DOES AGING INEVITABLY LEAD TO DECLINES IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF ELITE ACADEMICS

In a 5-year longitudinal study, elderly eminent academics were compare d with elderly blue-collar workers on tests of intelligence and memory . Both blue-collar workers and academics deteriorated on non-verbal ta sks. Their rate of decline did not differ. Contrary to expectations, b lue-collar workers improved while academics deteriorated on a test of verbal reasoning; Moreover, a greater 'proportion' of the academics de teriorated on Similarities and the National Adult Reading Test (NART). In a cross-sectional analysis, the performance of the academics was c ompared with that of young Ph.D. students. With the exception of the N ART, stem completion and figure reproduction, the mean scores of the a cademics were dramatically lower than that of the Ph.D. students. A fe w individuals performed above the mean level of Ph.D. students on each test but no individual performed above the mean on more than two of t he four main tasks. Problems of regression to the mean, differential s urvival effects and sample size were addressed. Two conclusions were d rawn: high ability is not associated with slower rates of decline and cognitive deterioration is universal on tests of non-verbal intelligen ce. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.