Spousal loss and cognitive function in later life: a 25-year follow-up in the AGES-Reykjavik study

Abstract

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access. ; The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between loss of a life partner and the development of dementia and decline in cognitive function in later life. We used an Icelandic cohort of 4,370 participants in the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study who were living as married in 1978 (born in 1907-1935) and were either still married (unexposed cohort) or widowed (exposed cohort) at follow-up (in 2002-2006). We ascertained history of marital status and spouse's death by record linkage to the Registry of the Total Population, Statistics Iceland. The outcome measures were as follows: 1) dementia and mild cognitive impairment; and 2) memory, speed of processing, and executive function. During the observation period, 3,007 individuals remained married and 1,363 lost a spouse through death. We did not find any significant associations between loss of a spouse and our outcome variables, except that widowed women had poorer executive function (mean = -0.08) during the first 2 years after their husbands' deaths compared with still-married women (mean = 0.09). Our findings do not support the notion that the risk of dementia is increased following the loss of a spouse, yet women demonstrate a seemingly temporary decline in executive function following the death of a partner. ; University of Iceland Research Fund for Graduate Students Icelandic Research Fund for Graduate Students (Rannis) Memorial Fund of Helga Jonsdottir and Sigurlidi Kristjansson Research Fund of Oldrunarrad Islands Icelandic Gerontological Society Research Fund Fund of Gudmundur Andresson Swedish Society for Medical Research National Institute on Aging N01-AG-1-2100 National Institute on Aging Icelandic Parliament Icelandic Heart Association