Biological and environmental predictors of heterogeneity in neurocognitive ageing: Evidence from Betula and other longitudinal studies

Lars Nyberg*, Carl-Johan Boraxbekk, Daniel Eriksson Sörman, Patrik Hansson, Agneta Herlitz, Karolina Kauppi, Jessica K. Ljungberg, Hugo Lövheim, Anders Lundquist, Annelie Nordin Adolfsson, Anna Oudin, Sara Pudas, Michael Rönnlund, Mikael Stiernstedt, Anna Sundström, Rolf Adolfsson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

Individual differences in cognitive performance increase with advancing age, reflecting marked cognitive changes in some individuals along with little or no change in others. Genetic and lifestyle factors are assumed to influence cognitive performance in ageing by affecting the magnitude and extent of age-related brain changes (i.e., brain maintenance or atrophy), as well as the ability to recruit compensatory processes. The purpose of this review is to present findings from the Betula study and other longitudinal studies, with a focus on clarifying the role of key biological and environmental factors assumed to underlie individual differences in brain and cognitive ageing. We discuss the vital importance of sampling, analytic methods, consideration of non-ignorable dropout, and related issues for valid conclusions on factors that influence healthy neurocognitive ageing.

Original languageEnglish
Article number101184
JournalAgeing Research Reviews
Volume64
Number of pages23
ISSN1568-1637
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s)

Keywords

  • ageing
  • brain
  • brain maintenance, cognitive reserve
  • genetics
  • lifestyle
  • longitudinal
  • memory

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