Does the Age of Achieving Pubertal Landmarks Predict Cognition in Older Men? Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study

Purpose

Earlier pubertal maturation in women may be associated with better cognition. It is unclear whether or not this also occurs in men. We tested the hypothesis that earlier pubertal development in men was associated with better cognition in later adulthood in a developing Chinese population.

Methods

Multivariable linear regression was used in cross-sectional study of 2463 older, Chinese men from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Mean pubertal age was calculated as the mean of recalled ages of first nocturnal emission, voice breaking and pubarche. We assessed the association of mean pubertal age with delayed 10-word recall and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores.

Results

Adjusted for age and education, 1 year earlier mean pubertal age was associated with higher delayed 10-word recall (0.06 [95% confidence interval = 0.02–0.10]) and higher MMSE (0.08 [0.03–0.13]) scores. Additional adjustment for childhood and adulthood socio-economic position, sitting height, and leg length did not change the results.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest earlier maturation in men is associated with better cognitive function in later adulthood. Whether pubertal timing is a marker of earlier life exposures or reflects a biological relation between somatrophic and/or gonadotrophic hormones and cognitive development is unclear.

Key Words: Cognition, Epidemiology, Puberty

Selected Abbreviations and Acronyms: CERAD, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease, CI, confidence intervals, FSH, follicular stimulating hormone, GH, growth hormone, GHHARE, Guangzhou Health and Happiness Association for the Respectable Elders, GnRH, gonadotrophin stimulating hormone, IGF, insulin-like growth factor, LH, luteinizing hormone, SD, standard deviations, SEP, socio-economic position, MMSE, mini mental state examination