Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Unit of Psychiatric Epidemiology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Wallinsgatan 6, 431 41 Mölndal, Sweden. simona.sacuiu@neuro.gu.se
Successive elderly birth cohorts improved in cognitive performance during the 20th century. It is not clear whether this influences cognitive predictors of dementia and mortality.
In 2 longitudinal population studies, representing 2 cohorts of 70-year-olds examined 30 years apart, we investigated the relation between baseline cognitive function and 5-year occurrence of dementia and mortality.
Two representative cohorts of 70-year-olds initially free from dementia born in 1901-1902 (cohort 1901-1902: n = 381) and 1930 (cohort 1930: n = 551) from Gothenburg, Sweden, were examined in 1971-1972 and 2000-2001 and after 5 years for the outcome of dementia and death. Recent memory was evaluated during psychiatric examinations, and nonmemory domains using psychometric tests.
At age 70, cohort 1930 performed better on psychometric tests, and had fewer recent memory problems compared to cohort 1901-1902. During 5-year follow-up, 5.0% in cohort 1901-1902 and 4.4% in cohort 1930 (p = 0.742) developed dementia, and 15.7% in cohort 1901-1902 and 4.4% in cohort 1930 died (p