Similarities in cognitive abilities in older couples: a study of mutual influences

ABSTRACT

Objective: Similarities between spouses in cognitive functions have been mainly explained by the assortative mating phenomenon and the convergence for age and education. The mutual influence between spouses is another explanation particularly relevant in the elderly population. Today, it remains difficult to determine whether cognitive similarities exclusively result from the convergence effect or from the mutual influence. Using a novel methodology, the present study aimed to assess the impact of the marital relationship on cognitive similarities among elderly couples.

Methods: 1723 couples from the Three-City Cohort Study were classified in two groups of couples with homogeneous and heterogeneous age and education. We also constituted two groups of pseudo-couples by a random association of individuals, with homogeneous and heterogeneous age and education. Dyadic analyses were conducted in the four groups, regarding the similarities in lexicosemantic abilities, executive functions, memory and global cognitive functioning.

Results: Similarities were found on lexicosemantic abilities both in mate-assorted couples and in couples heterogeneous in age and education but no similarity was found in pseudo-couples.

Discussion: Beyond the convergence effect, the fact that the spouses co-construct their lifestyles may contribute to cognitive similarities in the lexicosemantic domain.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive aging
• marital relationship
• assortative mating
• dyadic analyses
• lexicosemantic abilities

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by several funding sources: the « Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale », the « Caisse Nationale de Maladie des Travailleurs Salariés, Direction Générale de la Santé, MGEN, Institut de la Longévité, Conseils régionaux d’Aquitaine et de Bourgogne, Fondation de France », and Ministry of Research-INSERM Program « Cohortes et Collections de données biologiques ».

The Three-City study is conducted under a partnership agreement among the “Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale” (INSERM), the Segalen-Bordeaux University, and Sanofi-Aventis.

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest and certify that the ideas and data appearing in the manuscript have not been the subject of any prior dissemination.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Conseil régional de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté [-]; Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale [-]; Direction Générale de la Santé [-]; Caisse Nationale de Maladie des Travailleurs Salariés [-]; Ministry of Research-INSERM Program « Cohortes et Collections de données biologiques » [-]; Mutuelle Generale de l’Education Nationale [-]; Institut de la Longévité [-]; Conseil Régional d’Aquitaine [-]; Fondation de France [-]; Université de Bordeaux [-].