OBJECTIVES To investigate the association of concussion with cognitive ability (CA) and educational level (EL). DESIGN Epidemiological-cross-linkage of national computer registers. SETTING Denmark. PARTICIPANTS 130 420 young men appearing before the Danish draft board during the period 2006-2010. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES CA test scores, EL and occurrence of concussion duri...

OBJECTIVES The effect of occupational characteristics on cognitive change over 20 years was examined. METHOD Occupational characteristics--intellectual challenge, physical hazards, and psychological demands--were assessed in the Glostrup 1914 Cohort when aged 60 years, and cognitive ability was assessed by 4 cognitive ability tests at ages 60, 70, and 80. RESULTS Individuals in more intelle...

BACKGROUND Studies suggest that children with congenital heart defects (CHD) are at risk for adverse intellectual functioning. However, factors related to lower intellectual functioning in this group are largely unknown. This study describes intellectual functioning in children with CHD in relation to severity of the heart defect, the child's age, and the socioeconomic status of the family (SES...

Recent observations that personality traits are related to later-life health and wellbeing have inspired considerable interest in exploring the mechanisms involved. Other factors, such as cognitive ability and education, also show longitudinal influences on health and wellbeing, but it is not yet clear how all these early-life factors together contribute to later-life health and wellbeing. In t...

Background Studies on advanced maternal age-defined here as age 35 or older-and children's cognitive ability report mixed evidence. Previous studies have not analysed how the time period considered in existing studies influences the association. Methods We analysed trends in the association between maternal age and cognitive ability using data from the 1958 National Child Development Study ( ...

Maintaining good cognitive function is important for successful aging, and it has been suggested recently that having and optimistic outlook may also be valuable. However few have studied the relationship between cognitive ability and dispositional optimism and pessimism in older age. It is unclear whether associations found previously between cognitive ability and pessimism in older age, are e...

A growing research literature suggests that regular electronic game play and game-based training programs may confer practically significant benefits to cognitive functioning. Most evidence supporting this idea, the gaming-enhancement hypothesis, has been collected in small-scale studies of university students and older adults. This research investigated the hypothesis in a general way with a l...

BACKGROUND Populations worldwide are aging. Cognitive decline is an important precursor of dementia, illness and death and, even within the normal range, is associated with poorer performance on everyday tasks. However, the impact of age on cognitive function does not always receive the attention it deserves. METHODS We have explored cross-sectional associations of age with five cognitive tes...