on adulthood and old-age longevity. We use the cyclical emergence of cicadas in the eastern half of the United States as a shock that raises the pesticide use among tree crop growing farmlands. We implement a difference-in-difference framework and employ Social Security Administration death records over the years 1975-2005 linked to the complete count 1940 census. We find that males born in top-quartile tree-crop counties and exposed to a cicada event during fetal development and early-life live roughly 2.2 months shorted lives; those with direct farm exposure face a reduction of nearly a year. We provide empirical evidence to examine mortality selection before adulthood, endogenous fertility, and differential data linkage rates. Additional analyses suggests that reductions in education and income during adulthood are potential mechanisms of impact. Our findings add to our understanding of the relevance of early-life insults for old-age health and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Fletcher
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1225 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1211, USA
| | - Hamid Noghanibehambari
- College of Business, Austin Peay State University, Marion St, Clarksville, TN 37040, USA
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Backhouse EV, Boardman JP, Wardlaw JM. Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Early-Life Antecedents and Long-Term Implications for the Brain, Aging, Stroke, and Dementia. Hypertension 2024; 81:54-74. [PMID: 37732415 PMCID: PMC10734792 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.19940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral small vessel disease is common in older adults and increases the risk of stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia. While often attributed to midlife vascular risk factors such as hypertension, factors from earlier in life may contribute to later small vessel disease risk. In this review, we summarize current evidence for early-life effects on small vessel disease, stroke and dementia focusing on prenatal nutrition, and cognitive ability, education, and socioeconomic status in childhood. We discuss possible reasons for these associations, including differences in brain resilience and reserve, access to cognitive, social, and economic resources, and health behaviors, and we consider the extent to which these associations are independent of vascular risk factors. Although early-life factors, particularly education, are major risk factors for Alzheimer disease, they are less established in small vessel disease or vascular cognitive impairment. We discuss current knowledge, gaps in knowledge, targets for future research, clinical practice, and policy change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen V. Backhouse
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.V.B., J.P.B., J.M.W.), University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC UK Dementia Research Institute (E.V.B., J.M.W.), University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - James P. Boardman
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.V.B., J.P.B., J.M.W.), University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health (J.P.B.), University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna M. Wardlaw
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (E.V.B., J.P.B., J.M.W.), University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC UK Dementia Research Institute (E.V.B., J.M.W.), University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Edinburgh Imaging (J.M.W.), University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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9
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Sin JE, Kim HS, Hwang I, Noh M. Age-group-specific association of oral health and systemic health on cognitive function: a cross-sectional study of Korean elders. BMC Oral Health 2023; 23:997. [PMID: 38093280 PMCID: PMC10720108 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-03724-2] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the importance of oral and systemic healthcare for elderly people is increasing owing to the rapid ageing of the population in South Korea, studies on the relationship between oral health, systemic health, and cognitive function, as well as on the prediction of cognitive function by oral and systemic health depending upon age groups are lacking. METHODS We included 5,975 out of 6,488 participants from the 8th wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) panel data, divided the participants into three age groups, and performed a hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis to explain cognitive function with four types of predictors: oral health status, sociodemographic factors, objective health status, and subjective health status. RESULTS Oral health status was positively correlated with systemic health status and cognitive function. Of all ages over 54, cognitive function was significantly predicted by oral health variables, such as the number of functional teeth, masticatory ability, and Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI); sociodemographic variables, such as age, sex, education level, and residence; and systemic health variables, such as diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, cancer or malignant tumours, cerebrovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis, depressive symptom, and self-rated health status. Oral health variables explained cognitive function differently by age group; GOHAI appeared important predictor in the group aged < 75 years, whereas the number of functional teeth did in the group aged ≥ 75 years. Educational level, masticatory ability, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health status were pivotal factors age-independently. CONCLUSIONS The general and age-group-specific association between oral health, systemic health, and cognitive function were confirmed, suggesting that age-group-specific oral healthcare should be emphasized for the effective management of systemic and cognitive health in the elderly group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Eun Sin
- Apple Tree Institute of Biomedical Science, Apple Tree Medical Foundation, 1450 Jungang-ro, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Apple Tree Dental Hospital, Apple Tree Medical Foundation, 1450 Jungang-ro, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Sung Kim
- Apple Tree Institute of Biomedical Science, Apple Tree Medical Foundation, 1450 Jungang-ro, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Apple Tree Dental Hospital, Apple Tree Medical Foundation, 1450 Jungang-ro, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Inseong Hwang
- Apple Tree Institute of Biomedical Science, Apple Tree Medical Foundation, 1450 Jungang-ro, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
- Apple Tree Dental Hospital, Apple Tree Medical Foundation, 1450 Jungang-ro, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
| | - Miwha Noh
- DOCSmedi OralBiome Co., Ltd, 143 Gangseong-ro, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
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Filigrana P, Moon JY, Gallo LC, Fernández-Rhodes L, Perreira KM, Daviglus ML, Thyagarajan B, Garcia-Bedoya OL, Cai J, Lipton RB, Kaplan RC, Gonzalez HM, Isasi CR. Childhood and Life-Course Socioeconomic Position and Cognitive Function in the Adult Population of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Am J Epidemiol 2023; 192:2006-2017. [PMID: 37420108 PMCID: PMC10988221 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwad157] [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: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hispanic/Latino population experiences socioeconomic adversities across the lifespan and is at greater risk of cognitive impairment, yet little is known about the role of life-course socioeconomic position (SEP) in cognitive function in this population. Using baseline data (2008-2011) from adults (aged 45-74 years) of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we assessed the association between childhood SEP and socioeconomic mobility with cognitive function, and whether this association was mediated by midlife SEP. Childhood SEP was assessed using parental education. An index combining participants' education and household income represented midlife SEP. Socioeconomic mobility was categorized as stable low, downward or upward mobility, and stable high-SEP. Cognitive function measures were modeled using survey linear regression with inverse-probability weighting, accounting for covariates. We used mediation analysis to estimate the indirect effect of childhood SEP on cognition through midlife SEP. High childhood SEP was associated with global cognition in adulthood (coefficient for parental education beyond high school vs. less than high school = 0.26, 95% confidence interval: 0.15, 0.37). This association was partially mediated through midlife SEP (indirect effect coefficient = 0.16, 95% confidence interval: 0.15, 0.18). Low SEP through the life course was associated with the lowest cognitive function. This study provides evidence that life-course SEP influences cognitive performance in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Filigrana
