Alcohol Consumption and Domain-specific Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Longitudinal Data from the Johns Hopkins Precursors Study

Overview

Journal J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci

Specialties Geriatrics
Psychology
Social Sciences

Date 2010 Oct 13

PMID 20937708

Citations 17

Authors

Alden L Gross

George W Rebok

Daniel E Ford

Audrey Y Chu

Joseph J Gallo

Kung-Yee Liang

Lucy A Meoni

Hasan M Shihab

Nae-Yuh Wang

Michael J Klag

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: The association of alcohol consumption with performance in different cognitive domains has not been well studied.

Methods: The Johns Hopkins Precursors Study was used to examine associations between prospectively collected information about alcohol consumption ascertained on multiple occasions starting at age 55 years on average with domain-specific cognition at age 72 years. Cognitive variables measured phonemic and semantic fluency, attention, verbal memory, and global cognition.

Results: Controlling for age, hypertension, smoking status, sex, and other cognitive variables, higher average weekly quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed in midlife were associated with lower phonemic fluency. There were no associations with four other measures of cognitive function. With respect to frequency of alcohol intake, phonemic fluency was significantly better among those who drank three to four alcoholic beverages per week as compared with daily or almost daily drinkers. A measure of global cognition was not associated with alcohol intake at any point over the follow-up.

Discussion: Results suggest that higher alcohol consumption in midlife may impair some components of executive function in late life.

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