C G Lyketsos1, L S Chen, J C Anthony. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. kostas@jhmi.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The epidemiology of cognitive decline over 11.5 years was investigated in a large community-residing population, with a special emphasis on the relationship between education and cognitive decline. METHOD: The study was an 11.5-year follow-up of a probability sample of the adult household residents of east Baltimore. From the Baltimore cohort of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, 1,488 participants completed the Mini-Mental State during three study waves in 1981, 1982, and 1993-1996. For each study participant, the difference in scores on the Mini-Mental State between waves 2 and 3 was calculated. RESULTS: Over a median interval of 11.5 years, the study participants' scores on the Mini-Mental State declined a mean of 1.41 points, and the scores of 68% of the participants declined by at least 1 Mini-Mental State point. With and without adjustment for age, greater declines were associated with having 8 years or less of formal education and with being African American. CONCLUSIONS: Over a long time period, cognitive decline occurred in all age groups. Having more than 8 years of formal education was associated with less decline. However, beyond 9 years, additional education was not associated with a further reduction in cognitive decline. This suggests that a minimal amount of education during early critical periods might confer protection against cognitive decline later in life.
OBJECTIVE: The epidemiology of cognitive decline over 11.5 years was investigated in a large community-residing population, with a special emphasis on the relationship between education and cognitive decline. METHOD: The study was an 11.5-year follow-up of a probability sample of the adult household residents of east Baltimore. From the Baltimore cohort of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, 1,488 participants completed the Mini-Mental State during three study waves in 1981, 1982, and 1993-1996. For each study participant, the difference in scores on the Mini-Mental State between waves 2 and 3 was calculated. RESULTS: Over a median interval of 11.5 years, the study participants' scores on the Mini-Mental State declined a mean of 1.41 points, and the scores of 68% of the participants declined by at least 1 Mini-Mental State point. With and without adjustment for age, greater declines were associated with having 8 years or less of formal education and with being African American. CONCLUSIONS: Over a long time period, cognitive decline occurred in all age groups. Having more than 8 years of formal education was associated with less decline. However, beyond 9 years, additional education was not associated with a further reduction in cognitive decline. This suggests that a minimal amount of education during early critical periods might confer protection against cognitive decline later in life.
Authors: Kala M Mehta; Eleanor M Simonsick; Ronica Rooks; Anne B Newman; Sandra K Pope; Susan M Rubin; Kristine Yaffe Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2004-12 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: Kumar B Rajan; Robert S Wilson; Lisa L Barnes; Neelum T Aggarwal; Jennifer Weuve; Denis A Evans Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2017-03-01 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Joann T Tschanz; Roxane Pfister; Joseph Wanzek; Chris Corcoran; Ken Smith; Brian T Tschanz; David C Steffens; Truls Østbye; Kathleen A Welsh-Bohmer; Maria C Norton Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2012-10-04 Impact factor: 3.485
Authors: Priya Palta; Andrea L C Schneider; Geert Jan Biessels; Pegah Touradji; Felicia Hill-Briggs Journal: J Int Neuropsychol Soc Date: 2014-02-20 Impact factor: 2.892
Authors: Arun S Karlamangla; Dana Miller-Martinez; Carol S Aneshensel; Teresa E Seeman; Richard G Wight; Joshua Chodosh Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2009-07-15 Impact factor: 4.897