- Correspondence to Dr. Paola Filigrana, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Belfer Building-Room 1308, Bronx, NY 10461 (e-mail: )
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Seixas BV, Macinko J. Distinct domains of childhood disadvantage and cognitive performance among older Brazilians: Evidence from ELSI-Brazil. SSM Popul Health 2023; 22:101416. [PMID: 37215155 PMCID: PMC10193012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the relationship between of distinct domains of childhood disadvantage and cognitive performance among older adults within the context of a middle-income country. Methods This study used baseline data (2015/2016) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI), a nationally representative cohort of 9412 adults aged 50 and over. Nine childhood exposure variables were grouped into three domains (family SES, childhood health, and cultural capital), for which scores were created. Survey-weighted Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions estimated the association childhood disadvantage with cognitive performance as measured by immediate memory, late memory and semantic verbal fluency. Mediation analysis assessed whether adulthood socioeconomic status (SES) mediated this relationship of interest. Results Important disparities in cognitive performance were observed, particularly in terms of age, education, income, occupational status. Before controlling for adulthood SES in the multivariable analysis, all domains of childhood disadvantage were found to be associated with lower cognitive performance across all three measures. After inclusion of adulthood SES variables, the observed associations only remained for semantic verbal fluency. Formal mediation analysis indicated that adulthood SES mediates 47.9% (95% CI: 34.3%-78.6%) of the association between later-life verbal fluency and poor childhood health, and 49.9% (95% CI: 43.6%-57.8%) of the association between later-life verbal fluency and low childhood cultural capital. Conclusions We found that childhood disadvantage is associated with low performance in memory tests and semantic verbal fluency tests among older Brazilians. Adulthood SES fully mediated the association between all domains of childhood disadvantage and memory performance and only partially mediated its association with verbal fluency. Our findings support policy efforts to enhance early childhood development and improve adulthood SES, and guide additional research to better the mechanisms driving these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brayan V. Seixas
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - James Macinko
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Glover CM, Yu L, Stewart CC, Wilson RS, Bennett DA, Lamar M, Boyle PA. Childhood socioeconomic status interacts with cognitive function to impact scam susceptibility among community-dwelling older adults. Aging Ment Health 2023; 27:765-770. [PMID: 35696371 PMCID: PMC9744955 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2087206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We examined whether childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is related to scam susceptibility in old age and tested the hypothesis that childhood SES interacts with cognitive function to impact scam susceptibility. METHODS This study employed a cross-sectional design. All data were collected in participants' community-based residences. Participants were 1071 older adults (mean age = 81.05 years, SD = 7.53) without dementia (median MMSE score = 28.29, IQR = 27.86-30.00). Participants completed assessments of childhood SES, cognitive function, and scam susceptibility. We used linear regression models to examine the associations of childhood SES and cognitive function with scam susceptibility. RESULTS In a regression model adjusted for age, gender, and education, poorer cognitive function was associated with higher scam susceptibility, but childhood SES was not. However, in an additional model that included the interaction of childhood SES and cognitive function, the interaction was significant, such that lower childhood SES was associated with higher scam susceptibility among participants with lower cognitive function. CONCLUSION Lower childhood SES is associated with higher scam susceptibility among older adults with lower levels of cognitive function. Thus, older adults who experienced limited resources in childhood and have lower cognitive function may represent a specific group for interventions to increase scam awareness and prevent financial exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal M. Glover
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612
| | - Lei Yu
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612
| | - Christopher C. Stewart
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Robert S. Wilson
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612
| | - David A. Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
- Department of Neurology, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612
| | - Melissa Lamar
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612
| | - Patricia A. Boyle
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois 60612
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Richards M. The Power of Birth Cohorts to Study Risk Factors for Cognitive Impairment. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2022; 22:847-854. [PMID: 36350423 PMCID: PMC9643995 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-022-01244-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Birth cohorts are studies of people the same time; some of which have continuously followed participants across the life course. These are powerful designs for studying predictors of age-related outcomes, especially when information on predictors is collected before these outcomes are known. This article reviews recent findings from these cohorts for the outcomes of cognitive function, cognitive impairment, and risk of dementia, in relation to prior cognitive function, and social and biological predictors. RECENT FINDINGS Cognitive function and impairment are predicted by a wide range of factors, including childhood cognition, education, occupational status and complexity, and biological factors, including genetic and epigenetic. The particular importance of high and rising blood pressure in midlife is highlighted, with some insight into brain mechanisms involved. Some limitations are noted, including sources of bias in the data. Despite these limitations, birth cohorts have provided valuable insights into factors across the life course associated with cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Richards
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
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14
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Stephan Y, Sutin AR, Luchetti M, Aschwanden D, Terracciano A. IQ in Adolescence and Cognition over 50 years later: The Mediating Role of Adult Personality. INTELLIGENCE 2022; 94:101682. [PMID: 36816630 PMCID: PMC9937542 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
There is substantial evidence for the association between higher early life IQ and better cognition in late life. To advance knowledge on potential pathways, the present study tested whether Five-Factor Model personality traits in adulthood mediate the association between adolescent IQ and later-life cognition. Participants were from the Graduate sample of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study on Aging (WLS; N= 3,585). IQ was assessed in 1957 (about age 17), personality was assessed in 2003-2005 (age = 64), and cognition was assessed in 2011 (age = 71). Controlling for demographic factors, higher IQ in adolescence was related to higher openness, lower neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower agreeableness and lower conscientiousness in adulthood. Higher openness partially mediated the association between higher IQ and better cognition. Additional analyses indicated that the pattern of associations between IQ, personality and cognition was similar when the polygenic score for cognition was included as an additional covariate. Although effect size were small, this study provides new evidence that openness in adulthood is on the pathway between early life IQ and later-life cognition.
