THE LONG ARMS OF CHILDHOOD INTELLIGENCE AND EDUCATION ON TERMINAL DECLINE: EVIDENCE FROM LOTHIAN BIRTH COHORT 1921

Alison Pattie,Dorina Cadar,Annie Robitaille,Ian J Deary,Graciela Muniz Terrera

doi:10.1093/geroni/igz038.2311

Abstract

We investigated the heterogeneity of cognitive trajectories at the end of life by assigning individuals into groups according to their cognitive trajectories prior to death. Data were from the Lothian Birth Cohort of 1921. Growth mixture modelling was employed to identify groups of individuals with similar trajectories on the Mini-Mental State Examination in relation to time to death, accounting for childhood intelligence, education, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Two distinct groups of individuals (classes) were identified: a smaller class (18%) of individuals whose MMSE scores dropped linearly with about 0.5 points per year, and a larger group (82%) with stable scores across the study period. Childhood intelligence was associated with an increased probability of belonging to the stable class of cognitive functioning prior to death. These findings support a protective role of childhood intelligence, a marker of cognitive reserve, against the loss of cognitive function prior to death.

Highlights

We investigated the heterogeneity of cognitive trajectories at the end of life by assigning individuals into groups according to their cognitive trajectories prior to death
Older people increasingly live with multiple chronic conditions and medications. We explored their interactions with mental health in the PREVENT Dementia study participants
Using logistic and linear regression, we investigated the association between increasing selfreported chronic physical conditions and current medications with self-reported depression and anxiety disorder, and scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) state subtest

Summary

Introduction

We investigated the heterogeneity of cognitive trajectories at the end of life by assigning individuals into groups according to their cognitive trajectories prior to death. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHRONIC PHYSICAL CONDITIONS, MEDICATIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH IN AN AGING COHORT Lucy Stirland,1 Lucy E. University of Edinburgh, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2.

Results

Conclusion