Norms from the Georgia Centenarian Study: measures of verbal abstract reasoning, fluency, memory, and motor function

Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2013;20(5):620-37. doi: 10.1080/13825585.2012.761671. Epub 2013 Feb 4.

Abstract

We previously presented normative data from a relatively large, population-based sample (n = 244) of centenarians and a reference group of octogenarians (n = 80) for several brief, global neurocognitive tasks adapted for use for older adults with physical and sensory limitations ( Miller et al., 2010 , Neuropsychological, Development, and Cognition. Section B: Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 17, 575). Here, we present additional normative data on several domain-specific tasks from these samples from Phase III of the Georgia Centenarian Study, including measures of verbal abstract reasoning, fluency, memory, and motor function. Expected age differences were demonstrated across all cognitive measures, and, consistent with our previous findings, centenarians showed a stronger association between age and performance. Normative tables are presented unweighted as well as population-weighted, and stratified by age and education level. These findings offer a unique contribution to the literature on cognitive aging, as normative performance in this age group is understudied and largely unavailable to clinicians and researchers.

MeSH terms

  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Male
  • Memory*
  • Motor Skills*
  • Problem Solving*