Latent growth curve analyses of accelerating decline in cognitive abilities in late adulthood.
Abstract
Latent growth models were applied to data from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging to discover if the rate of change in cognitive performance increased from middle age to later adulthood. The sample included 590 participants aged 44 to 88 years at first measurement. Data were gathered at 2 follow-up occasions at intervals of 3 years. Cognitive ability was assessed through 11 tests that tapped crystallized, fluid, memory, and spatial abilities and perceptual speed. Results indicated stability for measures of crystallized ability, linear age changes for many cognitive abilities, and a significant acceleration in linear decline after age 65 for measures with a large speed component. Gender differences were found only in mean level, not in rate of decline.
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Less consistent evidence has been gathered regarding gender differences in cognitive change in later adulthood and old age.
“Less consistent evidence has been gathered regarding gender differences in cognitive change in later adulthood and old age”
From Cohort differences in cognitive aging and terminal decline in the Seattle Longitudinal Study. (2011) · cites this paper as Finkel, Reynolds, McArdle, Gatz, & Pederson, 2003
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Cohort differences in cognitive aging and terminal decline in the Seattle Longitudinal Study.
Gerstorf, D., Ram, N., Hoppmann, C., Willis, S. L., & Schaie, K. W. (2011) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0023426 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
- Authors
- Finkel, D., Reynolds, C. A., McArdle, J. J., Gatz, M., & Pedersen, N. L.
- Affiliations
- Indiana University Southeast (US)
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- University of Virginia (US)
- University of Southern California (US)
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- Venue
- Developmental Psychology
- Published
- 2003
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 535-550
- ISSN
- 0012-1649 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-0599
- OpenAlex
- W2053408843
- Cited by
- 158
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 8.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Developmental Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG004563, AG-10175, AG04563, AG17561, AG 08724, R01AG010175, R01AG017561, R01AG008724)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Keywords
- cognitive aging, cognitive decline, old age, latent growth curve models, crystallized intelligence, fluid intelligence, memory, spatial ability, perceptual speed, age-related changes, gender differences, Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging
- MeSH terms
- Adoption, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Aptitude, Cognition, Female, Humans, Individuality, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychometrics, Reaction Time, Reference Values, Sex Factors, Social Environment, Twins, Models, Statistical
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