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15
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Ye X, Zhu D, He P. Direct and indirect associations between childhood socioeconomic status and cognitive function in the middle-aged and older adults in China. Aging Ment Health 2022; 26:1730-1737. [PMID: 34125634 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2021.1935459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate whether childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with cognitive function, and what factors might mediate the associations. METHOD Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and within frameworks of the latency model, the pathway model and the accumulation model, we quantified direct and indirect pathways between childhood SES and cognitive function for Chinese middle-aged and older adults aged 45+ by structural equations modeling. RESULTS We found significant direct, indirect and total effects of childhood SES on cognitive function at baseline. The indirect effects were mediated through educational attainment, household consumption, smoking behaviors and social engagement. At follow-ups, cognitive enhancement can be made by indirect pathways through educational attainment, improvement of household consumption and social engagement. CONCLUSION Our results supported the latency model, the pathway model and the accumulation model when considering pathways linking childhood SES to cognitive function. The findings underscored the value of taking early interventions to improve SES and cognitive function, especially among those with low childhood SES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Ye
- School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.,China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Zhu
- China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ping He
- China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
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16
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Ailshire JA, Walsemann KM, Fisk CE. Regional variation in U.S dementia trends from 2000-2012. SSM Popul Health 2022; 19:101164. [PMID: 35855971 PMCID: PMC9287555 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Although recent studies report a decline in dementia prevalence among U.S. older adults, national trends may mask subnational variation, particularly given large health and social inequalities linked to geography. To address this gap, we determined if there was subnational variation in reported national dementia trends and if region-specific trends were explained by sociodemographic and health characteristics. Data come from the 2000 (n = 10,447) and 2012 (10,426) waves of the Health and Retirement Study. We used validated methods for dementia classification using proxy and self-respondents. Logistic regression models, adjusted for within-person clustering over time, estimated trends in dementia prevalence by region and census division. We found subnational variation in dementia prevalence in both 2000 and 2012, as well as in change in dementia prevalence during this period. In 2000, dementia prevalence was lowest in the West (8.6%), higher in the Midwest (10.0%) and Northeast (11.1%), and highest in the South (14.6%). Dementia prevalence declined over time across all regions of the U.S. from 2000 to 2012 but remained highest in the South (10.7%) compared to the other regions (7.0-7.8%). Despite downward trends in dementia across the U.S., the prevalence of dementia in the South in 2012 approximated levels found in other regions in 2000. There was relatively less change over time in the West compared to other regions, but dementia prevalence was already quite low in the West in 2000. Within region, trends in dementia prevalence between 2000 and 2012 also varied slightly across census divisions. Subnational variation in changes in dementia prevalence were largely explained by education and health status. Variation in baseline prevalence, as well as differential rates of change, highlight the importance of examining subnational variation in dementia trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Ailshire
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Calley E. Fisk
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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Furuya S, Fletcher JM. Early life environments and cognition in adulthood: New evidence using a semiparametric approach and quantile regression. SSM Popul Health 2022; 19:101251. [PMID: 36217311 PMCID: PMC9547308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Theories and empirical evidence document the importance of early life environmental factors on later life cognition. A next question is how and in what dimension associations between early life environments and later life cognition vary. Using data from the UK Biobank in conjunction with time-place-specific infant mortality rates, we assessed heterogeneous and non-linear associations between early life conditions and later life cognition. We found that the association between the infant mortality rate and later life cognition increased once the UK achieved very low infant mortality rates, suggesting that additional decreases in infant mortality rates in an industrialized society continue to improve later life cognition. We also found that infant mortality rates have stronger effects at upper quantiles of the cognition distribution. This implies that adverse early life environments may have an important role for an early manifestation of cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Furuya
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Jason M Fletcher
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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18
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Walsemann KM, Kerr EM, Ailshire JA, Herd P. Black-White variation in the relationship between early educational experiences and trajectories of cognitive function among US-born older adults. SSM Popul Health 2022; 19:101184. [PMID: 35958228 PMCID: PMC9358471 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Black adults face a substantially higher risk for dementia in later life compared to their White peers. Given the critical role of educational attainment and cognitive function in later life dementia risk, this paper aims to determine if early educational experiences and educational attainment are differentially related to trajectories of cognitive status across race and if this further varies by education cohort. We use data from the Life History Mail Survey (LHMS) and prospective data on cognition from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We restrict our sample to Black and White US-born adults who provided at least one measure of cognitive status from 1995/6–2016. We find evidence of Black-White differences in the association between educational experiences and level of cognitive function, episodic memory, and working memory, but little evidence of Black-White differences in these associations with decline. Having a learning problem was associated with lower levels of cognitive function, episodic memory, and working memory for White and Black older adults, but was more strongly related to these outcomes among Black older adults. Further, the Black-White difference in this association was generally found in older cohorts that completed schooling after enactment of federal policies that improved educational resources for children with learning disabilities. Attending racially discordant schools was positively associated with level of these cognitive outcomes for Black older adults but not for White older adults. We also find that the educational gradient in level of cognitive function was larger for Black compared to White older adults in older cohorts not benefiting from the Brown v Board of Education decision but was similar for Black and White older adults attending school in the post-Brown era. Black adults are twice as likely to have dementia than White adults. The roots of this risk are poorly understood but may be due to educational experiences. Three educational experiences differentially predicted cognitive status by race. These included having a learning problem, desegregated schooling, and attainment.
