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Vintimilla R, Benton A, Morakabian R, Hall JR, Johnson LA, O'Bryant SE. The Association of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status with Executive Function and Processing Speed in Cognitively Normal Mexican American Elders from the Health and Aging Brains Study: Health Disparities Cohort. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38663362 DOI: 10.1159/000539035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) has been linked with overall health, and this study will evaluate whether NSES is cross-sectionally associated with cognition in non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) and Mexican Americans (MAs) from the Health and Aging Brain: Health Disparities Study (HABS-HD). METHODS The HABS-HD is a longitudinal study conducted at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The final sample analyzed (n = 1,312) were 50 years or older, with unimpaired cognition, and underwent an interview, neuropsychological examination, imaging, and blood draw. NSES was measured using the national area deprivation index (ADI) percentile ranking, which considered socioeconomic variables. Executive function and processing speed were assessed by the trail making tests (A and B) and the digit-symbol substitution test, respectively. Linear regression was used to assess the association of ADI and cognitive measures. RESULTS MAs were younger, more likely to be female, less educated, had higher ADI scores, performed worse on trails B (all p < 0.05), and had lower prevalence of APOE4 + when compared to NHWs (p < 0.0001). A higher percentage of MAs lived in the most deprived neighborhoods than NHWs. For NHWs, ADI did not predict trails B or DSS scores, after adjusting for demographic variables and APOE4. For MAs, ADI predicted trails A, trails B, and DSS after adjusting for demographic covariates and APOE4 status. CONCLUSION Our study revealed that living in an area of higher deprivation was associated with lower cognitive function in MAs but not in NHWs, which is important to consider in future interventions to slow cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Vintimilla
- Institute for Translational Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Abigail Benton
- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Roya Morakabian
- Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA
| | - James R Hall
- Institute for Translational Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Leigh A Johnson
- Institute for Translational Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Sid E O'Bryant
- Institute for Translational Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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Tang R, Elman JA, Dale AM, Dorros SM, Eyler LT, Fennema-Notestine C, Gustavson DE, Hagler DJ, Lyons MJ, Panizzon MS, Puckett OK, Reynolds CA, Franz CE, Kremen WS. Childhood Disadvantage Moderates Late Midlife Default Mode Network Cortical Microstructure and Visual Memory Association. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glad114. [PMID: 37096346 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad114] [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: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood disadvantage is a prominent risk factor for cognitive and brain aging. Childhood disadvantage is associated with poorer episodic memory in late midlife and functional and structural brain abnormalities in the default mode network (DMN). Although age-related changes in DMN are associated with episodic memory declines in older adults, it remains unclear if childhood disadvantage has an enduring impact on this later-life brain-cognition relationship earlier in the aging process. Here, within the DMN, we examined whether its cortical microstructural integrity-an early marker of structural vulnerability that increases the risk for future cognitive decline and neurodegeneration-is associated with episodic memory in adults at ages 56-66, and whether childhood disadvantage moderates this association. METHODS Cortical mean diffusivity (MD) obtained from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure microstructural integrity in 350 community-dwelling men. We examined both visual and verbal episodic memory in relation to DMN MD and divided participants into disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged groups based on parental education and occupation. RESULTS Higher DMN MD was associated with poorer visual memory but not verbal memory (β = -0.11, p = .040 vs β = -0.04, p = .535). This association was moderated by childhood disadvantage and was significant only in the disadvantaged group (β = -0.26, p = .002 vs β = -0.00, p = .957). CONCLUSIONS Lower DMN cortical microstructural integrity may reflect visual memory vulnerability in cognitively normal adults earlier in the aging process. Individuals who experienced childhood disadvantage manifested greater vulnerability to cortical microstructure-related visual memory dysfunction than their nondisadvantaged counterparts who exhibited resilience in the face of low cortical microstructural integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongxiang Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Stephen M Dorros
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel E Gustavson
- Institute for Behavior Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Olivia K Puckett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Chandra A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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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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Meyer OL, Harrati A, Gavett BE, Farias ST, Whitmer RA, Widaman K, Hoang V, Tobias M, Mungas D. Effects of early-life environment and adulthood SES on cognitive change in a multiethnic cohort. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:742-750. [PMID: 36880230 PMCID: PMC10483016 DOI: 10.1017/s135561772200087x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early-life socioeconomic status (SES) and adversity are associated with late-life cognition and risk of dementia. We examined the association between early-life SES and adversity and late-life cross-sectional cognitive outcomes as well as global cognitive decline, hypothesizing that adulthood SES would mediate these associations. METHODS Our sample (N = 837) was a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of non-Hispanic/Latino White (48%), Black (27%), and Hispanic/Latino (19%) participants from Northern California. Participant addresses were geocoded to the level of the census tract, and US Census Tract 2010 variables (e.g., percent with high school diploma) were extracted and combined to create a neighborhood SES composite. We used multilevel latent variable models to estimate early-life (e.g., parental education, whether participant ever went hungry) and adult (participant's education, main occupation) SES factors and their associations with cross-sectional and longitudinal cognitive outcomes of episodic memory, semantic memory, executive function, and spatial ability. RESULTS Child and adult factors were strongly related to domain-specific cognitive intercepts (0.20-0.48 SD per SD of SES factor); in contrast, SES factors were not related to global cognitive change (0.001-0.01 SD per year per SD of SES factor). Adulthood SES mediated a large percentage (68-75%) of the total early-life effect on cognition. CONCLUSIONS Early-life sociocontextual factors are more strongly associated with cross-sectional late-life cognitive performance compared to cognitive change; this effect is largely mediated through associations with adulthood SES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oanh L. Meyer
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Amal Harrati
- Mathematica, 505 14th Street, Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94645, USA
| | - Brandon E. Gavett
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway (M304), Crawley WA 6009, Australia
| | - Sarah T. Farias
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Rachel A. Whitmer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Keith Widaman
- School of Education, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Victoria Hoang
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Michele Tobias
- UC Davis DataLab, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Dan Mungas
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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Krasnova A, Tom SE, Valeri L, Crane PK, Bennett DA. Direct Effect of Life-Course Socioeconomic Status on Late-Life Cognition and Cognitive Decline in the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Am J Epidemiol 2023; 192:882-894. [PMID: 36757185 PMCID: PMC10505419 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwad033] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of socioeconomic status (SES) across the life course in late-life cognition is unclear. We tested the hypotheses that: 1) High SES in childhood, young adulthood, midlife, and late life have independent causal effects on higher cognition level and slower cognitive decline; 2) Compared with stable low SES (referent), stable high SES has the largest estimated effect for higher cognition level and slower decline among life-course SES combinations. The Rush Memory and Aging Project enrolled 1,940 dementia-free older adults in northeastern Illinois (1997-2018). We used inverse probability-weighted marginal structural models to estimate the joint and independent effect of each life-course SES on global and domain-specific cognition. A total of 1,746 participants had, on average, 6 years of follow-up. High SES at each life-course stage starting in young adulthood had a protective estimated effect on global and domain-specific cognition intercepts. Compared with consistently low SES, consistently high SES (β = 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.48, 0.93) and high SES beyond childhood (β = 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.47, 0.83) had the largest benefit for global cognition intercepts. None of the life-course SES measures influenced rate of global or domain-specific decline. Additional understanding of life-course SES components influencing cognitive level is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Krasnova
- Correspondence to Anna Krasnova, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 (e-mail: )
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Garduno AC, Laughlin GA, Bergstrom J, Tu XM, Cummins KM, Franz CE, Elman JA, Lyons MJ, Reynolds CA, Neale MC, Gillespie NA, Xian H, McKenzie RE, Toomey R, Kremen WS, Panizzon MS, McEvoy LK. Alcohol use and cognitive aging in middle-aged men: The Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:235-245. [PMID: 35465863 PMCID: PMC9592679 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine associations of alcohol use with cognitive aging among middle-aged men. METHOD 1,608 male twins (mean 57 years at baseline) participated in up to three visits over 12 years, from 2003-2007 to 2016-2019. Participants were classified into six groups based on current and past self-reported alcohol use: lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, very light (1-4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5-14 drinks), moderate (15-28 drinks), and at-risk drinkers (>28 drinks in past 14 days). Linear mixed-effects regressions modeled cognitive trajectories by alcohol group, with time-based models evaluating rate of decline as a function of baseline alcohol use, and age-based models evaluating age-related differences in performance by current alcohol use. Analyses used standardized cognitive domain factor scores and adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related factors. RESULTS Performance decreased over time in all domains. Relative to very light drinkers, former drinkers showed worse verbal fluency performance, by -0.21 SD (95% CI -0.35, -0.07), and at-risk drinkers showed faster working memory decline, by 0.14 SD (95% CI 0.02, -0.20) per decade. There was no evidence of protective associations of light/moderate drinking on rate of decline. In age-based models, light drinkers displayed better memory performance at advanced ages than very light drinkers (+0.14 SD; 95% CI 0.02, 0.20 per 10-years older age); likely attributable to residual confounding or reverse association. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol consumption showed minimal associations with cognitive aging among middle-aged men. Stronger associations of alcohol with cognitive aging may become apparent at older ages, when cognitive abilities decline more rapidly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis C Garduno
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gail A Laughlin
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jaclyn Bergstrom
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Xin M Tu
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kevin M Cummins
- Department of Public Health, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chandra A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Neale
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Nathan A Gillespie
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Hong Xian
- Department of Statistics, St Louis University, St Louis, MO, USA
- Research Service, VA St Louis Healthcare System, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ruth E McKenzie
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Applied Human Development and Community Studies, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA, USA
| | - Rosemary Toomey
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Linda K McEvoy
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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Sun R, Zhang Z. Leisure activities and cognitive impairment in old age: The role of life course socioeconomic status. Aging Ment Health 2023; 27:326-333. [PMID: 35467457 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2046694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In the current literature on cognitive function, life course socioeconomic status (SES) and engaging in leisure activities are often viewed as parallel measures of cognitive reserve that independently affect cognitive impairment in old age. Some studies also suggest that leisure activity mediates the effect of SES on cognitive impairment. What is less examined is the modification effect of SES on the association between engaging in leisure activities and cognitive impairment, especially from a life course perspective. In this study, we focus on the interaction effects of specific measures of SES and leisure activities on cognitive impairment. We use data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, which includes five waves of interviews with adults aged 65 and older between 2002 and 2014. Cognitive impairment is measured by the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination. Childhood and adulthood SES and participation in seven leisure activities are included in this analysis. We adopt a lagged independent variable approach and the Generalized Linear Mixed Model to conduct the analysis. Findings confirm that higher SES in both childhood and adulthood are associated with low levels of cognitive impairment in the older Chinese population. Furthermore, there are significant interaction effects between specific life course SES and leisure activities with a consistent pattern: Those of higher life course SES enjoy extra benefits from engaging in leisure activities. The findings point to a modification mechanism that connects life course SES, leisure activities, and cognitive health inequality among older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongjun Sun
- Department of Sociology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Zhenmei Zhang
- Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Moderate Alcohol Use Is Associated with Reduced Cardiovascular Risk in Middle-Aged Men Independent of Health, Behavior, Psychosocial, and Earlier Life Factors. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14112183. [PMID: 35683983 PMCID: PMC9182350 DOI: 10.3390/nu14112183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined whether the often-reported protective association of alcohol with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk could arise from confounding. Our sample comprised 908 men (56−67 years), free of prevalent CVD. Participants were categorized into 6 groups: never drinkers, former drinkers, and very light (1−4 drinks in past 14 days), light (5−14 drinks), moderate (15−28 drinks), and at-risk (>28 drinks) drinkers. Generalized linear mixed effect models examined the associations of alcohol use with three established CVD risk scores: The Framingham Risk Score (FRS); the atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk score; and the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) Severity score, adjusting for group differences in demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. In separate models we additionally adjusted for several groups of potentially explanatory factors including socioeconomic status, social support, physical and mental health status, childhood factors, and prior history of alcohol misuse. Results showed lower CVD risk among light and moderate alcohol drinkers, relative to very light drinkers, for all CVD risk scores, independent of demographics, body size, and health-related behaviors. Alcohol-CVD risk associations were robust to further adjustment for several groups of potential explanatory factors. Study limitations include the all-male sample with limited racial and ethnic diversity, and the inability to adjust for sugar consumption and for patterns of alcohol consumption. Although this observational study does not address causation, results show that middle-aged men who consume alcohol in moderation have lower CVD risk and better cardiometabolic health than men who consume little or no alcohol, independent of a variety of health, behavioral, psychosocial, and earlier life factors.
