Associations of Later-Life Education, the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Change in Older Adults

D D Ward; Mathew J Summers; M J Valenzuela; V K Srikanth; J J Summers; A E King; K Ritchie; A L Robinson; J C Vickers

doi:10.14283/jpad.2019.40

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Associations of Later-Life Education, the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Change in Older Adults

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Associations of Later-Life Education, the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Change in Older Adults

D D Ward, Mathew J Summers, M J Valenzuela, V K Srikanth, J J Summers, A E King, K Ritchie, A L Robinson and J C Vickers

Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, Vol.7(1), pp.37-42

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2019.40

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Abstract

education

BDNF

cognitive

university

intervention

In 358 participants of the Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project, we quantified the cognitive consequences of engaging in varying loads of university-level education in later life, and investigated whether or not BDNF Val66Met affected outcomes. Assessment of neuropsychological, health, and psychosocial function was undertaken at baseline, 12-month, and 24-month follow-up. Education load was positively associated with change in language processing performance, but this effect did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.064). The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism significantly moderated the extent to which education load was associated with improved language processing (P = 0.026), with education load having a significant positive relationship with cognitive change in BDNF Met carriers but not in BDNF Val homozygotes. In older adults who carry BDNF Met, engaging in university-level education improves language processing performance in a load-dependent manner.

Details

Title: Associations of Later-Life Education, the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Change in Older Adults
Authors: D D Ward (Author) - University of Tasmania
Mathew J Summers (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
M J Valenzuela (Author) - University of Sydney
V K Srikanth (Author) - Monash University
J J Summers (Author) - University of Tasmania
A E King (Author) - University of Tasmania
K Ritchie (Author) - La Colombiere Hospital, France
A L Robinson (Author) - University of Tasmania
J C Vickers (Author) - University of Tasmania
Publication details: Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, Vol.7(1), pp.37-42
Publisher: Editions S E R D I
Date published: 2020
DOI: 10.14283/jpad.2019.40
ISSN: 2274-5807
Organisation Unit: School of Health; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health - Psychology; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450660702621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Clinical Neurology

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