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Zeng Y, Lum TYS, Chen YC. The intersectionality of life course socioeconomic status, race, and cognitive decline: An 18-year follow-up. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022; 37. [PMID: 35775714 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Studies have documented the impact of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on cognition. However, research that simultaneously considers SES in varied life stages, the multidimensional mechanisms, and racial differences is relatively understudied. This study examines the intersectionality across age, SES, and race and its impact on cognitive trajectories. METHODS Using 8376 respondents aged 65+ from the 1998-2016 Health and Retirement Study, we used latent growth curve modeling to examine the effects of four life course models (latency, pathway, accumulation, and mobility) on 18-year trajectories of mental status and episodic memory. We further tested for differences in the links between SES and cognitive trajectories between black and white respondents. RESULTS Cognitive function declines with age and is interrelated with SES and race. Adulthood has a stronger effect on cognitive performance than childhood. However, linked positive childhood and adulthood SES contributes to positive cognition. Accumulated SES disadvantages were associated with lower cognition. Older adults with downward mobility and low SES throughout their lifespans had the lowest cognition scores. Life course models operated differently on trajectories of cognitive decline, yet the effects were particularly evident among older black respondents. Overall, those with socioeconomic advantages tended to have a slower decline in cognition, while a faster decline occurred for those with accrued disadvantages. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive performance is a complex, longitudinal process intertwined with socioeconomic conditions and population heterogeneity shaped by life course contexts. Policies that facilitate healthy cognitive performance and address SES inequality could equalize health opportunities and address racial cognitive disparities later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zeng
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Terry Yat Sang Lum
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Yu-Chih Chen
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- Social Policy Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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20
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Thomas MD, Calmasini C, Seblova D, Lapham S, Peters K, Prescott CA, Mangurian C, Glymour MM, Manly JJ. Postsecondary Education and Late-life Cognitive Outcomes Among Black and White Participants in the Project Talent Aging Study: Can Early-life Cognitive Skills Account for Educational Differences in Late-life Cognition? Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2022; 36:215-221. [PMID: 35791067 PMCID: PMC9420770 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher education consistently predicts improved late-life cognition. Racial differences in educational attainment likely contribute to inequities in dementia risk. However, few studies of education and cognition have controlled for prospectively measured early-life confounders or evaluated whether the education late-life cognition association is modified by race/ethnicity. METHODS Among 2343 Black and White Project Talent Aging Study participants who completed telephone cognitive assessments, we evaluated whether the association between years of education and cognition (verbal fluency, memory/recall, attention, and a composite cognitive measure) differed by race, and whether these differences persisted when adjusting for childhood factors, including the cognitive ability. RESULTS In fully adjusted linear regression models, each additional year of education was associated with higher composite cognitive scores for Black [β=0.137; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.068, 0.206] and White respondents (β=0.056; CI=0.034, 0.078) with an interaction with race ( P =0.03). Associations between education and memory/recall among Black adults (β=0.036; CI=-0.037, 0.109) and attention among White adults (β=0.022; CI=-0.002, 0.046) were nonsignificant. However, there were significant race-education interactions for the composite ( P =0.03) and attention measures ( P <0.001) but not verbal fluency ( P =0.61) or memory/recall ( P =0.95). CONCLUSION Education predicted better overall cognition for both Black and White adults, even with stringent control for prospectively measured early-life confounders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn D Thomas
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Francisco, CA, USA
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Camilla Calmasini
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Susan Lapham
- American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kelly Peters
- American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Christina Mangurian
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Francisco, CA, USA
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M. Maria Glymour
- University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Francisco, CA, USA
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21
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Vasquez P, Escalante J, Raghubar KP, Kahalley LS, Taylor OA, Moore IK, Hockenberry MJ, Scheurer ME, Brown AL. Association between fatigue and sleep disturbances during treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and posttreatment neurocognitive performance. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29507. [PMID: 34889514 PMCID: PMC8957586 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at increased risk of neurocognitive weakness in the areas of attention, executive function, and processing speed. Although fatigue and sleep disturbances are frequent complications of ALL therapy and associated with cognitive functions, the impact of fatigue and sleep profiles during active ALL treatment on posttreatment neurocognitive performance has received limited attention. METHODS Pediatric patients (n = 120) with ALL (diagnosed 2011-2016) who completed fatigue and sleep questionnaires at four time points during active treatment were enrolled in a study of neurocognitive performance. Latent class growth analysis identified subgroups of patients with similar sleep and fatigue profiles during treatment. Neurocognitive performance collected >6 months post treatment on 40 participants was compared between latent classes using multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS Participants (57.5% male and 79.1% Hispanic or non-Hispanic White) were classified into one of two fatigue and sleep profiles: Class 1 characterized by mild fatigue and sleep disturbances during treatment (50.8%), and Class 2 characterized by higher levels of fatigue and sleep disturbances (49.2%). Posttreatment cognitive performance was in the normal range for most measures, but significantly below normative means for executive function, verbal short-term memory, attention, and distractability measures. Compared to Class 1, Class 2 demonstrated significantly (p < .05) poorer posttreatment neurocognitive performance, particularly in measures of attention. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that fatigue and sleep disturbances during the first year of pediatric ALL therapy may impact long-term neurocognitive performance. Sleep and fatigue may be targets for intervention to preserve cognitive functioning in survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Vasquez
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Johanna Escalante
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Kimberly P. Raghubar
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Lisa S. Kahalley
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Olga A. Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Ida Ki Moore
- College of Nursing, University of Arizona, Tuscan AZ
| | | | - Michael E. Scheurer
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
| | - Austin L. Brown
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX
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22
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Reynolds A, Greenfield EA, Moorman S, Reyes L. Race, Childhood Socioeconomic Status, and Region of Childhood Residence as Intersectional Life Course Predictors of Cognitive Aging in the U.S. Innov Aging 2022; 6:igac020. [PMID: 35663274 PMCID: PMC9154061 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Objectives
Race, childhood socioeconomic status (cSES), and region of childhood residence are each associated with later life cognition, but no studies have examined how the confluence of these factors influence later life cognitive performance. Guided by intersectionality theory, we examined individuals’ social positionality across these dimensions as a predictor of cognitive performance in later life among non-Hispanic White (NHW) and Black (NHB) older adults.
