Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T16:46:37.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Morning salivary cortisol and cognitive function in mid-life: evidence from a population-based birth cohort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2011

M.-C. Geoffroy ,
C. Hertzman ,
L. Li  and
C. Power
M.-C. Geoffroy
Affiliation:
MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK
C. Hertzman
Affiliation:
School of Population and Public Health, Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Canada
L. Li
Affiliation:
MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK
C. Power*
Affiliation:
MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: Professor C. Power, Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK. (Email: c.power@ich.ucl.ac.uk)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

The hormone ‘cortisol’ has been associated with cognitive deficits in older ages, and also with childhood cognition. The extent to which the associations of cortisol with cognitive deficits in later life reflect associations with childhood cognition ability is unclear. This study aimed to assess associations between adult cortisol levels and subsequent cognitive functions, while considering childhood cognition and other lifetime covariates.

Method

Data are from the 1958 British Birth Cohort. Two morning salivary cortisol samples were obtained at 45 years: 45 min after waking (t1) and 3 h later (t2). Standardized tests assessing immediate and delayed verbal memory, verbal fluency and speed of processing were administered at 50 years. Information on cortisol, cognitive outcomes and covariates [e.g. birthweight, lifetime socio-economic position (SEP), education, smoking and drinking habits, body mass index (BMI), menopausal status, and depression/anxiety] was obtained for 4655 participants.

Results

Worse immediate and delayed verbal memory and verbal fluency at 50 years were predicted by elevated t2 cortisol at 45 years. For instance, for 1 standard deviation (s.d.) increase in t2 cortisol, individuals scored −0.05 s.d. lower on verbal memory and fluency tests. Childhood cognition explained about 30% of these associations, but associations with adult cognition remained.

Conclusions

This study suggests that higher cortisol levels in late morning at 45 years are associated with poorer verbal memory and fluency at 50 years, with a contribution from childhood cognition to these associations.

