Influence of mid-life cognitive activity on cognitive function among men aged 68 years or older

Cognitive activity in early and late life has been associated with increased cognitive function among older adults. There is less evidence on the effects of midlife cognitive activity.

We examined the association of midlife cognitive activity with cognitive function after age 65.

We studied 78 men 68 years old or older. We asked participants to assess their current and midlife cognitive activity using adaptations of a measure created by Wilson et al., which includes reading, writing letters, visiting museums and other leisure activities. Our outcomes were validated measures of cognitive and overall function. We compared midlife cognitive activity to our outcome measures in simple bivariable analyses, then adjusted for demographic characteristics using linear regression.

Our study population of older (mean age 74.8 years) men was primarily white (87%) and well-educated; 65% had at least some post high school education. Although 67% were retired, household income was high (24% < $30 k and 44% > $50 k). More midlife cognitive activity was related to more current cognitive activity (p =  < .0001, r² = 0.55339). However, midlife activity was not associated with measures of cognitive or overall function, adjusted analyses gave similar results.

We did not find an association between midlife cognitive activity and later life function. However, the Wilson measure of cognitive activity that we used excludes instrumental cognitive activities such as dealing with finances or healthcare, likely underestimating cognitive activity for many participants.

Midlife cognitive activity was associated with late-life cognitive activity, suggesting efforts to increase late-life cognitive activity may need to start earlier in life. However, more robust measures of everyday cognitive activity might detect such an association.