The Power of Birth Cohorts to Study Risk Factors for Cognitive Impairment

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Birth cohorts are studies of people the same time; some of which have continuously followed participants across the life course. These are powerful designs for studying predictors of age-related outcomes, especially when information on predictors is collected before these outcomes are known. This article reviews recent findings from these cohorts for the outcomes of cognitive function, cognitive impairment, and risk of dementia, in relation to prior cognitive function, and social and biological predictors. RECENT FINDINGS: Cognitive function and impairment are predicted by a wide range of factors, including childhood cognition, education, occupational status and complexity, and biological factors, including genetic and epigenetic. The particular importance of high and rising blood pressure in midlife is highlighted, with some insight into brain mechanisms involved. Some limitations are noted, including sources of bias in the data. SUMMARY: Despite these limitations, birth cohorts have provided valuable insights into factors across the life course associated with cognitive impairment.