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Abstract:
Cross-sectional studies suggest there may be gender
differences in cognitive function (and risk of Alzheimer's disease)
in older persons. However, few longitudinal studies have directly
investigated whether men and women differ in rates of decline in
different cognitive abilities. We examined the relation of gender
to cognitive decline and whether estrogen use and related factors
influenced this association. Subjects were older Catholic clergy
participating in the Religious Orders Study, a longitudinal
clinical-pathologic study of aging and Alzheimer's disease. Annual
data were available from 370 women and 233 men (mean age = 77
years) for up to six years; follow-up participation exceeded 95% in
survivors. The evaluations included administration of 21
neuropsychological tests from which summary measures of word
retention, story retention, word generation, word knowledge,
working memory, perceptual speed, and visuospatial ability were
formed. A growth curve approach was used to characterize change in
each mea sure. Group performance declined for all abilities over
the six-year period. However, men and women did not differ in
annual rates of change on any cognitive measure in analyses that
controlled for age, education, and initial level of cognitive
function. Furthermore, current and/or past estrogen use and age at
menopause were unrelated to rate of cognitive decline in women. The
results suggest that patterns of cognitive decline in older men and
women are similar. (Grant: NIA: AG10161, AG15819.)
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