Home › Research › Long-term cohort studies
Cognitive decline and oral health in middle-aged adults in the ARIC study
Naorungroj S, Naorungroj S, Slade GD, Beck JD, Mosley TH, Gottesman RF, Alonso A, Heiss G.. Journal of dental research, 2013-07-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Even before dementia becomes apparent, cognitive decline may contribute to deterioration in oral health. This cohort study of middle-aged adults evaluated associations of six-year change in cognitive function with oral health behaviors and conditions in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Cognitive function was measured at study visits in 1990-1992 and 1996-1998 with three tests: (a) Delayed Word Recall (DWR), (b) Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS), and (c) Word Fluency (WF).
Key findings
- This cohort study of middle-aged adults evaluated associations of six-year change in cognitive function with oral health behaviors and conditions in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
- Cognitive function was measured at study visits in 1990-1992 and 1996-1998 with three tests: (a) Delayed Word Recall (DWR), (b) Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS), and (c) Word Fluency (WF).
- Cognitive decline scores were computed as 'studentized' residuals of 1996-1998 scores regressed against 1990-1992 scores.
- In 1996-1998, 10,050 participants answered dental screening questions, and 5,878 of 8,782 dentate participants received a comprehensive oral examination.
Why it matters
This study looked at whether six-year cognitive decline in middle-aged adults was linked to oral health behaviors and conditions. It does not show that treating oral health problems prevents cognitive decline or dementia, and it is an observational cohort study.
Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants10,050
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of dental research) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Dental Research: journal h-index 302 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 10,050 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 98 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.5 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Gerardo Heiss: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23872988) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Naorungroj, S., Slade, G. D., Beck, J. D., Mosley, T. H., Gottesman, R. F., Alonso, A., et al. (2013). Cognitive decline and oral health in middle-aged adults in the ARIC study. Journal of dental research. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034513497960
Vancouver
Naorungroj S, Slade GD, Beck JD, Mosley TH, Gottesman RF, Alonso A, et al. Cognitive decline and oral health in middle-aged adults in the ARIC study. Journal of dental research. 2013. doi:10.1177/0022034513497960. PMID: 23872988.
BibTeX
@article{naorungroj2013-23872988,
author = {Naorungroj, S. and Slade, G. D. and Beck, J. D. and Mosley, T. H. and Gottesman, R. F. and Alonso, A. and Heiss, G.},
title = {{Cognitive decline and oral health in middle-aged adults in the ARIC study}},
journal = {Journal of dental research},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1177/0022034513497960},
pmid = {23872988},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034513497960}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Long-term cohort studies
Also tagged “cognitive-function”
1,118 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cognitive-function”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,118 tagged studies.