Subjective age and verbal fluency among middle aged and older adults: A meta-analysis of five cohorts. 2021

Yannick Stephan, and Angelina R Sutin, and Martina Luchetti, and Damaris Aschwanden, and Antonio Terracciano
Euromov, University of Montpellier, France. Electronic address: yannick.stephan@umontpellier.fr.

This study aimed to examine the relation between subjective age and verbal fluency in five large samples of older adults to advance knowledge on the role of subjective age in a complex cognitive function that is an intermediate marker of cognitive impairment and dementia risk. Participants (N > 27,000), aged 32 to 99 years old, predominantly white, were from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduate (WLSG) and Siblings (WLSS) samples, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). They provided complete data on subjective age, demographic factors and verbal fluency. Estimates from each sample were combined in a meta-analysis. Across each of the five samples and in the meta-analysis, an older subjective age was related to lower performance on the verbal fluency task. This association was independent of chronological age and was not moderated by age, sex, nor education. The difference in fluency between individuals with an older and younger subjective age ranged from d = 0.09 to d = 0.37 across the five samples. This study found replicable evidence for an association between an older subjective age and lower verbal fluency, extending knowledge about an intermediate marker of cognitive function.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008137 Longitudinal Studies Studies in which variables relating to an individual or group of individuals are assessed over a period of time. Bogalusa Heart Study,California Teachers Study,Framingham Heart Study,Jackson Heart Study,Longitudinal Survey,Tuskegee Syphilis Study,Bogalusa Heart Studies,California Teachers Studies,Framingham Heart Studies,Heart Studies, Bogalusa,Heart Studies, Framingham,Heart Studies, Jackson,Heart Study, Bogalusa,Heart Study, Framingham,Heart Study, Jackson,Jackson Heart Studies,Longitudinal Study,Longitudinal Surveys,Studies, Bogalusa Heart,Studies, California Teachers,Studies, Jackson Heart,Studies, Longitudinal,Study, Bogalusa Heart,Study, California Teachers,Study, Longitudinal,Survey, Longitudinal,Surveys, Longitudinal,Syphilis Studies, Tuskegee,Syphilis Study, Tuskegee,Teachers Studies, California,Teachers Study, California,Tuskegee Syphilis Studies
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D003071 Cognition Intellectual or mental process whereby an organism obtains knowledge. Cognitive Function,Cognitions,Cognitive Functions,Function, Cognitive,Functions, Cognitive
D004522 Educational Status Educational attainment or level of education of an individual. Education Level,Educational Achievement,Educational Attainment,Educational Level,Level of Education,Maternal Education Level,Maternal Educational Attainment,Maternal Educational Level,Paternal Education Level,Paternal Educational Attainment,Paternal Educational Level,Achievement, Educational,Educational Status, Maternal,Educational Status, Paternal,Maternal Educational Status,Paternal Educational Status,Status, Educational,Attainment, Educational,Attainment, Maternal Educational,Attainment, Paternal Educational,Education Level, Maternal,Education Level, Paternal,Education Levels,Educational Achievements,Educational Attainment, Maternal,Educational Attainment, Paternal,Educational Attainments,Educational Level, Maternal,Educational Level, Paternal,Educational Levels,Level, Education,Level, Educational,Level, Maternal Education,Level, Maternal Educational,Level, Paternal Education,Level, Paternal Educational,Levels, Maternal Educational,Maternal Education Levels,Maternal Educational Attainments,Maternal Educational Levels,Paternal Education Levels,Paternal Educational Attainments,Paternal Educational Levels,Status, Maternal Educational,Status, Paternal Educational
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D000369 Aged, 80 and over Persons 80 years of age and older. Oldest Old
D000375 Aging The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time. Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D060825 Cognitive Dysfunction Diminished or impaired mental and/or intellectual function. Cognitive Disorder,Mild Cognitive Impairment,Cognitive Decline,Cognitive Impairments,Mental Deterioration,Cognitive Declines,Cognitive Disorders,Cognitive Dysfunctions,Cognitive Impairment,Cognitive Impairment, Mild,Cognitive Impairments, Mild,Decline, Cognitive,Declines, Cognitive,Deterioration, Mental,Deteriorations, Mental,Disorder, Cognitive,Disorders, Cognitive,Dysfunction, Cognitive,Dysfunctions, Cognitive,Impairment, Cognitive,Impairment, Mild Cognitive,Impairments, Cognitive,Impairments, Mild Cognitive,Mental Deteriorations,Mild Cognitive Impairments

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