Cognitive performance from childhood to old age and intergenerational correlations in the multigenerational Young Finns Study
: Heiskanen, Marja A.; Nevalainen, Jaakko; Pahkala, Katja; Juonala, Markus; Hutri, Nina; Kähönen, Mika; Jokinen, Eero; Laitinen, Tomi P.; Tossavainen, Päivi; Taittonen, Leena; Viikari, Jorma S. A.; Raitakari, Olli T.; Rovio, Suvi P.
Publisher: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
: HEIDELBERG
: 2024
: Journal of Neurology
: JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
: J NEUROL
: 271
: 11
: 7294
: 7308
: 15
: 0340-5354
: 1432-1459
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-024-12693-7(external)
: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-024-12693-7(external)
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/458319974(external)
Background
Cognitive performance changes during the lifespan, but the information is gathered from studies on separate age cohorts. Computerized neurocognitive testing enables efficient and similar assessments for all ages. We investigated (i) the effect of age at different stages of life and (ii) intergenerational correlations across cognitive domains in the multigenerational Young Finns Study.
Methods
Participants in three familiarly related generations (n = 6486, aged 7-92 years) performed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Overall cognitive performance and domains representing learning and memory, working memory, information processing, and reaction time were extracted by common principal component analysis from the cognitive data with several age groups. Linear models were used to study the association of age, sex, and education with overall cognitive performance and in the cognitive domains. Age-adjusted intergenerational correlations were calculated.
Results
Learning and memory peaked earlier during the lifespan compared to working memory and information processing, and the rate of decline toward old age differed by domain. Weak intergenerational correlations existed between two consecutive generations but were nonsignificant between grandparents and grandchildren. There was no systematic sex-specific transmission in any cognitive domain.
Conclusion
This study describes the natural course of cognitive performance across the lifespan and proves that cognitive performance changes differently across cognitive domains with weak intergenerational transmission.
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Open Access funding provided by University of Turku (including Turku University Central Hospital). Academy of Finland: grants 286284, 134309 (Eye), 126925, 121584, 124282, 129378 (Salve), 117787 (Gendi), 41071 (Skidi), 322112 (KP), and 347850 (SPR); Social Insurance Institution of Finland; Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of the Kuopio, Tampere and Turku University Hospitals (grant X51001); Juho Vainio Foundation; Paavo Nurmi Foundation; Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research; Finnish Cultural Foundation; The Sigrid Juselius Foundation; Tampere Tuberculosis Foundation; Emil Aaltonen Foundation; Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation; Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation; Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation; Diabetes Research Foundation of the Finnish Diabetes Association; EU Horizon 2020 (grant 755320 for TAXINOMISIS and grant 848146 for TO-AITION); European Research Council (grant 742927 for the MULTIEPIGEN project); Tampere University Hospital Supporting Foundation; Finnish Society of Clinical Chemistry; the Cancer Foundation Finland; pBETTER4U_EU (Preventing obesity through Biologically and bEhaviorally Tailored inTERventions for you; project number: 101080117); and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.
