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. 2013:8:377-90.
doi: 10.2147/CIA.S39921. Epub 2013 Apr 11.

Occupational activity and cognitive reserve: implications in terms of prevention of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease

Stéphane Adam  1 , Eric Bonsang, Catherine Grotz, Sergio Perelman
Affiliations

Occupational activity and cognitive reserve: implications in terms of prevention of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease

Stéphane Adam et al. Clin Interv Aging. 2013.

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between the concept of activity (including both professional and nonprofessional) and cognitive functioning among older European individuals. In this research, we used data collected during the first wave of SHARE (Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe), and a measurement approach known as stochastic frontier analysis, derived from the economic literature. SHARE includes a large population (n > 25,000) geographically distributed across Europe, and analyzes several dimensions simultaneously, including physical and mental health activity. The main advantages of stochastic frontier analysis are that it allows estimation of parametric function relating cognitive scores and driving factors at the boundary and disentangles frontier noise and distance to frontier components, as well as testing the effect of potential factors on these distances simultaneously. The analysis reveals that all activities are positively related to cognitive functioning in elderly people. Our results are discussed in terms of prevention of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease, and regarding the potential impact that some retirement programs might have on cognitive functioning in individuals across Europe.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cognitive aging; cognitive reserve; retirement.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The distance concept. Abbreviations: SFA, stochastic frontier analysis; OLS, ordinary least squares.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Stochastic frontier: cognitive global assessment as a function of age and years of education.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Employment rate and memory score. Notes: Relative difference between men aged 60–65 years and 50–55 years. Survey of health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe 2004–2006. Health Retirement Study 2004 for the US. The relative difference in employment rate/cognitive score is defined as (Y60–65–Y50–55)/Y50–55 for Yi = the average employment rate/cognitive score for the age category i. Reproduced from Bonsang E, Adam S, Perelman S. Does retirement affect cognitive functioning? Netspar discussion paper 11/2010-069;2010.
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