Research Design and Methods
We used data from the 2010-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) with participants ages 65 and older in 2010. We employed growth curve modeling to estimate associations among race, cSES and region of childhood residence, as well as their interactions, and cognitive performance at baseline and over time.
Results
Identifying as NHB, residing in the South, and having lower cSES each were associated with poorer later life cognition at baseline. Childhood residence in the South was an especially strong risk factor for poorer cognition among NHBs. Among NHWs, higher cSES was associated with better baseline cognitive performance, especially among those from the South. NHBs from the South demonstrated a small advantage of higher cSES, but regardless of cSES, NHBs from the South had lower levels of baseline cognitive scores compared to all other subgroups. We found that Southern childhood residence predicted faster rates of change in over a 6-year period.
Discussion and Implications
Our findings suggest that intersectional social positions across race, cSES, and region of childhood residence primarily influence baseline cognition in later life. Results implicate the importance of attention to multiple social positions in the context of racism within social policies and other initiatives to promote equity in life course brain health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Addam Reynolds
- Address correspondence to: Addam Reynolds, MSW, School of Social Work, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 390 George Street, Room 609, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. E-mail:
| | - Emily A Greenfield
- School of Social Work, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sara Moorman
- Department of Sociology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laurent Reyes
- School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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Herd P, Sicinski K. Using sibling models to unpack the relationship between education and cognitive functioning in later life. SSM Popul Health 2022; 17:100960. [PMID: 34984219 PMCID: PMC8693027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
As the population ages and the prevalence of dementia increases, unpacking robust and persistent associations between educational attainment and later life cognitive functioning is increasingly important. We do know, from studies with robust causal designs, that policies that increase years of schooling improve later life cognitive functioning. Yet these studies don't illuminate why older adults with greater educational attainment have relatively preserved cognitive functioning. Studies focused on why, however, have been hampered by methodological limitations and inattention to some key explanations for this relationship. Consequently, we test explanations encompassing antecedent factors, specifically family environments, adolescent IQ, and genetic factors, as well as adult mediating mechanisms, specifically health behaviors and health. We employ the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which includes 80 years of prospectively collected data on a sample of 1 in every 3 high school graduates, and a selected sibling, from the class of 1957. Sibling models, and the inclusion of prospectively collected early and midlife covariates, allows us to address the explanatory and methodological limitations of the prior literature to better unpack the relationship between education and later life cognitive functioning. We find little evidence that early life genetic endowments and environments, or midlife health and health behaviors, explain the relationship. Adolescent cognition, however, does matter; higher educational attainment, linked to antecedent adolescent cognitive functioning, helps protect against lower levels of cognitive functioning in later life. Both adolescent cognition and education, however, independently associate with later life cognitive functioning at relatively similar magnitudes. Educational attainment's relationship to later life cognitive functioning is not simply a function of adolescent cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Herd
- Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy, 37 and O Streets, NW. Old North, Suite 100, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Kamil Sicinski
- Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
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Rocha-Gomes A, Teixeira AE, Santiago CMO, Oliveira DGD, Silva AAD, Lacerda ACR, Riul TR, Mendonça VA, Rocha-Vieira E, Leite HR. Prenatal LPS exposure increases hippocampus IL-10 and prevents short-term memory loss in the male adolescent offspring of high-fat diet fed dams. Physiol Behav 2022; 243:113628. [PMID: 34695488 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) tolerance can reduce the neuroinflammation caused by high fat maternal diets; however, there are no reports that have evaluated the effects of prenatal LPS exposure on the memories of the offspring of high-fat diet fed dams. This study evaluated the effects of prenatal LPS exposure on the inflammatory parameters and redox status in the brain, as well as the object recognition memory of adolescent offspring of Wistar rat dams that were treated with a high-fat diet during gestation and lactation. Female pregnant Wistar rats randomly received a standard diet (17.5% fat) or a high-fat diet (45.0% fat) during gestation and lactation. On gestation days 8, 10, and 12, half of the females in each group were intraperitoneally treated with LPS (0.1 mg.kg-1). After weaning, the male offspring were placed in cages in standard conditions, and at 6 weeks old, animals underwent the novel object recognition test (for short- and long-term memory). The offspring of the high-fat diet fed dams showed increased hippocampus IL-6 levels (21-days-old) and impaired short-term memories. These effects were avoided in the offspring of high-fat diet fed dams submitted to prenatal LPS exposure, which showed greater hippocampus IL-10 levels (at 21- and 50-days-old), increased antioxidant activity (50-days-old) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, without memory impairments (short- and long-term memory). IL-6 has been consistently implicated in memory deficits and as an endogenous mechanism for limiting plasticity, while IL-10 regulates glial activation and has a strong association with improvements in cognitive function. Prenatal LPS exposure preventing the increase of IL-6 in the hippocampus and the impairment to short-term object recognition memory caused by the high-fat maternal diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Rocha-Gomes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Sociedade Brasileira de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, 39100-000 Brasil; Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental - LabNutrex - Departamento de Nutrição. Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil.
| | - Amanda Escobar Teixeira
- Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental - LabNutrex - Departamento de Nutrição. Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil
| | - Camilla Mainy Oliveira Santiago
- Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental - LabNutrex - Departamento de Nutrição. Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil
| | - Dalila Gomes de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental - LabNutrex - Departamento de Nutrição. Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil
| | - Alexandre Alves da Silva
- Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental - LabNutrex - Departamento de Nutrição. Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil
| | - Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Sociedade Brasileira de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, 39100-000 Brasil
| | - Tania Regina Riul
- Laboratório de Nutrição Experimental - LabNutrex - Departamento de Nutrição. Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Nutrição, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, Brasil
| | - Vanessa Amaral Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Sociedade Brasileira de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, 39100-000 Brasil
| | - Etel Rocha-Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Sociedade Brasileira de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, 39100-000 Brasil
| | - Hércules Ribeiro Leite
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Sociedade Brasileira de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG, 39100-000 Brasil; Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901 Brasil.
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Cermakova P, Chlapečka A, Andrýsková L, Brázdil M, Marečková K. Socioeconomic and Cognitive Roots of Trait Anxiety in Young Adults. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:703-711. [PMID: 34915569 PMCID: PMC9340106 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In 54 participants (41% women) from the Czech arm of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood, a national birth cohort with prospectively collected data from their birth until young adulthood, we aimed to study the association between early-life socioeconomic deprivation (ELSD), cognitive ability in adolescence, trait anxiety and resting state functional connectivity of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) in young adulthood. We found that ELSD was associated with lower cognitive ability in adolescence (at age 13) as well as higher trait anxiety in young adulthood (at age 23/24). Higher cognitive ability in adolescence predicted lower trait anxiety in young adulthood. Resting state functional connectivity between the right LPFC and a cluster of voxels including left precentral gyrus, left postcentral gyrus and superior frontal gyrus mediated the relationship between lower cognitive ability in adolescence and higher trait anxiety in young adulthood. These findings indicate that lower cognitive ability and higher trait anxiety may be both consequences of socioeconomic deprivation in early life. The recruitment of the right LPFC may be the underlying mechanism, through which higher cognitive ability may ameliorate trait anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavla Cermakova
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republlic
| | - Adam Chlapečka
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic.,Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, First Faculty of Medicine, General University Hospital, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Milan Brázdil
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Marečková
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic.,Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Zhang Z, Xu H, Li LW, Liu J, Choi SWE. Social Relationships in Early Life and Episodic Memory in Mid- and Late Life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:2121-2130. [PMID: 33075811 PMCID: PMC8599048 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examines the longitudinal relationships between retrospective reports of early-life social relationships (i.e., having good friends, parent-child relationship quality, and childhood neighborhood social cohesion) and episodic memory in China. METHODS We analyzed 2 waves of data (2011 and 2015) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The analytical sample included 9,285 respondents aged 45 and older at baseline. A lagged dependent variable approach was used to estimate the associations between measures of early-life social relationships and episodic memory change at the study's 4-year follow-up. RESULTS Retrospective reports of better early-life social relationships are significantly associated with higher levels of episodic memory performance in 2015 among middle-aged and older Chinese, controlling for episodic memory in 2011, childhood socioeconomic status, adulthood sociodemographic variables, and the history of stroke. Educational attainment accounts for a significant portion of the associations between early-life social relationships and episodic memory. In contrast, mental health and social engagement in adulthood account for a small part of these associations. DISCUSSION The findings suggest that positive early-life social relationships are beneficial for episodic memory in mid- and late life, and more research is needed to examine the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenmei Zhang
- Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Sociology, Queens College – CUNY, Flushing, New York
| | - Lydia W Li
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jinyu Liu
- School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Seung-won Emily Choi
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
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27
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Cha H, Farina MP, Hayward MD. Socioeconomic status across the life course and dementia-status life expectancy among older Americans. SSM Popul Health 2021; 15:100921. [PMID: 34584932 PMCID: PMC8452881 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examines how socioeconomic status (SES) across the life course is associated with individuals' lifetime dementia experience - the years of life persons can expect to live and without with dementia. Conceptually, dementia-free life expectancy reflects the ability to postpone dementia onset while dementia life expectancy reflects the average lifetime period with the condition. How SES across the life course contributes to dementia-status life expectancy is the focus of this study. We assess whether persons who are advantaged in their lifetime SES live the most years without dementia and the fewest years with dementia compared to less advantaged persons. Using the Health and Retirement Study (2000-2016), we examine these questions for U.S. adults aged 65 and older using multistate life tables and a microsimulation approach. The results show that higher SES persons can expect to live significantly more years of life without dementia and that the period of life with dementia is compressed compared to less advantaged persons. The results also underscore that importance of cumulative exposure, showing that adults from disadvantaged childhoods who achieve high education levels often have dementia experiences that are similar to or better than those of adults from advantaged childhoods who achieved low education levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyungmin Cha
- Department of Sociology and Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
| | - Mateo P. Farina
- Andrus School of Gerontology, The University of Southern California, USA
| | - Mark D. Hayward
- Department of Sociology and Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
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28
