Sex differences in cognition in healthy elderly individuals.
Sex differences in patterns of cognitive test performance have been attributed to factors, such as sex hormones or sexual dimorphisms in brain structure, that change with normal aging. The current study examined sex differences in patterns of cognitive test performance in healthy elderly individuals. Cognitive test scores of 957 men and women (age 67-89), matched for overall level of cognitive test performance, age, education, and depression scale score, were compared. Men and women were indistinguishable on tests of auditory divided attention, category fluency, and executive functioning. In contrast, women performed better than men on tests of psychomotor speed and verbal learning and memory, whereas men outperformed women on tests of visuoconstruction and visual perception. Our finding that the pattern of sex differences in cognition observed in young adults is observed in old age has implications for future studies of both healthy elderly individuals and of those with cognitive disorders.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. cmunro@jhmi.edu
Cynthia A
CA
Munro
Jessica M
JM
Winicki
David J
DJ
Schretlen
Emily W
EW
Gower
Kathleen A
KA
Turano
Beatriz
B
Muñoz
Lisa
L
Keay
Karen
K
Bandeen-Roche
Sheila K
SK
West
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires