Abstract
Background
Social context influences cognitive aging, yet it is unknown whether highly structured living environments characterized by consistent routines, shared roles, and stable daily activities are beneficial for cognition.
Objective
To determine whether membership in the Religious Orders Study (ROS) versus the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) was associated with baseline cognition, cognitive decline, and incident dementia, and whether these associations varied by education, social network size, and chronic disease burden.
Methods
Data from 3802 participants in the ROS and MAP were analyzed. ROS is a cohort of older Catholic clergy characterized by shared occupational and social environments, whereas MAP is a community-based cohort of older adults. Longitudinal cognitive performance and incident dementia outcomes were examined in relation to cohort membership after adjustment for relevant covariates. Moderation by education, social network size, and chronic conditions was tested.
Results
MAP participants showed higher baseline performance in semantic memory and perceptual orientation and lower dementia risk. However, ROS participants demonstrated a higher risk of incident dementia but slower decline in global cognition, episodic memory, perceptual speed, semantic memory, and working memory. Moderation effects were observed for education and chronic disease burden, but no consistent pattern emerged across cognitive domains.
Conclusions
ROS cohort membership was associated with slower decline in global cognition, episodic memory, perceptual speed, semantic memory, and working memory despite a higher risk of incident dementia. These findings suggest that characteristics associated with the ROS cohort may be related to cognitive maintenance in later life and warrant further investigation.