title: Longitudinal evidence of the impact of normal thyroid stimulating hormone variations on cognitive functioning in very old age.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine longitudinal associations among thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and cognitive performance. Data collected at the first three assessment times, approximately 3 years apart, are reported for the survivors (n=45) from a previously published cross-sectional study. Participants were aged 75-93 years at baseline, and data reported were collected in the Kungsholmen Project, a longitudinal project investigating aging and dementia. Analyses revealed that although declining verbal fluency and visuospatial abilities were accompanied by simultaneously declining TSH levels, the pattern of cross-sectional and longitudinal results are interpreted such that declining TSH levels may have caused episodic memory deficits later on. These results were obtained in the examination of 6-year but not 3-year change, and after removal of the cognitive variation associated with depressive mood symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Division of Geriatric Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. ake.wahlin@neurotec.ki.se
authors.forename: Ake
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wahlin
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bunce
authors.forename: Tarja-Brita Robins
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Wahlin
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013548:Sweden; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000502:physiology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine