title: Cognitive performance in young adulthood and midlife: Relations with age, sex, and education-The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
abstract: Age, education, and sex associate with cognitive performance. We investigated associations between age, sex, education, and cognitive performance in young or middle-aged adults and evaluated data reduction methods to optimally capture cognitive performance in our population-based data.
  
  
  
  This study is part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. The 3,596 randomly selected subjects (aged 3-18 years in 1980) have been followed up for 30 years. In 2011, a computer-based cognitive testing battery (the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery [CANTAB]) was used to assess several cognitive domains. Principal component analysis, categorical and standardized classifications were applied to the cognitive data.
  
  
  
  Among 34- to 49-year-old participants, cognitive performance declined with age, while education associated with better cognitive functions in several cognitive domains. Men had higher performance on all cognitive domains except visual or episodic memory, in which women outperformed men. The results were similar regardless of the data reduction method used.
  
  
  
  The associations between sex, age, education, and cognitive performance are already apparent in young adulthood or middle age. Principal component analyses, categorical and standardized classifications are useful tools to analyze CANTAB cognitive data. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Suvi P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Rovio
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pahkala
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere.
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nevalainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juonala
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kähönen
authors.affiliation: Tampere University Hospital.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hutri-Kähönen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories.
authors.forename: Terho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehtimäki
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jokinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Eastern Finland.
authors.forename: Tomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.affiliation: Vaasa Central Hospital.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taittonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, PEDEGO Research Unit, University of Oulu.
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tossavainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Jorma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viikari
authors.affiliation: Turku PET Centre, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Juha O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Rinne
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku.
authors.forename: Olli T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Raitakari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003071:Cognition; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors