The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohort
Abstract Background With aging populations worldwide, identification of predictors of age-related cognitive decline is becoming increasingly important. The Danish Aging and Cognition Cohort (DanACo) including more than 5000 Danish men was established to investigate predictors of age-related cognitiv...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04841-5 |
| _version_ | 1797266650577240064 |
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| author | Marie Grønkjær Erik Lykke Mortensen Cathrine Lawaetz Wimmelmann Trine Flensborg-Madsen Merete Osler Gunhild Tidemann Okholm |
| author_facet | Marie Grønkjær Erik Lykke Mortensen Cathrine Lawaetz Wimmelmann Trine Flensborg-Madsen Merete Osler Gunhild Tidemann Okholm |
| author_sort | Marie Grønkjær |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background With aging populations worldwide, identification of predictors of age-related cognitive decline is becoming increasingly important. The Danish Aging and Cognition Cohort (DanACo) including more than 5000 Danish men was established to investigate predictors of age-related cognitive decline from young adulthood to late mid-life. Construction and content The DanACo cohort was established through two separate data collections with identical designs involving a follow-up examination in late mid-life of men for whom intelligence test scores were available from their mandatory conscription board examination. The cohort consists of 5,183 men born from 1949 through 1961, with a mean age of 20.4 years at baseline and a mean age of 64.4 years at follow-up. The baseline measures consisted of height, weight, intelligence test score and educational level collected at the conscription board examination. The follow-up assessment consisted of a re-administration of the same intelligence test and a comprehensive questionnaire covering socio-demographic factors, lifestyle, and health-related factors. The data were collected in test sessions with up to 24 participants per session. Using the unique personal identification number assigned to all Danes, the cohort has been linked to data from national administrative and health registers for prospectively collected data on socioeconomic and health-related factors. Utility and discussion The DanACo cohort has some major strengths compared to existing cognitive aging cohorts such as a large sample size (n = 5,183 men), a validated global measure of cognitive ability, a long retest interval (mean 44.0 years) and the availability of prospectively collected data from registries as well as comprehensive questionnaire data. The main weakness is the low participation rate (14.3%) and that the cohort consists of men only. Conclusion Cognitive decline is a result of a summary of factors across the life-course. The DanACo cohort is characterized by a long retest interval and contains data on a wealth of factors across adult life which is essential to establish evidence on predictors of cognitive decline. Moreover, the size of the cohort ensures sufficient statistical power to identify even relatively weak predictors of cognitive decline. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:04:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a130651d5a30478b810c5414f68e9a6e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:04:04Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a130651d5a30478b810c5414f68e9a6e2024-03-10T12:21:38ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182024-03-0124111010.1186/s12877-024-04841-5The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohortMarie Grønkjær0Erik Lykke Mortensen1Cathrine Lawaetz Wimmelmann2Trine Flensborg-Madsen3Merete Osler4Gunhild Tidemann Okholm5Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergDepartment of Public Health, Unit of Medical Psychology, Section of Environmental Health, University of CopenhagenDepartment of Public Health, Unit of Medical Psychology, Section of Environmental Health, University of CopenhagenDepartment of Public Health, Unit of Medical Psychology, Section of Environmental Health, University of CopenhagenCenter for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergCenter for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and FrederiksbergAbstract Background With aging populations worldwide, identification of predictors of age-related cognitive decline is becoming increasingly important. The Danish Aging and Cognition Cohort (DanACo) including more than 5000 Danish men was established to investigate predictors of age-related cognitive decline from young adulthood to late mid-life. Construction and content The DanACo cohort was established through two separate data collections with identical designs involving a follow-up examination in late mid-life of men for whom intelligence test scores were available from their mandatory conscription board examination. The cohort consists of 5,183 men born from 1949 through 1961, with a mean age of 20.4 years at baseline and a mean age of 64.4 years at follow-up. The baseline measures consisted of height, weight, intelligence test score and educational level collected at the conscription board examination. The follow-up assessment consisted of a re-administration of the same intelligence test and a comprehensive questionnaire covering socio-demographic factors, lifestyle, and health-related factors. The data were collected in test sessions with up to 24 participants per session. Using the unique personal identification number assigned to all Danes, the cohort has been linked to data from national administrative and health registers for prospectively collected data on socioeconomic and health-related factors. Utility and discussion The DanACo cohort has some major strengths compared to existing cognitive aging cohorts such as a large sample size (n = 5,183 men), a validated global measure of cognitive ability, a long retest interval (mean 44.0 years) and the availability of prospectively collected data from registries as well as comprehensive questionnaire data. The main weakness is the low participation rate (14.3%) and that the cohort consists of men only. Conclusion Cognitive decline is a result of a summary of factors across the life-course. The DanACo cohort is characterized by a long retest interval and contains data on a wealth of factors across adult life which is essential to establish evidence on predictors of cognitive decline. Moreover, the size of the cohort ensures sufficient statistical power to identify even relatively weak predictors of cognitive decline.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04841-5Cognitive declineIntelligenceBørge Priens Prøve (BPP)AgingDanACoLiKO-15 |
| spellingShingle | Marie Grønkjær Erik Lykke Mortensen Cathrine Lawaetz Wimmelmann Trine Flensborg-Madsen Merete Osler Gunhild Tidemann Okholm The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohort BMC Geriatrics Cognitive decline Intelligence Børge Priens Prøve (BPP) Aging DanACo LiKO-15 |
| title | The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohort |
| title_full | The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohort |
| title_fullStr | The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohort |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohort |
| title_short | The Danish Aging and Cognition (DanACo) cohort |
| title_sort | danish aging and cognition danaco cohort |
| topic | Cognitive decline Intelligence Børge Priens Prøve (BPP) Aging DanACo LiKO-15 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04841-5 |
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