Gender Differences in Superior-memory SuperAgers and Associated Factors in an Australian Cohort.

Background: Despite expectations of deterioration in memory function with age, some older adults demonstrate superior memory performance and have been defined as SuperAgers. Method: SuperAgers were identified in a population-based prospective cohort in Australia (n = 1,679; 49.4% female; mean age = 70.6 ±1.5 years) as participants who, over a 12-year period, consistently scored at or above the median of participants 40 years younger on recall tasks. Chi-square and t tests and logistic regression models measured associations between risk factors and being a SuperAger. Results: The prevalence of SuperAgers was higher in women (8.6%) than men (5.3%). Education was associated with being a SuperAger for women (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.01, 1.26]) and men (adjusted OR = 1.22, 95% CI = [1.05, 1.40]). Other associated factors were investigative activities and alcohol consumption for women and social activities and depressive symptoms for men. Conclusion: Adults over 60 can sustain superior memory recall; however, associated factors may vary between genders.

What does (low) education mean in terms of dementia risk? A systematic review and meta-analysis highlighting inconsistency in measuring and operationalising education.

Low education is considered an important modifiable risk factor for dementia worldwide, despite the lack of a formal consensus definition of low education. The primary aim of this systematic review was to document and address the inconsistency in measuring and operationalising education in dementia studies. A secondary aim was to consider the dose of education required to reduce dementia risk. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO with registration ID CRD42018096168. CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycInfo, and Pubmed databases were searched using terms related to education, dementia and/or MCI, and incidence. Studies were eligible for inclusion if a risk ratio for education and any dementia, Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Vascular Dementia (VaD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) was reported in a population cognitively healthy at baseline. Sample sizes for 65 studies meeting selection criteria ranged from 152 to 12,881, representing populations from 24 countries. Risk of bias, assessed using a tool designed specifically for dementia risk studies, was found to be medium or low for all studies. There were 23 continuous, 29 dichotomous, and 31 categorical operationalisations of education reported. Random effects meta-analyses from continuous operationalisations suggested each year of education reduced risk by eight percent for AD (95% CI:5-12%) and seven percent for any dementia (95% CI:6-9%). Dichotomous operationalisations indicated an increased risk for low education of 45% (95% CI:29-63%) for any dementia and 85% (95% CI:56-118%) for AD, however definitions of low education were heterogeneous, ranging from zero to 12 years. There were too few studies to produce summary ratios for VaD or MCI. We conclude that, while the evidence of an association between low education and dementia incidence is robust, inconsistency in the definition, measurement and operationalisation of education hinders the translation of this evidence into practical policy recommendations to reduce dementia risk.

Positive linking: a survival guide on how to keep up-to-date with pediatric infectious diseases literature using Internet technology.

A large number of medical journals publish an increasing number of articles each year. Keeping up-to-date with pediatric literature seems therefore an almost impossible task. For clinicians and researchers, who all have long, busy and tightly scheduled working days, time to find relevant new publications is scarce. The internet now offers numerous tools and opportunities that can help sort through this wealth of information, making it possible to keep up-to-date with relevant literature. In this article, we describe some of the different tools on offer and provide a selection of links and websites that facilitate efficient information management.