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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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Barch DM, Donohue MR, Elsayed NM, Gilbert K, Harms MP, Hennefield L, Herzberg M, Kandala S, Karcher NR, Jackson JJ, Luking KR, Rappaport BI, Sanders A, Taylor R, Tillman R, Vogel AC, Whalen D, Luby JL. Early Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Cognitive and Adaptive Outcomes at the Transition to Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Gray Matter Development Across Five Scan Waves. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:34-44. [PMID: 34273554 PMCID: PMC8917509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poor outcomes in childhood, many of which endure into adulthood. It is critical to determine how early low SES relates to trajectories of brain development and whether these mediate relationships to poor outcomes. We use data from a unique 17-year longitudinal study with five waves of structural brain imaging to prospectively examine relationships between preschool SES and cognitive, social, academic, and psychiatric outcomes in early adulthood. METHODS Children (n = 216, 50% female, 47.2% non-White) were recruited from a study of early onset depression and followed approximately annually. Family income-to-needs ratios (SES) were assessed when children were ages 3 to 5 years. Volumes of cortical gray and white matter and subcortical gray matter collected across five scan waves were processed using the FreeSurfer Longitudinal pipeline. When youth were ages 16+ years, cognitive function was assessed using the NIH Toolbox, and psychiatric diagnoses, high-risk behaviors, educational function, and social function were assessed using clinician administered and parent/youth report measures. RESULTS Lower preschool SES related to worse cognitive, high-risk, educational, and social outcomes (|standardized B| = 0.20-0.31, p values < .003). Lower SES was associated with overall lower cortical (standardized B = 0.12, p < .0001) and subcortical gray matter (standardized B = 0.17, p < .0001) volumes, as well as a shallower slope of subcortical gray matter growth over time (standardized B = 0.04, p = .012). Subcortical gray matter mediated the relationship of preschool SES to cognition and high-risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS These novel longitudinal data underscore the key role of brain development in understanding the long-lasting relations of early low SES to outcomes in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna M Barch
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
| | - Meghan Rose Donohue
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Nourhan M Elsayed
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Kirsten Gilbert
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Michael P Harms
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Laura Hennefield
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Max Herzberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sridhar Kandala
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Nicole R Karcher
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joshua J Jackson
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Katherine R Luking
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Brent I Rappaport
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Ashley Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Rita Taylor
- Departments of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Alecia C Vogel
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Diana Whalen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joan L Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
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12
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Donofry SD, Stillman CM, Hanson JL, Sheridan M, Sun S, Loucks EB, Erickson KI. Promoting brain health through physical activity among adults exposed to early life adversity: Potential mechanisms and theoretical framework. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:688-703. [PMID: 34624365 PMCID: PMC8642290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, and poverty, profoundly alter neurobehavioral development in a manner that negatively impacts health across the lifespan. Adults who have been exposed to such adversities exhibit premature and more severe age-related declines in brain health. Unfortunately, it remains unclear whether the negative effects of early life adversity (ELA) on brain health can be remediated through intervention in adulthood. Physical activity may represent a low-cost behavioral approach to address the long-term consequences of ELA on brain health. However, there has been limited research examining the impact of physical activity on brain health among adults with a history of ELA. Accordingly, the purpose of this review is to (1) review the influence of ELA on brain health in adulthood and (2) highlight evidence for the role of neurotrophic factors, hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis regulation, inflammatory processes, and epigenetic modifications in mediating the effects of both ELA and physical activity on brain health outcomes in adulthood. We then propose a theoretical framework to guide future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon D Donofry
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Institute, Allegheny Health Network Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
| | - Chelsea M Stillman
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jamie L Hanson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Margaret Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Shufang Sun
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States; Mindfulness Center, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Eric B Loucks
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States; Mindfulness Center, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States; Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Kirk I Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Murdoch University, College of Science, Health, Engineering, and Education, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; PROFITH "PROmoting FITness and Health Through Physical Activity" Research Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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13
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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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14
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Social inequalities over the lifecourse and healthy ageing in Aotearoa/New Zealand: differences by Māori ethnicity and gender. AGEING & SOCIETY 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x20001130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Lifecourse approaches to healthy ageing recognise that health in older age is affected by long-term cumulative inequalities between socio-economic status (SES), gender and ethnicity groups, which begin in childhood. Combining longitudinal survey data with lifecourse history interviews from 729 older New Zealanders aged 61–81 (mean = 72, standard deviation = 4.5), we tested a lifecourse model of predictors of physical, mental and social health in older age. Latent growth curve and mediation analysis showed that the link between childhood SES and late-life health (over 10 years) was mediated by education, occupation and adult wealth. To account for the moderating effects of gender and ethnicity, we modelled the effects for sub-groups separately (225 non-Māori women, 158 Māori women, 219 non-Māori men and 127 Māori men). Childhood SES was an important predictor of later-life health, mediated by education and adult SES for all participants and for non-Māori men. However, there were significantly different pathways for Māori men and for women. Māori men and women and non-Māori women did not attain the same health benefits from higher childhood SES and education as non-Māori men. Findings point to the importance of considering the mediators of lifelong impacts on health in older age, and recognition of how membership of different socially structured groups produces different pathways to late-life health.
