1936 Birth Cohort | Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science

1936 Birth Cohort

On 4th June 1947, as part of the Scottish Mental Survey, every Scottish schoolchild born in 1936 sat the same test of mental ability: the Moray House Test. In 1997, Professor Lawrence Whalley discovered the Scottish Mental Survey test records at the Scottish Council for Research in Education in Edinburgh and began to trace people who had sat the test in Aberdeen.

The Aberdeen Birth Cohort study was established to follow-up this cohort of individuals. Scotland is the only country in the world to have tested an entire age group in its mental abilities, thus providing a unique opportunity to track the effects of ageing, allowing researchers to compare intelligence in childhood and later life, looking at how the brain ages and the factors affecting this.

For the latest on the '36 cohort, read the newsletter.

1936s Participants

We are currently undertaking the 4th wave in this important long-term study. Information gathered from this wave will continue to help decipher how the human mind and brain ages. Details of this current stage can be seen by clicking on Information Sheet. To find out more about the people involved with the study please see Study Team tab below.

We are not trying to recruit any new people to the study. However we are contacting those men and women who have helped us before as we hope that they will be able to continue to take part in this new phase of the study. You will be familiar with many of the measures we are carrying out as these are repeated to map out how they change within individuals over time.

These include various neuropsychological tests of cognitive function and brain imaging, along with various measures of your physical fitness. There are also some new measures being taken at this new wave.

Study team
Contact us

Study team

Dr Roy Soiza Consultant Geriatrician
Professor Alison Murray Neuroradiologist
Professor Geraldine McNeill Professor of Public Health Nutrition
Professor Louise Phillips Psychologist
Dr Leone Craig Research Fellow in Public Health Nutrition
Professor Paul Haggarty Life-long Health Theme Leader, Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health
Dr Roger Staff Clinical Scientist, Image Analysis
Dr Chris McNeil Research Fellow, Biomedical Imaging
Dr Anca Sandu-Giuraniuc Research Fellow, Biomedical Imaging
Dr Leela Narayanan Clinical Research Fellow, Biomedical Imaging
Dr Gordon Waiter and Dr Trevor Ahearn, Lecturers in MR Physics, Image Analysis
Mrs Dawn Younie, Secretary, arranges MRI appointments
Mrs Teresa Morris, ABC administrator, financial management of grants
Ms Dorota Chapko, PhD student

Contact us

Dr Chris Mcneil
Aberdeen Birth Cohort 1936 Study
University of Aberdeen
F04
Lilian Sutton Building
University of Aberdeen
Foresterhill
Aberdeen
AB25 2ZD

Email: c.mcneil@abdn.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1224 438353

For Researchers

A Steering Committee has been set up which is responsible for the future preservation of the access to the Aberdeen Birth Cohort databases. If you are interested in accessing data from the studies further details can be found in Data Access tab below.

For an outline of what we have found so far please see our Publications tab below.

Data access

Regulations for access are as follows:

i. All requests for access must be made through the Database Steering Committee in order to ensure that the proposed use of the data conforms to accepted scientific standards in terms of methodology, confidentiality and ethics.

ii. Access will only be available to applicants who, in the opinion of the Committee, are bona fide research workers. The Committee will advise whether Research Ethics Committee approval is required prior to granting access to data. Applicants will be required to complete and sign the application form and, if necessary, forward a copy of their letter of approval from the Ethics Committee.

iii. Copies of the complete dataset even without identifiable items will only be supplied under exceptional circumstances.

iv. Data will usually be provided on requested items in an extract file on disk or sent via electronic mail. Such an extract file will not include identifiable data. When an applicant for data has provided identification data, the extract file will contain the requestor's identifiers and the additional items requested from the Databank. Such files will be encrypted. No data can be transferred to a third party without written permission from the Steering Committee. The data can only be used for the specified project. The Steering Committee may request that copies of data are destroyed once analyses are complete.

v. Processing and use of data must comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act (1998). All applicants will be required to forward any relevant papers using the supplied data to the Database Steering Committee prior to submission for publication in order to ensure factual accuracy and correct interpretation of the material and to ensure appropriate acknowledgement to the Database Investigators.

vi. The Database Steering Committee, as far as possible, will encourage collaborative research with one or more members or designated colleagues in order to facilitate accurate use and interpretation of the data.

vii. Charges for supplying data will depend on several factors:

origin of the request
whether there has been a previous extraction for the same project
the complexity of the extraction requested

Request Forms

Data request forms are available as a Word file. Click on the link, save the file to your PC, then either print it and complete it or e-mail an electronic copy.

