Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, ICVS, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24553. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024553. Epub 2011 Sep 8.
The Minho Integrative Neuroscience Database (MIND)-Ageing project aims to identify predictors of healthy cognitive ageing, including socio-demographic factors. In this exploratory analysis we sought to establish baseline cohorts for longitudinal assessment of age-related changes in cognition.
The population sample (472 individuals) was strictly a convenient one, but similar to the Portuguese population in the age profile. Participants older than 55 years of age were included if they did not present defined disabling pathologies or dementia. A standardized clinical interview was conducted to assess medical history and a battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to characterize global cognition (Mini Mental State Examination), memory and executive functions (Selective Reminding Test; Stroop Color and Word Test; and Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale). Cross-sectional analysis of the neuropsychological performance with individual characteristics such as age, gender, educational level and setting (retirement home, senior university, day care center or community), allowed the establishment of baseline clusters for subsequent longitudinal studies.
Based on different socio-demographic characteristics, four main clusters that group distinctive patterns of cognitive performance were identified. The type of institution where the elders were sampled from, together with the level of formal education, were the major hierarchal factors for individual distribution in the four clusters. Of notice, education seems to delay the cognitive decline that is associated with age in all clusters.
Social-inclusion/engagement and education seem to have a protective effect on mental ageing, although this effect may not be effective in the eldest elders.
米尼奥综合神经科学数据库（MIND-Ageing）项目旨在确定健康认知老化的预测因素，包括社会人口因素。在这项探索性分析中，我们试图为认知相关的年龄变化的纵向评估建立基线队列。
该人群样本（472 人）完全是一个方便的样本，但在年龄分布上与葡萄牙人口相似。如果参与者没有明确的致残性疾病或痴呆症，年龄大于 55 岁也会被纳入。进行标准化临床访谈以评估病史，并进行一系列神经心理学测试以评估整体认知（简易精神状态检查）、记忆和执行功能（选择性提醒测试；Stroop 颜色和单词测试；韦氏成人智力量表的方块设计子测验）。对神经心理学表现与个体特征（年龄、性别、教育水平和环境（养老院、老年大学、日托中心或社区））的横断面分析，允许为随后的纵向研究建立基线聚类。
基于不同的社会人口特征，确定了四个主要的聚类，这些聚类具有不同的认知表现模式。老年人抽样的机构类型以及正式教育水平是四个聚类中个体分布的主要层次因素。值得注意的是，教育似乎延缓了与所有聚类中年龄相关的认知下降。
社会包容/参与和教育似乎对心理衰老有保护作用，尽管这种作用在最年长的老年人中可能无效。