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Geoffray MM, Robinson L, Ramamurthy K, Manderson L, O'Flaherty J, Lehtonen A, Tordjman S, Green J, Vassallo G, Garg S. Predictors of cognitive, behavioural and academic difficulties in NF1. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 140:545-550. [PMID: 34182240 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The impact of the Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) on cognition have been subject to much clinical investigation, but environmental modifiers of disease expression have not yet been systematically investigated. The aim of this paper is to determine the role of demographic and environmental factors such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, parental NF1 status and neurological complications on the cognitive, behavioural and academic outcomes in NF1. Participants included 206 children aged 4-18 years seen within the Manchester clinical research NF1 service. Multiple linear regression models were used to study the effect of the hypothesized predictor variables on cognitive, behavioural and academic outcomes. Relative to population norms, 80% of the NF1 sample demonstrated significantly lower scores in at least one cognitive, behavioural or academic domains. Family history of NF1 and lower SES were independently associated with poorer cognitive, behavioural and academic outcomes. Neurological problems such as epilepsy and hydrocephalus were associated with lower IQ and academic skills. Cognitive and behavioural phenotypes emerge commonly via a complex interplay between genes and environmental factors, and this is true also of a monogenic condition such as NF1. Early interventions and remedial education may be targeted to risk groups such those with familial NF1, families with lower SES and those with associated neurological comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Maude Geoffray
- Centre Hospitalier le Vinatier, 95 Bd Pinel, 69500 Bron, France; Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biological Medical & Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Louise Robinson
- Dept of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Kavitha Ramamurthy
- Dept of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Lauren Manderson
- Dept of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Julieta O'Flaherty
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK
| | | | - Sylvie Tordjman
- Pôle Hospitalo-Unuversitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Université de Rennes 1, Centre Hospitalier Guilllaume Régnier, 35703, Rennes, France; Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center (INCC), CNRS UMR 8002, Université de Paris, France
| | - Jonathan Green
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biological Medical & Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL, UK; Dept of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Grace Vassallo
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Shruti Garg
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biological Medical & Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL, UK; Dept of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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29
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McElroy E, Richards M, Fitzsimons E, Conti G, Ploubidis GB, Sullivan A, Moulton V. Influence of childhood socioeconomic position and ability on mid-life cognitive function: evidence from three British birth cohorts. J Epidemiol Community Health 2021; 75:643-650. [PMID: 33632723 PMCID: PMC8223660 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2020-215637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is robustly associated with cognitive function later in life. However, it is unclear whether this reflects a direct relationship, or an indirect association via modifiable factors such as educational attainment and occupation. We sought to clarify these associations using retrospectively harmonised data from three ongoing British birth cohorts. METHODS We analysed data from the 1946 National Survey of Health and Development (n=2283), the 1958 National Child Development Study (n=9385) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (n=7631). Retrospective harmonisation was used to derive equivalent indicators of cognition, SEP, education and occupation across the three cohorts. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the association between childhood SEP and mid-life cognitive function, via childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment and mid-life occupation. RESULTS Across all three cohorts, no direct pathways were observed between childhood SEP and mid-life cognitive function. Rather, this association was indirect via the three temporally ordered mediators. In addition, the direct pathway between childhood cognition and adult cognitive function was weaker in the two younger studies. CONCLUSIONS Across three British birth cohorts, we found that the association between early life SEP and mid-life cognitive function was fully mediated by childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment and occupational status. Furthermore, the association between early cognitive ability and mid-life cognitive function has decreased in younger generations. Therefore, cognitive function in adulthood may be influenced by modifiable factors and societal change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eoin McElroy
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marcus Richards
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emla Fitzsimons
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Fiscal Studies, London, UK
| | - Gabriella Conti
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - George B Ploubidis
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alice Sullivan
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vanessa Moulton
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
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30
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Peterson RL, George KM, Gilsanz P, Mayeda ER, Glymour MM, Meyer OL, Mungas DM, DeCarli C, Whitmer RA. Lifecourse socioeconomic changes and late-life cognition in a cohort of U.S.-born and U.S. immigrants: findings from the KHANDLE study. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:920. [PMID: 33985461 PMCID: PMC8120825 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-10976-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low socioeconomic status (SES) in early and late life has been associated with lower late-life cognition. Less is known about how changes in SES from childhood to late life are associated with late-life cognition, especially among diverse populations of older adults. METHODS In a multi-ethnic sample (n = 1353) of older adults, we used linear regression to test associations of change in comprehensive measures of SES (financial, cultural, and social domains) from childhood to late life with semantic memory, episodic memory, and executive function. We tested whether the association between SES trajectory and late-life cognition differed by populations who resided in the U.S. during childhood or immigrated to the U.S. as adults. RESULTS Participants with low childhood/high late-life financial capital had better semantic memory (β = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.32) versus those with low financial capital in both childhood and late life, regardless of childhood residence. We observed a significant interaction in the association of verbal episodic memory and cultural capital by childhood residence (p = 0.08). Participants with a foreign childhood residence had higher verbal episodic memory if they had low childhood/high late-life cultural capital (β = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.63), but lower verbal episodic memory if they had high childhood/low late-life cultural capital (β = - 0.40; 95% CI: - 0.94, 0.13). Having high lifecourse social capital was associated with better verbal episodic memory scores among those with a U.S. childhood (β = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.55), but lower verbal episodic memory among those with a foreign childhood (β = - 0.10; 95% CI: - 0.51, 0.31). CONCLUSIONS High financial and cultural capital in late life is associated with better cognition, regardless of early childhood SES or childhood residence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Peterson
- Biomedical Sciences 1C, University of California Davis School of Medicine, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Kristen M George
- Biomedical Sciences 1C, University of California Davis School of Medicine, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Paola Gilsanz
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, CA, USA
| | | | - M Maria Glymour
- University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Oanh L Meyer
- Biomedical Sciences 1C, University of California Davis School of Medicine, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Dan M Mungas
- Biomedical Sciences 1C, University of California Davis School of Medicine, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Charles DeCarli
- Biomedical Sciences 1C, University of California Davis School of Medicine, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Rachel A Whitmer
- Biomedical Sciences 1C, University of California Davis School of Medicine, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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31
