When does age-related cognitive decline begin?
Open accessAbstract
Cross-sectional comparisons have consistently revealed that increased age is associated with lower levels of cognitive performance, even in the range from 18 to 60 years of age. However, the validity of cross-sectional comparisons of cognitive functioning in young and middle-aged adults has been questioned because of the discrepant age trends found in longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses. The results of the current project suggest that a major factor contributing to the discrepancy is the masking of age-related declines in longitudinal comparisons by large positive effects associated with prior test experience. Results from three methods of estimating retest effects in this project, together with results from studies comparing non-human animals raised in constant environments and from studies examining neurobiological variables not susceptible to retest effects, converge on a conclusion that some aspects of age-related cognitive decline begin in healthy educated adults when they are in their 20s and 30s.
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With age, accumulation of greater experience and knowledge can allow for better performance on measures of crystallized intelligence.
“With age, accumulation of greater experience and knowledge can allow for better performance on measures of crystallized intelligence.”
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- Authors
- Salthouse, T. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Virginia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Salthouse, Timothy A.
- Venue
- Neurobiology of Aging
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-04
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 507-514
- ISSN
- 0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2683339
- OpenAlex
- W2075402786
- Cited by
- 1,848
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 87 · 2025: 125 · 2024: 137 · 2023: 131 · 2022: 113 · 2021: 152 · 2020: 136 · 2019: 150 · 2018: 114 · 2017: 121 · 2016: 87 · 2015: 136 · 2014: 90 · 2013: 73 · 2012: 60
- FWCI
- 82.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R37AG024270)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Keywords
- age-related cognitive decline, retest effects, young and middle-aged adults, cognitive aging
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aging, Cognition Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Female, Humans, Learning, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Memory Disorders, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Reproducibility of Results, Artifacts, Age of Onset, Early Diagnosis
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