(Press-News.org) Cognitive function may be a better indicator of the impact of aging on an economy than age-distribution, with chronological age imposing less of a social and economic burden if the population is "functionally" younger, according to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study finds that one standardized indicator of cognitive ability - memory recall - is better in countries where education, nutrition, and health standards are generally higher. Aging populations are of concern to many countries as it is often assumed that ageing necessarily implies a greater cost to society in terms of aged care, age related disease, and reduced capacity to contribute to society.
However this research suggests that the effects of chronological aging are uneven across nations and that in some countries, particularly more affluent ones that are able to invest in early and sustained education and health programs, cognitive function and thus the ability to live healthy, productive lives, is maintained longer.
"Demographic indicators of the economic impact of an aging population typically rely on measures based on populations' age-distribution, expressed as the Old Age Dependency Ratio (OADR). Whilst this is helpful measurement it does not include information on individual characteristics, other than age," says lead author Vegard Skirbekk from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).
"We believe cognitive function can provide a new and comparable measure of how a region or a nation's population may age. Such information can inform early intervention in the education and health systems to try and improve cognitive performance, ultimately reducing the burden of aging."
"For example, in northern Europe or the United States where there is a relatively large population over the age of 65, we found that cognitive function is higher for this age group than for the same age group in Mexico, India and China. Overall, even though Europe and the US may be chronologically older they are 'functionally' younger."
Cognitive ability levels are also good indicators of individual productivity and this has direct relevance to the economic and business activities within a country.
The authors suggest that the difference in cognitive function may be explained by the fact that seniors in some regions of the world experience better conditions during their childhood and adult life; including nutrition, duration and quality of schooling, exposure to disease, and physical and social activity.
The study involved surveys of people aged over fifty years from a range of countries including the United States, Mexico, India, Japan, and across Europe, from both urban and rural areas. The surveys measured, among other parameters, short-term memory, or the ability to immediately recall words read-out to the participants. Immediate recall has been shown to influence decision-making ability and the risk of dementia.
According to the authors, because aspects of cognitive functioning at older ages can now, for the first time, be more readily compared, such a measurement may also serve as a benchmark for countries to assess the burden of aging across nations.
###
Reference: Vegard Skirbekk, Elke Loichinger, and Daniela Weber: Variation in cognitive functioning as a refined approach to comparing aging across countries. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS Early edition Article no 201112173).
For more information or interviews contact:
Vegard Skirbekk, IIASA, Austria: Phone: 43-2236-807-378 skirbekk@iiasa.ac.at
Leane Regan, IIASA, Austria: Phone: 43-664-443-0368 regan@iiasa.ac.at
About IIASA:
IIASA is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policy makers to shape the future of our changing world.
IIASA is independent and funded by scientific institutions in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. http://www.iiasa.ac.at
The research also contributes to the work of the recently established Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (WIC), based in Vienna. The new Wittgenstein Centre is a collaboration between the Vienna Institute of Demography of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and the new Research Institute on Human Capital and Development, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU). It builds on an existing and highly successful collaboration over the past years and is made possible by several European Research Council (ERC) Grants and the Wittgenstein Prize 2010.
Brain function - A new way to measure the burden of aging across nations
2011-12-19
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Legumes give nitrogen-supplying bacteria special access pass
2011-12-19
A 125-year debate on how nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to breach the cell walls of legumes has been settled. A paper to be published on Monday by John Innes Centre scientists reports that plants themselves allow bacteria in.
Once inside the right cells, these bacteria take nitrogen from the air and supply it to legumes in a form they can use, ammonia. Whether the bacteria breach the cell walls by producing enzymes that degrade it, or the plant does the work for them, has been contested since an 1887 paper in which the importance of the breach was first recognised.
"Our ...
Researchers find misinformation about emergency contraception common in low-income neighborhoods
2011-12-19
Boston – Researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that in low-income neighborhoods, misinformation about access to emergency contraception is a common occurrence. These findings appear as a research letter in the Dec. 19 on-line issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration facilitated access to emergency contraception among adolescents by making it available over-the-counter to individuals age 17 years and older.
From September to December 2010, ...
Targeting EETs to treat cardiovascular disease may prove a double-edged sword
2011-12-19
Boston, Mass. – A group of small molecules called EETs – currently under scrutiny as possible treatment targets for a host of cardiovascular diseases – may also drive the growth and spread of cancer, according to researchers at the Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) and other institutions. Their findings also raise the possibility that drugs that block EETs could serve as a new avenue for cancer treatment.
This study, led by Dipak Panigrahy, MD, of DF/CHCC and the Vascular Biology Program at Children's Hospital Boston, appeared online December 19 ...
Cockroach hookup signal could benefit endangered woodpecker
2011-12-19
A North Carolina State University discovery of the unique chemical composition of a cockroach signal – a "Let's hook up" sex pheromone emitted by certain female wood cockroaches to entice potential mates – could have far-ranging benefits, including improved conservation of an endangered woodpecker.
Dr. Coby Schal, Blanton J. Whitmire Professor of Entomology at NC State and the corresponding author of a paper describing the discovery, says that the study, published the week of Dec. 19 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, advances the knowledge of fundamental ...
Wayne State study finds soybean compounds enhances effects of cancer radiotherapy
2011-12-19
Detroit - A Wayne State University researcher has shown that compounds found in soybeans can make radiation treatment of lung cancer tumors more effective while helping to preserve normal tissue.
A team led by Gilda Hillman, Ph.D., professor of radiation oncology at Wayne State University's School of Medicine and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, had shown previously that soy isoflavones, a natural, nontoxic component of soybeans, increase the ability of radiation to kill cancer cells in prostate tumors by blocking DNA repair mechanisms and molecular survival ...
Infrared technology for measuring the effect of fire on materials
2011-12-19
This press release is available in Spanish.
The main problem associated with measuring the effects of fire on materials lies in the temperature of the flames, which reaches over 1000 ºC and can obscure the actual temperature of the material. In addition, there is the problem of the high concentration of gasses (CO2, H2O and others), which makes it difficult to obtain clear images of the sample being subjected to fire. In order to solve this problem, the UC3M scientists who developed this method used a measurement that utilizes the infrared spectrum. "To do this, ...
First aid after tick bites
2011-12-19
This press release is available in German.For years, Mrs. S. suffered from joint pain and headaches. After an odyssey through doctors' waiting rooms, one doctor diagnosed Lyme borreliosis – an infectious disease transmitted by ticks. With its bite, the parasite introduced bacteria that then spread throughout the entire body. Mrs. S. is not alone – very often, the disease is recognized too late or not at all, or is not properly treated. Doctors are provided with no clues if the characteristic redness around the bite area is missing. Left untreated, Lyme borreliosis can cause ...
Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are bright star clusters
2011-12-19
Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing the results of a detailed investigation of how many 'ultra-compact dwarf galaxies' (UCDs) can be found in nearby galaxy clusters. UCDs were recognized as a populous and potentially distinct class of stellar systems about a decade ago. But they are still mysterious objects that are characterized by a compact morphology (30-300 light-years in size) and high masses (more than one million solar masses). More generally, their properties (e.g., their size, shape, or luminosity) are similar to those of both star clusters and dwarf galaxies. ...
Article Catalog, a New Article Directory, Offers Free Search Engine Optimization Opportunities for All
2011-12-19
Article Catalog, a new article directory, launched today, Thursday, 15 December, 2011.
The site offers users free, unlimited submissions of articles to its directory. Articles are categorized by industry and have to be a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 2000 words in length. The site is available to companies worldwide and is visually appealing, and has an easy-to-use, straightforward login system and an aesthetically pleasing interface design.
"The idea behind launching this directory was to offer another article marketing opportunity for companies looking ...
Many Business Supplies & Services Consolidated by Grand Rapids, MI Vendor
2011-12-19
Grand Rapids, Michigan's small business community has many vendors to turn to for business supplies and services such as printing, direct marketing and merchant services, but until recently, no vendor sought to simplify small business operations by offering all these services and supplies under one roof. Dodson Group started operations in 1998 providing office supplies and direct mail marketing solutions to automotive dealerships, but as their client base increased, Dodson Group began offering supplemental services to businesses in other industries.
Today, the Grand ...