Cognition Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cognition, including details on psychology, neuroscience, memory, brain theory.

Occupational characteristics and cognitive performance among elderly male twins.

Potter GG, Plassman BL, Helms MJ, Foster SM, Edwards NW

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. guy.potter@duke.edu

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of occupational characteristics on cognitive status change in members of the NAS-NRC Twins Registry of World War II veterans. METHODS: Participants completed the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) on three occasions spanning a period of approximately 7 years. Based on factor analysis, occupational characteristics were interpreted as reflecting general intellectual demands (GI), human interaction and communication (HC), physical exertion (PE), and visual attention (VA). RESULTS: Based on regression analysis of TICS-m change that was dependent on twin pairing and additionally covarying for education, age at each testing event, medical conditions, and initial TICS-m score, higher GI was associated with a modest longitudinal improvement in TICS-m performance, whereas higher PE and VA were both associated with a modest decline. Subsequent analysis revealed that these significant effects were present among dizygotic twins, but not among monozygotic twins. CONCLUSIONS: Previous findings of a relationship between occupational characteristics and cognitive performance in later life may be partially explained by genetic factors; however, until these genes are identified, occupational characteristics may be useful markers.

Published 24 October 2006 in Neurology, 67(8): 1377-82.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Cognition Research Today. All Rights Reserved.