Lifetime affect and midlife cognitive function: prospective birth cohort study : Sussex Research Online

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Richards, M, Barnett, J H, Xu, M K, Croudace, T J, Gaysina, D, Kuh, D, Jones, P B and Unset (2014) Lifetime affect and midlife cognitive function: prospective birth cohort study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 204 (3). pp. 194-199. ISSN 1472-1465

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.128942

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Recurrent affective problems are predictive of cognitive impairment, but the timing and directionality, and the nature of the cognitive impairment, are unclear.

AIMS

To test prospective associations between life-course affective symptoms and cognitive function in late middle age.

METHOD

A total of 1668 men and women were drawn from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (the British 1946 birth cohort). Longitudinal affective symptoms spanning age 13-53 years served as predictors; outcomes consisted of self-reported memory problems at 60-64 years and decline in memory and information processing from age 53 to 60-64 years.

RESULTS

Regression analyses revealed no clear pattern of association between longitudinal affective symptoms and decline in cognitive test scores, after adjusting for gender, childhood cognitive ability, education and midlife socioeconomic status. In contrast, affective symptoms were strongly, diffusely and independently associated with self-reported memory problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Affective symptoms are more clearly associated with self-reported memory problems in late midlife than with objectively measured cognitive performance.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Psychology > Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology > BF0311 Consciousness. Cognition R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry > RC0438 Psychiatry
Depositing User:	Darya Gaysina
Date Deposited:	03 Jan 2014 11:54
Last Modified:	03 Jul 2019 02:48
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/47305

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