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Abstract
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate how different mentally demanding work conditions during the professional life—i.e., enriched environments at work—might influence the rate of cognitive decline in old age.
Methods: Individuals (n = 1,054) of the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged, a representative population-based cohort study of individuals aged 75 years and older, underwent cognitive testing via the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in up to 6 measurement waves. Type and level of mentally demanding work conditions in the participants' former professional life were classified based on the O*NET job descriptor database.
Results: In multivariate mixed-model analyses (controlling for sociodemographic and health-related factors), a high level of mentally demanding work tasks stimulating verbal intelligence was significantly associated with a better cognitive functioning at baseline (on average 5 MMSE points higher) as well as a lower rate of cognitive decline (on average 2 MMSE points less) over the 8-year follow-up period compared with a low level. The rate of cognitive decline in old age was also significantly lower (on average 3 MMSE points less) in individuals who had a high level of mentally demanding work tasks stimulating executive functions than those who had a low level.
Conclusions: The results suggest that a professional life enriched with work tasks stimulating verbal intelligence and executive functions may help to sustain a good cognitive functioning in old age (75+ years). The findings thus emphasize that today's challenging work conditions may also promote positive health effects.
GLOSSARY
- DSM-III-R=
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Third Edition Revised);
- DSM-IV=
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition);
- ICD-10=
- International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision;
- LEILA75+=
- Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged;
- MMSE=
- Mini-Mental State Examination;
- SIDAM=
- structured interview for the diagnosis of Alzheimer dementia and multi-infarct dementia
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
Supplemental data at Neurology.org
- Received July 8, 2014.
- Accepted in final form February 18, 2015.
- © 2015 American Academy of Neurology
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