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Alcohol and cognitive performance: a longitudinal study of older Japanese Americans. The Kame Project

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2005

Gail E. Bond ,
Robert L. Burr ,
Susan M. McCurry ,
Madeline Murguia Rice ,
Amy R. Borenstein  and
Eric B. Larson
Gail E. Bond
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosocial and Community Health, University of Washington, U.S.A.
Robert L. Burr
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosocial and Community Health, University of Washington, U.S.A.
Susan M. McCurry
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosocial and Community Health, University of Washington, U.S.A.
Madeline Murguia Rice
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, George Washington University, U.S.A.
Amy R. Borenstein
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Florida, U.S.A.
Eric B. Larson
Affiliation:
Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Background: Recent data demonstrate that moderate consumption of alcohol (13–52 grams of ethanol per day) may be beneficial to cognitive functioning among older adults.

Methods: Longitudinal growth curve analyses controlling for baseline age, body mass index (BMI), education/income, migrant status, smoking, history of diagnosed stroke, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), depression, diabetes and stroke (time-varying) were used to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption, gender and cognitive performance over an 8-year follow-up period. The sample included 1624 Japanese American community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older who were cognitively intact at baseline and participated in at least one follow-up examination. Cognitive performance was measured using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI; 0–100 point scale), a global test of cognitive function.

Results: Current consumers (n=480) scored significantly (p<0.05) higher on CASI (mean rate of change−1.22 CASI units) over the 8-year follow-up period than past consumers or abstainers (n=1144; mean rate of change−3.77 CASI units). There was no significant main effect for gender, or an alcohol and gender interaction.

Conclusions: This study provides further support regarding the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive performance over time. Observed benefits were not modified by gender. Future studies need to determine whether alcohol preserves cognition directly or whether other factors such as physiology or cultural drinking practices are driving the observed association.

Keywords

alcoholgendercognitionJapanese Americanslongitudinal
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , December 2005 , pp. 653 - 668
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2005

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