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Education, gender and cognitive performance in a 62-year-old normal population: results from the Turva Project

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

R. Portin ,
S. Saarijärvi ,
M. Joukamaa  and
R. K. R. Salokangas
R. Portin*
Affiliation:
Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland
S. Saarijärvi
Affiliation:
Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland
M. Joukamaa
Affiliation:
Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland
R. K. R. Salokangas
Affiliation:
Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr R. Portin, Department of Neurology, University of Turku, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland.
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Synopsis

Four WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) subtests, and tasks of memory and cognitive control were administered to a population sample of 143 men and 179 women. Subjects with a minor advantage in years of education out-performed those with only primary schooling. Gender-related effects were also remarkable. Whereas the general abilities were equal in the genders, women out-performed men on recall of word pairs and objects, on verbal cognitive control and on Digit Symbol. In contrast, men excelled on Trail Making A, and on Block Design. The findings emphasize the need for age norms by gender and education for cognitive tests.

Type
Brief Communication
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 25 , Issue 6 , November 1995 , pp. 1295 - 1298
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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