TY - JOUR
T1 - Education and Income Show Heterogeneous Relationships to Lifespan Brain and Cognitive Differences Across European and US Cohorts
AU - Walhovd, Kristine B.
AU - Fjell, Anders M.
AU - Wang, Yunpeng
AU - Amlien, Inge K.
AU - Mowinckel, Athanasia M.
AU - Lindenberger, Ulman
AU - Düzel, Sandra
AU - Bartrés-Faz, David
AU - Ebmeier, Klaus P.
AU - Drevon, Christian A.
AU - Baaré, William F. C.
AU - Ghisletta, Paolo
AU - Johansen, Louise Baruël
AU - Kievit, Rogier A.
AU - Henson, Richard N.
AU - Madsen, Kathrine Skak
AU - Nyberg, Lars
AU - R Harris, Jennifer
AU - Solé-Padullés, Cristina
AU - Pudas, Sara
AU - Sørensen, Øystein
AU - Westerhausen, René
AU - Zsoldos, Enikő
AU - Nawijn, Laura
AU - Lyngstad, Torkild Hovde
AU - Suri, Sana
AU - Penninx, Brenda
AU - Rogeberg, Ole J.
AU - Brandmaier, Andreas M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s).
PY - 2022/2/15
Y1 - 2022/2/15
N2 - Higher socio-economic status (SES) has been proposed to have facilitating and protective effects on brain and cognition. We ask whether relationships between SES, brain volumes and cognitive ability differ across cohorts, by age and national origin. European and US cohorts covering the lifespan were studied (4-97 years, N = 500 000; 54 000 w/brain imaging). There was substantial heterogeneity across cohorts for all associations. Education was positively related to intracranial (ICV) and total gray matter (GM) volume. Income was related to ICV, but not GM. We did not observe reliable differences in associations as a function of age. SES was more strongly related to brain and cognition in US than European cohorts. Sample representativity varies, and this study cannot identify mechanisms underlying differences in associations across cohorts. Differences in neuroanatomical volumes partially explained SES-cognition relationships. SES was more strongly related to ICV than to GM, implying that SES-cognition relations in adulthood are less likely grounded in neuroprotective effects on GM volume in aging. The relatively stronger SES-ICV associations rather are compatible with SES-brain volume relationships being established early in life, as ICV stabilizes in childhood. The findings underscore that SES has no uniform association with, or impact on, brain and cognition.
AB - Higher socio-economic status (SES) has been proposed to have facilitating and protective effects on brain and cognition. We ask whether relationships between SES, brain volumes and cognitive ability differ across cohorts, by age and national origin. European and US cohorts covering the lifespan were studied (4-97 years, N = 500 000; 54 000 w/brain imaging). There was substantial heterogeneity across cohorts for all associations. Education was positively related to intracranial (ICV) and total gray matter (GM) volume. Income was related to ICV, but not GM. We did not observe reliable differences in associations as a function of age. SES was more strongly related to brain and cognition in US than European cohorts. Sample representativity varies, and this study cannot identify mechanisms underlying differences in associations across cohorts. Differences in neuroanatomical volumes partially explained SES-cognition relationships. SES was more strongly related to ICV than to GM, implying that SES-cognition relations in adulthood are less likely grounded in neuroprotective effects on GM volume in aging. The relatively stronger SES-ICV associations rather are compatible with SES-brain volume relationships being established early in life, as ICV stabilizes in childhood. The findings underscore that SES has no uniform association with, or impact on, brain and cognition.
KW - brain
KW - cognitive function
KW - lifespan
KW - socioeconomic status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124576525&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhab248
DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhab248
M3 - Article
C2 - 34467389
SN - 1047-3211
VL - 32
SP - 839
EP - 854
JO - Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y.
JF - Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y.
IS - 4
ER -