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Cognitive function and prediction of dementia in old age
1Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA 90024.
International Journal of Aging & Human Development
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Cognitive decline in aging individuals who develop dementia begins decades before diagnosis. Early lower cognitive scores and faster declines in memory and vocabulary predict future dementia risk.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Cognitive functioning naturally declines with age.
- Dementia represents a significant deviation from typical aging cognitive changes.
- Understanding early indicators of dementia is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine longitudinal cognitive changes in aging twins.
- To identify cognitive differences between individuals who develop dementia and those who do not.
- To explore the relationship between premorbid cognitive abilities and dementia development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design involving aging twins.
- Cognitive assessments administered over time.
- Comparison of cognitive trajectories between individuals who developed dementia and controls.
Main Results:
- Individuals who later developed dementia scored lower on cognitive tests 20 years prior to diagnosis.
- Demented individuals showed greater longitudinal declines in vocabulary and forward digit span.
- These cognitive changes were evident in both mild and severe dementia cases and independent of physical health.
Conclusions:
- Dementing illnesses may have very slow, preclinical progression.
- Premorbid intellectual level may influence the likelihood of developing clinically significant dementia.
- Early cognitive assessment may aid in identifying individuals at risk for dementia.