Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2010 Jan;18(1):4-10. doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181ab8b62.
To test the hypothesis that frequent participation in cognitive activities can moderate the effects of limited education on cognitive functioning.
A national study of adult development and aging, Midlife in the United States, with assessments conducted at the second wave of measurement in 2004-2006.
Assessments were made over the telephone (cognitive measures) and in a mail questionnaire (demographic variables, measures of cognitive and physical activity, and self-rated health).
A total of 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with a mean age of 55.99 years.
The dependent variables were Episodic Memory (Immediate and Delayed Word List Recall) and Executive Functioning (Category Fluency, Backward Digit Span, Backward Counting Speed, Reasoning, and Attention Switching Speed). The independent variables were years of education and frequency of cognitive activity (reading, writing, doing word games or puzzles, and attending lectures). The covariates were age, sex, self-rated health, income, and frequency of physical activity.
The two cognitive measures were regressed on education, cognitive activity frequency, and their interaction, while controlling for the covariates. Education and cognitive activity were significantly correlated with both cognitive abilities. The interaction of education and cognitive activity was significant for episodic memory but not for executive functioning.
Those with lower education had lower cognitive functioning, but this was qualified by level of cognitive activity. For those with lower education, engaging frequently in cognitive activities showed significant compensatory benefits for episodic memory, which has promise for reducing social disparities in cognitive aging.
检验频繁参与认知活动可以调节受教育程度有限对认知功能的影响这一假设。
这是一项针对美国成年人发展和衰老的全国性研究，名为“中年美国人”，其评估在 2004-2006 年的第二次测量中进行。
评估通过电话（认知测量）和邮件问卷（人口统计学变量、认知和身体活动测量以及自我报告的健康状况）进行。
共有 3343 名年龄在 32 至 84 岁之间、平均年龄为 55.99 岁的男性和女性。
因变量为情节记忆（即时和延迟单词列表回忆）和执行功能（类别流畅性、倒背数字广度、倒背计数速度、推理和注意转换速度）。自变量为受教育年限和认知活动频率（阅读、写作、玩文字游戏或拼图、参加讲座）。协变量为年龄、性别、自我报告的健康状况、收入和身体活动频率。
在控制协变量的情况下，将两种认知测量方法回归到教育、认知活动频率及其交互作用上。教育和认知活动与两种认知能力显著相关。教育和认知活动的交互作用对情节记忆显著，但对执行功能不显著。
受教育程度较低的人认知功能较低，但认知活动水平可以对其进行修饰。对于受教育程度较低的人来说，频繁参与认知活动对情节记忆有显著的补偿作用，这有望减少认知衰老方面的社会差距。
