| Birth parameters and cognitive ability in older age: a follow-up study of people born 1921-1926. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 18843177 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
BACKGROUND: Birth weight throughout the normal range correlates with cognitive ability in childhood. Some studies suggest this may persist into adulthood, but it is unclear whether this continues into old age. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between birth parameters (birth weight, birth length, placental weight and social class) and cognitive ability in old age. METHODS: 128 community-dwelling volunteers born in one hospital in Edinburgh, UK, between 1921 and 1926 had birth details extracted from the records. All aged 75-81 underwent cognitive tests. The National Adult Reading Test (NART) was used to estimate prior ability. Tests of fluid cognitive ability showed positive intercorrelations, and therefore a general cognitive factor (g) was extracted using principal components analysis. RESULTS: Estimated prior ability (NART) correlated with birth length (r = 0.25, p = 0.02), and non-significantly with birth weight (r = 0.15, p = 0.19). There were no statistically significant correlations between birth parameters and cognitive ability aged around 80 (birth weight r = 0.12, p = 0.27; length r = 0.19, p = 0.08). Placental weight was not associated with cognitive ability. There was a trend towards an association between social class at birth and prior cognitive ability (more deprivation predicting poorer performance) (rho = -0.17, p = 0.06). Social class was not significantly associated with cognitive ability in old age (rho = 0.07, p = 0.47), or with estimated cognitive change (rho = -0.03, p = 0.73). CONCLUSION: In a small sample of community-dwelling older people, an influence was detected from birth to earlier cognitive ability using a test of crystallized intelligence. However, this effect was not significant into old age. In this sample, social class at birth did not affect later cognitive ability. The effect size of early life influences on cognition is small, with birth parameters explaining about 1% of the variance. Research with larger samples should consider influences operating across the whole life course, and their relative importance over time. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Susan D Shenkin; Ian J Deary; John M Starr |
Related Documents
:
|
8490977 - Use of a simple anthropometric measurement to predict birth weight. who collaborative s... 20799557 - Estimation of birth weight by measurement of fundal height and abdominal girth in partu... 11800297 - A comparison of clinical and ultrasound estimation of fetal weight. 12563047 - Blood pressure in late adolescence and very low birth weight. 22067747 - Secretory phospholipase a2 pathway in various types of lung injury in neonates and infa... 15259037 - Epidemiologic characteristics of anotia and microtia in california, 1989-1997. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article Date: 2008-10-09 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Gerontology Volume: 55 ISSN: 1423-0003 ISO Abbreviation: Gerontology Publication Date: 2009 |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2009-02-02 Completed Date: 2009-04-02 Revised Date: 2009-11-23 |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 7601655 Medline TA: Gerontology Country: Switzerland |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 92-8 Citation Subset: IM |
Copyright Information:
|
(c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel. |
Affiliation:
|
Geriatric Medicine Unit, Division of Clinical and Surgical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK. susan.shenkin@ed.ac.uk |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Aged Aged, 80 and over Aging / psychology* Birth Weight* Cognition* Cohort Studies Female Follow-Up Studies Humans Infant, Newborn Male Organ Size Placenta / anatomy & histology Pregnancy Scotland Social Class |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Mortality from occupational exposure to relatively pure chrysotile: a 39-year study.
Next Document: End-of-life decision-making and terminal sedation among very old patients.