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Peng C, Burr JA, Yang D, Lu N. Early Child-Parent Relationship Quality and Cognitive Function in Older Rural Chinese Adults: The Mediating Role of Educational Attainment. J Aging Health 2021; 33:493-503. [PMID: 33625258 DOI: 10.1177/0898264321996562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Framed within a life course perspective and cognitive reserve theory, this study examined the mediating role of educational attainment for the association between child-parent relationships during childhood and cognitive function among older adults in rural China. Methods: Data were obtained from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N = 9809). We employed latent growth curve modeling to test the association among early child-parent relationship quality, educational attainment, and cognitive function in later life. Results: Early child-mother relationship quality was associated with the level and change in cognitive function. Early child-father relationship quality was only related to baseline cognitive function. Educational attainment mediated the relationship between early child-parent relationship quality with mothers and fathers and cognitive function. Discussion: Parental relationship experience in childhood was one distal factor related to cognitive function among older adults. The findings supported the long-term impacts of childhood conditions for later life health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changmin Peng
- 14708University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Burr
- 14708University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dong Yang
- 91614Yibin University, Sichuan, China
| | - Nan Lu
- 12471Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
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32
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Williams VJ, Carlsson CM, Fischer A, Johnson SC, Lange K, Partridge E, Roan C, Asthana S, Herd P. Assessing Dementia Prevalence in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study: Cohort Profile, Protocol, and Preliminary Findings. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 81:751-768. [PMID: 33843672 PMCID: PMC10551824 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing consensus that non-genetic determinants of dementia can be linked to various risk- and resiliency-enhancing factors accumulating throughout the lifespan, including socioeconomic conditions, early life experiences, educational attainment, lifestyle behaviors, and physical/mental health. Yet, the causal impact of these diverse factors on dementia risk remain poorly understood due to few longitudinal studies prospectively characterizing these influences across the lifespan. OBJECTIVE The Initial Lifespan's Impact on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ILIAD) study aims to characterize dementia prevalence in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), a 60-year longitudinal study documenting life course trajectories of educational, family, occupational, psychological, cognitive, and health measures. METHODS Participants are surveyed using the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) to identify dementia risk. Those scoring below cutoff undergo home-based neuropsychological, physical/neurological, and functional assessments. Dementia diagnosis is determined by consensus panel and merged with existing WLS data for combined analysis. RESULTS Preliminary findings demonstrate the initial success of the ILIAD protocol in detecting dementia prevalence in the WLS. Increasing age, hearing issues, lower IQ, male sex, APOE4 positivity, and a steeper annualized rate of memory decline assessed in the prior two study waves, all increased likelihood of falling below the TICS-m cutoff for dementia risk. TICS-m scores significantly correlated with standard neuropsychological performance and functional outcomes. CONCLUSION We provide an overview of the WLS study, describe existing key lifespan variables relevant to studies of dementia and cognitive aging, detail the current WLS-ILIAD study protocol, and provide a first glimpse of preliminary study findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria J. Williams
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Cynthia M. Carlsson
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anne Fischer
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sterling C. Johnson
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kate Lange
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Eileen Partridge
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Carol Roan
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Department of Sociology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sanjay Asthana
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Pamela Herd
- McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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Burr JA, Han SH, Peng C. Childhood Friendship Experiences and Cognitive Functioning in Later Life: The Mediating Roles of Adult Social Disconnectedness and Adult Loneliness. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2020; 60:1456-1465. [PMID: 32573696 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnaa055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study investigated the relationship between childhood friendships and cognitive functioning, as assessed with cognitive status and decline among adults aged 45 and older in China. We also examined the mediating effect of adult social disconnectedness and adult loneliness for this relationship. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study was based on 3 waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS; 2011, 2013, 2015; N = 13,959). Cognitive functioning was assessed with episodic memory. Childhood friendship measures were taken from the 2014 life history module of the CHARLS. Two dimensions of adult social isolation, loneliness and social disconnectedness, were included as mediators. Latent growth curve modeling was utilized to test the associations between childhood friendships, adult social isolation, and cognitive functioning. RESULTS Adverse childhood friendship experiences were found to be significantly associated with both lower initial cognitive status and the rate of decline in cognitive functioning. Our findings indicated that adult loneliness and social disconnectedness partly mediated the link between childhood friendship experiences and the initial level of cognitive functioning, but not cognitive decline later in life. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS The findings emphasized the enduring importance of childhood friendships for cognitive functioning later in life. Interventions that focus on improving social participation through fostering friendships in childhood may have long-term benefits for cognition later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Burr
- Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - Sae Hwang Han
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Changmin Peng
- Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston
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The shadow of context: Neighborhood and school socioeconomic disadvantage, perceived social integration, and the mental and behavioral health of adolescents. Health Place 2020; 66:102425. [PMID: 32911129 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The number of youths who experience mental distress has been increasing over the past years. Adolescents with mental health problems also show high rates of co-occurring substance-related behaviors such as illicit drug use. This study leverages large-scale and nationally representative Add Health data to evaluate whether the risks conferred by neighborhood and school socioeconomic disadvantages adversely impact adolescents' mental and behavioral health (i.e., depressive symptoms and illicit drug use). We further investigate whether levels of perceived social support from friends, parents, and teachers moderate the associations between contextual disadvantages and adolescents' mental and behavioral outcomes. Results from cross-classified multilevel modeling analysis suggest that neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantages, and to a lesser degree, school socioeconomic disadvantages, uniquely and simultaneously predict mental and behavioral outcomes of adolescents. Although social support is likely to offset the mental and behavioral consequences of disadvantaged social context to all, high levels of social support is most protective for adolescents of least disadvantaged neighborhoods. This study highlights the possibility that structural disadvantage- within both the school and neighborhood contexts-may adversely impact adolescents' mental well-being and increase their risk for illicit drug use.
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