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Comparative Study
. 2020 Feb;68(2):354-361.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.16163. Epub 2019 Sep 11.

Cognitive Performance Among Older Persons in Japan and the United States

Yasuhiko Saito  1   2 , Jung Ki Kim  3 , Shieva Davarian  4 , Aaron Hagedorn  5 , Eileen M Crimmins  3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Cognitive Performance Among Older Persons in Japan and the United States

Yasuhiko Saito et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To compare cognitive performance among Japanese and American persons, aged 68 years and older, using two nationally representative studies and to examine whether differences can be explained by differences in the distribution of risk factors or in their association with cognitive performance.

Design: Nationally representative studies with harmonized collection of data on cognitive functioning.

Setting: Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging and the US Health and Retirement Study.

Participants: A total of 1953 Japanese adults and 2959 US adults, aged 68 years or older.

Measurements: Episodic memory and arithmetic working memory are measured using immediate and delayed word recall and serial 7s.

Results: Americans have higher scores on episodic memory than Japanese people (0.72 points on a 20-point scale); however, when education is controlled, American and Japanese people did not differ. Level of working memory was higher in Japan (0.36 on a 5-point scale) than in the United States, and the effect of education on working memory was stronger among Americans than Japanese people. There are no differences over the age of 85 years.

Conclusion: Even with large differences in educational attainment and a strong effect of education on cognitive functioning, the overall differences in cognitive functioning between the United States and Japan are modest. Differences in health appear to have little effect on national differences in cognition. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:354-361, 2020.

Keywords: Japan; Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging; US Health and Retirement Study; United States; cognitive performance; education.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(A), Episodic memory score. (B), Serial 7s. Average number of correct responses in Japan and the United States among those aged 68 years and older in episodic memory performance (sum of immediate and delayed word recall; A) and working memory performance (serial 7s; B). Means and P values for country differences can be found in Supplementary Table S1. Significant country differences at P < .05: 68 to 69, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, and 80 to 84 years (A and B).
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