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15
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Xian H, Boutwell B, Reynolds CA, Lew D, Logue M, Gustavson DE, Kavish N, Panizzon MS, Tu X, Toomey R, Puckett OK, Elman JA, Jacobson KC, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS, Franz CE. Genetic Underpinnings of Increased BMI and Its Association With Late Midlife Cognitive Abilities. Gerontol Geriatr Med 2020; 6:2333721420925267. [PMID: 32537479 PMCID: PMC7268925 DOI: 10.1177/2333721420925267] [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: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: First, we test for differences in various cognitive
abilities across trajectories of body mass index (BMI) over the later life
course. Second, we examine whether genetic risk factors for unhealthy
BMIs—assessed via polygenic risk scores (PRS)—predict cognitive abilities in
late-life. Methods: The study used a longitudinal sample of Vietnam
veteran males to explore the associations between BMI trajectories, measured
across four time points, and later cognitive abilities. The sample of 977
individuals was drawn from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Cognitive
abilities evaluated included executive function, abstract reasoning, episodic
memory, processing speed, verbal fluency, and visual spatial ability. Multilevel
linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between BMI
trajectories and cognitive abilities. Then, BMI PRS was added to the models to
evaluate polygenic associations with cognitive abilities. Results:
There were no significant differences in cognitive ability between any of the
BMI trajectory groups. There was a significant inverse relationship between
BMI-PRS and several cognitive ability measures. Discussion: While
no associations emerged for BMI trajectories and cognitive abilities at the
phenotypic levels, BMI PRS measures did correlate with key cognitive domains.
Our results suggest possible polygenic linkages cutting across key components of
the central and peripheral nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Mark Logue
- VA Boston Healthcare System, MA, USA.,Boston University School of Medicine, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Xin Tu
- University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - William S Kremen
- University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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16
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Liu Y, Lachman ME. Socioeconomic Status and Parenting Style From Childhood: Long-Term Effects on Cognitive Function in Middle and Later Adulthood. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 74:e13-e24. [PMID: 30888020 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study assesses whether childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is related to cognitive function and cognitive change at mid and later life and explores the buffering effects of parenting style and adulthood SES. METHOD Data were derived from the 3 waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, a national survey including 7,108 participants aged from 24 to 75 years at baseline. We used multiple regression and multilevel models to investigate the associations between childhood SES, adulthood SES, and cognitive performance and change at midlife and the role of parents' affection and discipline. RESULTS Low childhood SES was associated with lower cognitive function and more cognitive decline at mid and later life. Adulthood SES moderated the effect of childhood SES on cognitive function. Interactions showed that paternal discipline was positively related to cognitive function among participants with low childhood SES, and negatively related to cognitive function among participants with high childhood SES. High paternal affection was associated with less cognitive decline at mid and later life. DISCUSSION The findings advance the understanding of the long-term consequences of SES and psychosocial factors in early life that can lead to optimal cognitive function in middle and old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujun Liu
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Margie E Lachman
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
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17
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Greenfield EA, Moorman S, Rieger A. Life Course Pathways From Childhood Socioeconomic Status to Later-Life Cognition: Evidence From the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 76:1206-1217. [PMID: 32369603 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A growing body of research indicates that older adults are at greater risk for poorer cognition if they experienced low socioeconomic status (SES) as children. Guided by life course epidemiology, this study aimed to advance understanding of processes through which childhood SES influences cognition decades later, with attention to the role of scholastic performance in adolescence and SES in midlife. METHOD We used data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), which has followed a cohort of high school graduates since they were 18 years old in 1957. Childhood SES was measured prospectively in adolescence, and measures of memory and language/executive functioning were based on neurocognitive assessments at age 72. We used participants' scores on a statewide standardized test in high school as an indicator of scholastic performance in adolescence. The measure of SES in midlife included years of postsecondary education, income, and occupation status at age 53. RESULTS Findings from structural equation models indicated that scholastic performance in adolescence and midlife status attainment together fully mediated associations between childhood SES and both memory and language/executive functioning at age 72. Adolescent scholastic performance was directly associated with later-life cognition, as well as indirectly through midlife status attainment. DISCUSSION Findings provide support for both latency and social pathway processes when considering how SES in childhood influences later-life cognition. Results contribute to growing calls for social policies and programs to support optimal brain health at multiple phases throughout the life course, especially among individuals with lower SES as children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Greenfield
