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Previous parity differentially influences cognition in later life depending on dementia status
Bonnie H. Lee, Cindy K. Barha, Jessica A. Chaiton, Stephanie E. Lieblich, Sarah J. Wong, Travis E. Hodges, Tallinn F. L. Splinter, Ging‐Yuek Robin Hsiung et al.. npj Dementia, 2025-10-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Sex influences cognitive aging and dementia, yet research on the impact of female-specific factors, such as parity and fetal sex, on later-life cognition remains limited and equivocal. Inconsistencies in the literature may reflect varying effects across cognitive domains and dementia status. This study reviewed data from female participants of the University of British Columbia Hospital Clinic for Alzheimer and Related Dementias (UBCH CARD) to examine how parity and son-to-daughter ratio affect performance on medial temporal lobe-dependent (episodic memory) and prefrontal lobe-dependent (executive function) tasks depending on dementia status. Among females with dementia, higher parity was associated with reduced episodic memory but enhanced executive function performance, whereas a greater son-to-daughter ratio was associated with reduced executive function performance. These relationships were not observed in cognitively normal females or those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. These results emphasize the importance of integrating sex-specific factors into research and the development of precision therapeutics.
Key findings
- Among females with dementia, higher parity was associated with reduced episodic memory but enhanced executive function performance, whereas a greater son-to-daughter ratio was associated with reduced executive function performance.
- These results emphasize the importance of integrating sex-specific factors into research and the development of precision therapeutics.
Why it matters
Among women with dementia, higher parity was linked to worse episodic memory but better executive function, and a greater ratio of sons to daughters was linked to worse executive function. These relationships were not seen in cognitively normal women or those with mild cognitive impairment, suggesting female-specific factors should be considered in research and treatment.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (npj Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Npj Dementia: journal h-index 10 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.8× 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 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Liisa A.M. Galea: h-index 82 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Toronto: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41078388) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 40 / 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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Lee, B. H., Barha, C. K., Chaiton, J. A., Lieblich, S. E., Wong, S. J., Hodges, T. E., et al. (2025). Previous parity differentially influences cognition in later life depending on dementia status. npj Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44400-025-00035-x
Vancouver
Lee BH, Barha CK, Chaiton JA, Lieblich SE, Wong SJ, Hodges TE, et al. Previous parity differentially influences cognition in later life depending on dementia status. npj Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1038/s44400-025-00035-x. PMID: 41078388.
BibTeX
@article{lee2025-41078388,
author = {Lee, Bonnie H. and Barha, Cindy K. and Chaiton, Jessica A. and Lieblich, Stephanie E. and Wong, Sarah J. and Hodges, Travis E. and Splinter, Tallinn F. L. and Hsiung, Ging‐Yuek Robin and others},
title = {{Previous parity differentially influences cognition in later life depending on dementia status}},
journal = {npj Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s44400-025-00035-x},
pmid = {41078388},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s44400-025-00035-x}
}
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