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Sex differences in cognitive performance persist into your 80s.
Ross Julian1,2, Stephanie Fröhlich3, Katrin Müller4
1Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Schickard-Straße 8, 48149, Münster, Germany. ross.julian@uni-muenster.de.
Geroscience
|March 17, 2025
Summary
Older women show better executive functioning and memory than older men. However, sex hormones do not explain these cognitive differences in adults aged 80 and above.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Sex differences in cognitive performance are well-documented but poorly understood in older adults.
- Investigating factors like sex hormones is crucial for promoting healthy cognitive aging.
- Limited research exists on sex differences in cognition and gonadal hormone influence in the oldest age groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in cognitive performance among individuals aged 80 and above.
- To elucidate the association between gonadal hormones (estrogen and testosterone) and cognitive performance in this age group.
- To determine if gonadal hormones mediate the observed sex differences in cognition.
Main Methods:
- Confirmatory factor analysis of 17 cognitive performance measures in 131 adults aged 80-92 years.
- Cognitive measures were categorized into executive functioning and memory.
- Mediation analyses examined the direct effect of sex and indirect effects via gonadal hormones on cognitive components.
Main Results:
- Females demonstrated superior performance in both executive functioning and memory compared to males.
- Gonadal hormone levels did not mediate the observed sex differences in cognitive performance.
- Estrogen levels significantly predicted executive functioning, but not memory; testosterone did not predict either cognitive domain.
Conclusions:
- Enduring sex differences in memory and executive function persist in individuals aged 80 and above.
- Current gonadal hormone levels do not appear to mediate these cognitive sex differences.
- While estrogen may influence executive function, it does not account for the sex disparity, indicating complex underlying mechanisms.
Keywords:
CognitionEstrogenExecutive functionHormonesMemoryOlder adultsSex differencesSex dimorphismTestosteroneMore Related Videos
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