- School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Sara Moorman
- Department of Sociology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
| | - Annika Rieger
- Department of Sociology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
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18
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Zhang Z, Liu H, Choi SW. Early-life socioeconomic status, adolescent cognitive ability, and cognition in late midlife: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Soc Sci Med 2020; 244:112575. [PMID: 31606188 PMCID: PMC6926157 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Although the association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and late-life cognition is well-established, the mechanisms underlying this association are less clear. One important potential mediator seldom examined is adolescent cognitive ability. To address this gap, we examined 5,880 respondents from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which follows a random sample of high school students who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. Structural equation models were used to examine the direct and indirect effects of childhood SES on cognition in late midlife through adolescent cognitive ability, educational attainment, midlife economic condition, and midlife health. Cognitive function was measured as a latent variable composed of scores from 6 cognitive assessments including immediate and delayed recall, digit ordering, letter and category fluency, and a subset of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale similarities test. We found that childhood SES predicts cognition in late midlife, and this association is largely mediated by adolescent cognitive ability and educational attainment and to a lesser extent by midlife economic condition and health. The findings underscore the long-arm of childhood SES in cognitive function in later life and highlight the complex life-course pathways underlying the association between childhood SES and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenmei Zhang
- Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, United States.
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, United States
| | - Seung-Won Choi
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Texas Tech University, United States
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19
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Wadsworth SJ, Corley RP, Munoz E, Trubenstein BP, Knaap E, DeFries JC, Plomin R, Reynolds CA. CATSLife: A Study of Lifespan Behavioral Development and Cognitive Functioning. Twin Res Hum Genet 2019; 22:695-706. [PMID: 31547893 PMCID: PMC7487141 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2019.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this update is to provide the most current information about both the Colorado Adoption Project (CAP) and the Longitudinal Twin Study (LTS) and to introduce the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife), a product of their merger and a unique study of lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging. The primary objective of CATSLife is to assess the unique saliency of early childhood genetic and environmental factors to adult cognitive maintenance and change, as well as proximal influences and innovations that emerge across development. CATSLife is currently assessing up to 1600 individuals on the cusp of middle age, targeting those between 30 and 40 years of age. The ongoing CATSLife data collection is described as well as the longitudinal data available from the earlier CAP and LTS assessments. We illustrate CATSLife via current projects and publications, highlighting the measurement of genetic, biochemical, social, sociodemographic and environmental indices, including geospatial features, and their impact on cognitive maintenance in middle adulthood. CATSLife provides an unparalleled opportunity to assess prospectively the etiologies of cognitive change and test the saliency of early childhood versus proximal influences on the genesis of cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally J. Wadsworth
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO USA
| | - Robin P. Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO USA
| | - Elizabeth Munoz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - B. Paige Trubenstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Elijah Knaap
- Center for Geospatial Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - John C. DeFries
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO USA
| | - Robert Plomin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Chandra A. Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
- Center for Geospatial Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
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Greenfield EA, Moorman SM. Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Later Life Cognition: Evidence From the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. J Aging Health 2019; 31:1589-1615. [PMID: 29969933 PMCID: PMC6478570 DOI: 10.1177/0898264318783489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Objectives:This study examined childhood socioeconomic status (SES) as a predictor of later life cognition and the extent to which midlife SES accounts for associations. Methods: Data came from 5,074 participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Measures from adolescence included parents' educational attainment, father's occupational status, and household income. Memory and language/executive function were assessed at ages 65 and 72 years. Results: Global childhood SES was a stronger predictor of baseline levels of language/executive function than baseline memory. Associations involving parents' education were reduced in size and by statistical significance when accounting for participants' midlife SES, whereas associations involving parental income and occupational status became statistically nonsignificant. We found no associations between childhood SES and change in cognition. Discussion: Findings contribute to growing evidence that socioeconomic differences in childhood have potential consequences for later life cognition, particularly in terms of the disparate levels of cognition with which people enter later life.
