University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology supported by BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC and MRC

认知老化和认知流行病学爱丁堡大学认知老龄化和认知流行病学中心主任伊恩·迪里教授。我们的目标是：(1)确定与年龄相关的认知衰退的个体差异的风险因素和机制；(2)试图理解为什么先前的认知能力--甚至从童年开始--与晚年的健康和生存有关。随着年龄的增长，人们的大脑和身体其他部分的衰退程度存在很大差异。认知老化是复杂的：一些与年龄相关的智力功能--如词汇、一些数字技能和常识--几乎没有下降，但其他智力从中年开始下降，甚至更早。精神能力是进行日常活动、独立生活以及一般健康和福祉所必需的，而精神能力本身是成年人健康的一个原因，特别是在老年。智力低下，甚至从早年开始，以及任何与年龄相关的认知能力下降，都是早逝和死亡的重要风险因素。我们没有完全了解认知老化的生物学基础，也没有完全理解为什么人类的智力与后来的健康和幸福有关。该中心致力于增加新的、实用的知识，以帮助减少这种无知。

Cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiologyProfessor Ian Deary, Director of the University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology.We aim to: (1) identify the risk factors for, and mechanisms of, individual differences in age-related cognitive decline; and (2) try to understand why prior cognitive ability-even from childhood-is associated with health and survival in later life.People differ greatly in the degree to which their brains, and the rest of their bodies, decline with age. Cognitive ageing is complex: there is little age-related decline in some mental functions-such as vocabulary, some numerical skills, and general knowledge-but other mental capabilities decline from middle age onwards, or even earlier. Mental competence is necessary for carrying out everyday activities, living independently, and for general health and wellbeing, and mental capability itself is a causative factor in adult health, especially in old age. Low levels of mental ability, even from early life, and any age-related cognitive decline, are important risk factors for premature illness and death.We don‘t fully understand the biological foundations of cognitive ageing, and we don‘t fully understand why human intelligence is linked to later health and wellbeing. The Centre is devoted to adding new, practically-useful knowledge to help reduce this ignorance.