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The relationship between literacy and cognition in well-educated elders
Deborah E Barnes1, Ira B Tager, William A Satariano
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. barnes@medicine.ucsf.edu
Summary
Literacy strongly correlates with cognitive function in older adults. This study highlights literacy
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Literacy is often used to estimate premorbid intelligence in individuals with dementia.
- Limited understanding exists regarding literacy's association with specific cognitive domains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between literacy and various cognitive functions in older adults.
- To determine if literacy is a significant predictor of cognitive performance across different domains.
Main Methods:
- 664 community-dwelling older adults (aged 65+) were assessed.
- Literacy was measured using the North American Adult Reading Test.
- Cognitive function was evaluated using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery.
Main Results:
- A significant linear association was found between literacy and all cognitive measures (p <.001).
- This association remained robust after adjusting for age, sex, education, and health.
- Education was not significantly associated with cognitive measures when literacy was accounted for.
Conclusions:
- Literacy is a strong correlate of cognitive function across all domains in well-educated older adults.
- Further research should explore literacy interventions to potentially mitigate age-related cognitive decline.