Abstract
Objectives: Early-life adversity is related to adult health in old age but little is known about its relation with cognitive decline. Methods: Participants includedmore than 6,100 older residents (mean age574.9 [7.1] years; 61.8% African American) enrolled in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a geographically defined, population- based study of risk factors for Alzheimer disease. Participants were interviewed at approximately 3-year intervals for up to 16 years. The interview included a baseline evaluation of early-life adversity, and administration of 4 brief cognitive function tests to assess change in cognitive function. We estimated the relation of early-life adversity to rate of cognitive decline in a series of mixed-effectsmodels. Results: Inmodels stratified by race, and adjusted for age and sex, early-life adversitywas differentially related to decline in African Americans and whites. Whereas no measure of early-life adversity related to cognitive decline in whites, both food deprivation and being thinner than average in early life were associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline in African Americans. The relations were not mediated by years of education and persisted after adjustment for cardiovascular factors. Conclusions: Markers of early-life adversity had an unexpected protective effect on cognitive decline in African Americans.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2321-2327 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Neurology |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | 24 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 11 2012 |
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Effects of early-life adversity on cognitive decline in older African Americans and whites. / Barnes, Lisa L.; Wilson, Robert S.; Everson-Rose, Susan; Hayward, Mark D.; Evans, Denis A.; De Leon, Carlos F.Mendes.
In: Neurology, Vol. 79, No. 24, 11.12.2012, p. 2321-2327.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of early-life adversity on cognitive decline in older African Americans and whites
AU - Barnes, Lisa L.
AU - Wilson, Robert S.
AU - Everson-Rose, Susan
AU - Hayward, Mark D.
AU - Evans, Denis A.
AU - De Leon, Carlos F.Mendes
PY - 2012/12/11
Y1 - 2012/12/11
N2 - Objectives: Early-life adversity is related to adult health in old age but little is known about its relation with cognitive decline. Methods: Participants includedmore than 6,100 older residents (mean age574.9 [7.1] years; 61.8% African American) enrolled in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a geographically defined, population- based study of risk factors for Alzheimer disease. Participants were interviewed at approximately 3-year intervals for up to 16 years. The interview included a baseline evaluation of early-life adversity, and administration of 4 brief cognitive function tests to assess change in cognitive function. We estimated the relation of early-life adversity to rate of cognitive decline in a series of mixed-effectsmodels. Results: Inmodels stratified by race, and adjusted for age and sex, early-life adversitywas differentially related to decline in African Americans and whites. Whereas no measure of early-life adversity related to cognitive decline in whites, both food deprivation and being thinner than average in early life were associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline in African Americans. The relations were not mediated by years of education and persisted after adjustment for cardiovascular factors. Conclusions: Markers of early-life adversity had an unexpected protective effect on cognitive decline in African Americans.
AB - Objectives: Early-life adversity is related to adult health in old age but little is known about its relation with cognitive decline. Methods: Participants includedmore than 6,100 older residents (mean age574.9 [7.1] years; 61.8% African American) enrolled in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a geographically defined, population- based study of risk factors for Alzheimer disease. Participants were interviewed at approximately 3-year intervals for up to 16 years. The interview included a baseline evaluation of early-life adversity, and administration of 4 brief cognitive function tests to assess change in cognitive function. We estimated the relation of early-life adversity to rate of cognitive decline in a series of mixed-effectsmodels. Results: Inmodels stratified by race, and adjusted for age and sex, early-life adversitywas differentially related to decline in African Americans and whites. Whereas no measure of early-life adversity related to cognitive decline in whites, both food deprivation and being thinner than average in early life were associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline in African Americans. The relations were not mediated by years of education and persisted after adjustment for cardiovascular factors. Conclusions: Markers of early-life adversity had an unexpected protective effect on cognitive decline in African Americans.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84871344652&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84871344652&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318278b607
DO - 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318278b607
M3 - Article
VL - 79
SP - 2321
EP - 2327
JO - Neurology
JF - Neurology
SN - 0028-3878
IS - 24
ER -