People who undergo difficult experiences early in life are at a higher risk of cognitive decline later in life, a new study find.
Our early life has a strong influence on what we turn out to be like as adults. It affects our choices, style and most importantly, memory in later life. A new study found that the risk of cognitive impairment was much higher for individuals who faced a difficult childhood.
"Declining cognitive function in older adults is a major personal and public health concern," said Bruce Reed professor of neurology and associate director of the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center, in a news release. "But not all people lose cognitive function, and understanding the remarkable variability in cognitive trajectories as people age is of critical importance for prevention, treatment and planning to promote successful cognitive aging and minimize problems associated with cognitive decline."
The study was conducted on 300 men and women above the age of 60. All participants spoke either English or Spanish and none of them had any diagnosed psychiatric illnesses or life threatening medical illnesses.
The results of a series of multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluations revealed that non-Latino Caucasians scored 20 to 25 percent higher on general knowledge tests and 13 to 15 percent higher on tests that involved executive functioning compared to other ethnic groups. However, when childhood socioeconomic status, adult literacy and the extent of routine physical activity came into play, these differences began to disappear.
"This study is unusual in that it examines how many different life experiences affect cognitive decline in late life," said Dan Mungas, professor of neurology and associate director of the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. "It shows that variables like ethnicity and years of education that influence cognitive test scores in a single evaluation are not associated with rate of cognitive decline, but that specific life experiences like level of reading attainment and intellectually stimulating activities are predictive of the rate of late-life cognitive decline."
The study was published online in Neuropsychology, a journal of the American Psychological Association.