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21
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Influence of young adult cognitive ability and additional education on later-life cognition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:2021-2026. [PMID: 30670647 PMCID: PMC6369818 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811537116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
How and when education improves cognitive capacity is an issue of profound societal importance. Education and later-life education-related factors, such as occupational complexity and engagement in cognitive-intellectual activities, are frequently considered indices of cognitive reserve, but whether their effects are truly causal remains unclear. In this study, after accounting for general cognitive ability (GCA) at an average age of 20 y, additional education, occupational complexity, or engagement in cognitive-intellectual activities accounted for little variance in late midlife cognitive functioning in men age 56-66 (n = 1009). Age 20 GCA accounted for 40% of variance in the same measure in late midlife and approximately 10% of variance in each of seven cognitive domains. The other factors each accounted for <1% of the variance in cognitive outcomes. The impact of these other factors likely reflects reverse causation-namely, downstream effects of early adult GCA. Supporting that idea, age 20 GCA, but not education, was associated with late midlife cortical surface area (n = 367). In our view, the most parsimonious explanation of our results, a meta-analysis of the impact of education, and epidemiologic studies of the Flynn effect is that intellectual capacity gains due to education plateau in late adolescence/early adulthood. Longitudinal studies with multiple cognitive assessments before completion of education would be needed to confirm this speculation. If cognitive gains reach an asymptote by early adulthood, then strengthening cognitive reserve and reducing later-life cognitive decline and dementia risk may really begin with improving educational quality and access in childhood and adolescence.
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22
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Moorman SM, Carr K, Greenfield EA. Childhood socioeconomic status and genetic risk for poorer cognition in later life. Soc Sci Med 2018; 212:219-226. [PMID: 30048844 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The ε4 allele of the APOE gene is associated with poorer cognition in later life. This study aimed to advance understanding of how environments potentially moderate this genetic risk by focusing on childhood socioeconomic status (SES). Previous research across diverse national contexts has found that older adults from higher-SES families in childhood demonstrate better cognitive functioning than their lower-SES counterparts. Nevertheless, few studies have examined whether higher childhood SES might also promote later life cognition by mitigating the effects of ε4 carrier status. To address this gap, we used data from 3017 participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which has followed a random sample of people who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. Childhood SES included parents' educational attainment, father's occupational status, and household income in adolescence. We constructed measures of memory and of language/executive functioning using scores from neurocognitive tests administered when participants were approximately ages 65 and 72. APOE ε4 status was measured through saliva samples. Results from cross-controlled multilevel models indicated that APOE ε4 status-and not childhood SES-independently predicted memory, whereas childhood SES-and not APOE ε4 status-independently predicted language/executive functioning. Moreover, a statistical interaction between APOE ε4 status and childhood SES for memory indicated that at baseline, higher childhood SES protected against the risk of APOE ε4 status, whereas lower childhood SES exacerbated the risk of APOE ε4 status. However, by follow-up, these moderating effects dissipated, and APOE ε4 status alone was associated with memory. We interpret these results in light of theorizing on differential susceptibility for poorer cognition across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyle Carr
- Department of Sociology, Boston College, United States
| | - Emily A Greenfield
- School of Social Work Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, United States
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