Keywords

Cognitioncortisolearly lifelife coursememorystress
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 42 , Issue 8 , August 2012 , pp. 1763 - 1773
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adam, EK, Kumari, M (2009). Assessing salivary cortisol in large-scale, epidemiological research. Psychoneuroendocrinology 34, 1423–1436.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anttila, T, Helkala, E-L, Viitanen, M, Kåreholt, I, Fratiglioni, L, Winblad, B, Soininen, H, Tuomilehto, J, Nissinen, A, Kivipelto, M (2004). Alcohol drinking in middle age and subsequent risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in old age: a prospective population based study. British Medical Journal 329, 539–545.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Atherton, K, Fuller, E, Shepherd, P, Strachan, DP, Power, C (2008). Loss and representativeness in a biomedical survey at age 45 years: 1958 British birth cohort. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 62, 216–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badrick, E, Bobak, M, Britton, A, Kirschbaum, C, Marmot, M, Kumari, M (2008). The relationship between alcohol consumption and cortisol secretion in an aging cohort. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 93, 750–757.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beluche, IC, Ritchie, K, Ancelin, ML (2010). A prospective study of diurnal cortisol and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly people. Psychological Medicine 40, 1039–1049.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bremmer, MA, Deeg, DJH, Beekman, ATF, Penninx, BWJH, Lips, P, Hoogendijk, WJG (2007). Major depression in late life is associated with both hypo- and hypercortisolemia. Biological Psychiatry 62, 479–486.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Comijs, HC, Gerritsen, L, Penninx, BWJH, Bremmer, MA, Deeg, DJH, Geerlings, MI (2010). The association between serum cortisol and cognitive decline in older persons. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 18, 42–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corley, J, Gow, AJ, Starr, JM, Deary, IJ (2010). Is body mass index in old age related to cognitive abilities? The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 Study. Psychology and Aging 25, 867–875.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, EP, Sandman, CA (2010). The timing of prenatal exposure to maternal cortisol and psychosocial stress is associated with human infant cognitive development. Child Development 81, 131–148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dickerson, SS, Kemeny, ME (2004). Acute stressors and cortisol responses: a theoretical integration and synthesis of laboratory research. Psychological Bulletin 130, 355–391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Douglas, J (1964). The Home and the School. MacGibbon and Kee: London.Google Scholar
Evans, PD, Fredhoi, C, Loveday, C, Hucklebridge, F, Aitchison, E, Forte, D, Clow, A (2011). The diurnal cortisol cycle and cognitive performance in the healthy old. International Journal of Psychophysiology 79, 371–377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Franz, CE, O'Brien, RC, Hauger, RL, Mendoza, SP, Panizzon, MS, Prom-Wormley, E, Eaves, LJ, Jacobson, K, Lyons, MJ, Lupien, S, Hellhammer, D, Xian, H, Kremen, WS (2011). Cross-sectional and 35-year longitudinal assessment of salivary cortisol and cognitive functioning: the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Psychoneuroendocrinology 36, 1040–1052.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Geoffroy, M-C, Côté, SM, Giguère, C-É, Dionne, G, Zelazo, PD, Tremblay, RE, Boivin, M, Séguin, JR (2010). Closing the gap in academic readiness and achievement: the role of early childcare. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines 51, 1359–1367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gomez, RG, Posener, JA, Keller, J, DeBattista, C, Solvason, B, Schatzberg, AF (2009). Effects of major depression diagnosis and cortisol levels on indices of neurocognitive function. Psychoneuroendocrinology 34, 1012–1018.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hedden, T, Gabrieli, JDE (2004). Insights into the ageing mind: a view from cognitive neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 5, 87–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hinkelmann, K, Moritz, S, Botzenhardt, J, Riedesel, K, Wiedemann, K, Kellner, M, Otte, C (2009). Cognitive impairment in major depression: association with salivary cortisol. Biological Psychiatry 66, 879–885.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karlamangla, AS, Singer, BH, Chodosh, J, McEwen, BS, Seeman, TE (2005). Urinary cortisol excretion as a predictor of incident cognitive impairment. Neurobiology of Aging 26, 80–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kudielka, BM, Broderick, JE, Kirschbaum, C (2003). Compliance with saliva sampling protocols: electronic monitoring reveals invalid cortisol profiles in noncompliant subjects. Psychosomatic Medicine 65, 313–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kunz-Ebrecht, SR, Kirschbaum, C, Marmot, M, Steptoe, A (2004). Differences in cortisol awakening response on work days and weekends in women and men from the Whitehall II cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology 29, 516–528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, BK, Glass, TA, McAtee, MJ, Wand, GS, Bandeen-Roche, K, Bolla, KI, Schwartz, BS (2007). Associations of salivary cortisol with cognitive function in the Baltimore Memory Study. Archives of General Psychiatry 64, 810–818.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, BK, Glass, TA, Wand, GS, McAtee, MJ, Bandeen-Roche, K, Bolla, KI, Schwartz, BS (2008). Apolipoprotein E genotype, cortisol, and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. American Journal of Psychiatry 165, 1456–1464.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
LeWinn, KZ, Stroud, LR, Molnar, BE, Ware, JH, Koenen, KC, Buka, SL (2009). Elevated maternal cortisol levels during pregnancy are associated with reduced childhood IQ. International Journal of Epidemiology 38, 1700–1710.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewis, G, Pelosi, AJ, Araya, R, Dunn, G (1992). Measuring psychiatric disorder in the community: a standardized assessment for use by lay interviewers. Psychological Medicine 22, 465–486.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, G, Cherrier, MM, Tsuang, DW, Petrie, EC, Colasurdo, EA, Craft, S, Schellenberg, GD, Peskind, ER, Raskind, MA, Wilkinson, CW (2006). Salivary cortisol and memory function in human aging. Neurobiology of Aging 27, 1705–1714.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, L, Power, C, Kelly, S, Kirschbaum, C, Hertzman, C (2007). Life-time socio-economic position and cortisol patterns in mid-life. Psychoneuroendocrinology 32, 824–833.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Llewellyn, DJ, Lang, IA, Langa, KM, Huppert, FA (2008). Cognitive function and psychological well-being: findings from a population-based cohort. Age and Ageing 37, 685–689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lupien, S, Lecours, A, Lussier, I, Schwartz, G, Nair, N, Meaney, M (1994). Basal cortisol levels and cognitive deficits in human aging. Journal of Neuroscience 14, 2893–2903.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lupien, SJ, King, S, Meaney, MJ, McEwen, BS (2001). Can poverty get under your skin? Basal cortisol levels and cognitive function in children from low and high socioeconomic status. Development and Psychopathology 13, 653–676.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lupien, SJ, Maheu, F, Tu, M, Fiocco, A, Schramek, TE (2007). The effects of stress and stress hormones on human cognition: implications for the field of brain and cognition. Brain and Cognition 65, 209–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lupien, SJ, McEwen, BS, Gunnar, MR, Heim, C (2009). Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10, 434–445.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maldonado, E, Fernandez, FJ, Trianes, MV, Wesnes, K, Petrini, O, Zangara, A, Enguix, A, Ambrosetti, L (2008). Cognitive performance and morning levels of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase in children reporting high vs. low daily stress perception. Spanish Journal of Psychology 11, 3–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Power, C, Elliott, J (2006). Cohort profile: 1958 British birth cohort (National Child Development Study). International Journal of Epidemiology 35, 34–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Power, C, Li, L, Atherton, K, Hertzman, C (2010). Psychological health throughout life and adult cortisol patterns at age 45 y. Psychoneuroendocrinology 36, 87–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Power, C, Li, L, Hertzman, C (2008). Cognitive development and cortisol patterns in mid-life: findings from a British birth cohort. Psychoneuroendocrinology 33, 530–539.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richards, M, Kuh, D, Hardy, R, Wadsworth, M (1999). Lifetime cognitive function and timing of the natural menopause. Neurology 53, 308–314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richards, M, Shipley, B, Fuhrer, R, Wadsworth, MEJ (2004). Cognitive ability in childhood and cognitive decline in mid-life: longitudinal birth cohort study. British Medical Journal 328, 552.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rohleder, N, Kirschbaum, C (2006). The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in habitual smokers. International Journal of Psychophysiology 59, 236–243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rothman, S, Mattson, M (2010). Adverse stress, hippocampal networks, and Alzheimer's disease. Neuromolecular Medicine 12, 56–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salthouse, TA (2009). When does age-related cognitive decline begin? Neurobiology of Aging 30, 507–514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sauro, MD, Jorgensen, RS, Teal Pedlow, C (2003). Stress, glucocorticoids, and memory: a meta-analytic review. Stress 6, 235–245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seeman, TE, McEwen, BS, Singer, BH, Albert, MS, Rowe, JW (1997). Increase in urinary cortisol excretion and memory declines: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 82, 2458–2465.Google ScholarPubMed
Southgate, V (1962). Southgate Group Reading Tests: Manual of Instructions. University of London Press: London.Google Scholar
Wadsworth, M, Kuh, D, Richards, M, Hardy, R (2006). Cohort Profile: the 1946 National Birth Cohort (MRC National Survey of Health and Development). International Journal of Epidemiology 35, 49–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolkowitz, OM, Burke, H, Epel, ES, Reus, VI (2009). Glucocorticoids: mood, memory, and mechanisms. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1179, 19–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Geoffroy Supplementary Table

Supplementary Table S1: Unweighted Bivariate Correlations Between Childhood and Adulthood Cognitive Tests

Download Geoffroy Supplementary Table(File)
File 11.8 KB