The impact of retirement on executive functions and processing speed: findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

ABSTRACT

We used data from the Comprehensive cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to compare the cognitive performance of retirees and workers (n = 1442), 45–85 years of age at baseline. Speed processing and executive functioning were assessed using standardized assessment tools at baseline and at follow-up, measured 3 years later. Retirees and workers were matched for age, sex, and education using the nearest neighbor propensity score method with a caliper of 0.02. Mixed ANOVA and post hoc analyses were conducted separately for the English- and French-speaking samples. Results for the English-speaking sample showed a significant decline on both the Stroop and the Mental Alternation tasks for retirees compared to workers from baseline to follow-up. These results support previous cross-sectional studies that have demonstrated a negative effect of retirement on executive functioning. The absence of significant results in the French-speaking sample are discussed in terms of sample size and professional occupation.

KEYWORDS:

• CLSA
• older adults
• retirement
• executive functions
• processing speed

Acknowledgments

This research was made possible using the data/biospecimens collected by the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Funding for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) is provided by the Government of Canada through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under grant reference: LSA 94473 and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, as well as the following provinces, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. This research has been conducted using the CLSA dataset Baseline Tracking Dataset version 3.6, Comprehensive Data set version 5.0. Follow-up 1 Tracking Dataset version 2.1, Comprehensive Data set version 3.0 under Application Number 2010023. The CLSA is led by Drs. Parminder Raina, Christina Wolfson and Susan Kirkland.

We would like to thank Meghan Désilets-Jutras and David Proteau for research assistance and Gabrielle Ciquier for English editing.

Disclosure statement

The opinions expressed in this manuscript are the authors’ and do not reflect the views of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability

Data are available from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (www.clsa-elcv.ca) for researchers who meet the criteria for access to de-identified CLSA data.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Explore Grant and a Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société Culture (FRQSC) Grant #2023-NP-311368 to B. Boller. C. Gosselin is a recipient of graduate Scholarships from the Research Center of Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, SSHRC and FRQSC #314855.