Lifestyle activities in mid-life contribute to cognitive reserve in late-life, independent of education, occupation, and late-life activities
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Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that mid-life intellectual, physical, and social activities contribute to cognitive reserve (CR). Two hundred five individuals (196 with magnetic resonance imaging) aged 66-88 years from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (www.cam-can.com) were studied, with cognitive ability and structural brain health measured as fluid IQ and total gray matter volume, respectively. Mid-life activities (MAs) were measured using the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression found that MAs made a unique contribution to late-life cognitive ability independent of education, occupation, and late-life activities. Crucially, MAs moderated the relationship between late-life cognitive ability and brain health, with the cognitive ability of people with higher MA less dependent on their brain structure, consistent with the concept of CR. In conclusion, MAs contribute uniquely to CR. The modifiability of these activities has implications for public health initiatives aimed at dementia prevention.
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In 205 people aged 30-64 years followed up until 66-88 years, travel, social outings, playing music, art, physical activity, reading, and speaking a second language were associated with maintaining cognition, independent of education, occupation, late-life activities, and current structural brain health.
“so for example, in 205 people aged 30–64 years, followed up until 66–88 years, travel, social outings, playing music, art, physical activity, reading, and speaking a second language, were associated with maintaining cognition, independent of education, occupation, late-life activities, and current structural brain health.41”
From Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
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References 22 · Cited by 141
- Authors
- Chan, D., Shafto, M., Kievit, R., Matthews, F., Spink, M., Valenzuela, M., & Henson, R. N.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (GB)
- University of Newcastle Australia (AU)
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Chan, Dennis
- Venue
- Neurobiology of Aging
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-10
- Volume
- 70
- Pages
- 180-183
- ISSN
- 0197-4580 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6805221
- OpenAlex
- W2795767430
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 8.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neurobiology of Aging (publishedVersion)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Repository@Hull (Worktribe) (University of Hull) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Repository@Hull (Worktribe) (University of Hull) (submittedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity) (cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (107392/A/15/Z)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (SUAG/010 RG91365)
- European Commission (732592, HORIZON2020)
- Directorate for Biological Sciences
- Medical Research Council (SUAG/010 RG91365, BB/H008217/1, U105292687, RG91365, SUAG/014 RG91365)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/H008217/1)
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- cognitive reserve, intellectual activity, physical activity, social activity, gray matter volume, brain structure, dementia prevention, education, occupation
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Brain, Educational Status, Employment, Female, Humans, Life Style, Male, Cognitive Reserve, Gray Matter
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