For details of the data available please click here

All enquiries and completed application forms should be addressed to:

Dr Chris McNeil
Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre
Lilian Sutton Building
University of Aberdeen
Foresterhill
ABERDEEN AB25 2ZD

Tel: 01224 438353
Email: c.mcneil@abdn.ac.uk

Publications

2013
Homocysteine, antioxidant micronutrients and late onset dementia. Whalley LJ, Duthie SJ, Collins AR, Starr JM, Deary IJ, Lemmon H, Duthie AC, Murray AD, Staff RT. Eur J Nutr. 2013 Apr 27. [Epub ahead of print] Depressive symptoms in late life and cerebrovascular disease: the importance of intelligence and lesion location. Murray AD, Staff RT, McNeil CJ, Salarirad S, Phillips LH, Starr J, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Depress Anxiety. 2013 Jan;30(1):77-84. Genetic and environmental factors in late onset dementia: possible role for early parental death. Whalley LJ, Staff RT, Murray AD, Deary IJ, Starr JM. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013 Jan;28(1):75-81.
2012
Brain structural complexity and life course cognitive change. Mustafa N, Ahearn TS, Waiter GD, Murray AD, Whalley LJ, Staff RT. Neuroimage. 2012 Jul 2;61(3):694-701. Anticholinergic drugs in late life: adverse effects on cognition but not on progress to dementia. Whalley LJ, Sharma S, Fox HC, Murray AD, Staff RT, Duthie AC, Deary IJ, Starr JM. J Alzheimers Dis. 2012;30(2):253-61. Childhood socioeconomic status and adult brain size: childhood socioeconomic status influences adult hippocampal size. Staff RT, Murray AD, Ahearn TS, Mustafa N, Fox HC, Whalley LJ. Ann Neurol. 2012 May;71(5):653-60. Brain lesions, hypertension and cognitive ageing in the 1921 and 1936 Aberdeen birth cohorts. Murray AD, Staff RT, McNeil CJ, Salarirad S, Starr JM, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Age (Dordr). 2012 Apr;34(2):451-9.
2011
Childhood intelligence and brain white matter hyperintensities predict fluid intelligence age 78-81 years: a 1921 Aberdeen birth cohort study. Salarirad S, Staff RT, Fox HC, Deary IJ, Whalley L, Murray AD. Age Ageing. 2011 Sep;40(5):562-7. Inter-individual differences in fMRI entropy measurements in old age. Sokunbi MO, Staff RT, Waiter GD, Ahearn TS, Fox HC, Deary IJ, Starr JM, Whalley LJ, Murray AD. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2011 Nov;58(11):3206-14. How the 1932 and 1947 mental surveys of Aberdeen schoolchildren provide a framework to explore the childhood origins of late onset disease and disability. Whalley LJ, Murray AD, Staff RT, Starr JM, Deary IJ, Fox HC, Lemmon H, Duthie SJ, Collins AR, Crawford JR. Maturitas. 2011 Aug;69(4):365-72. The balance between cognitive reserve and brain imaging biomarkers of cerebrovascular and Alzheimer's diseases. Murray AD, Staff RT, McNeil CJ, Salarirad S, Ahearn TS, Mustafa N, Whalley LJ. Brain. 2011 Dec;134(Pt 12):3687-96. Cerebellar brain volume accounts for variance in cognitive performance in older adults. Hogan MJ, Staff RT, Bunting BP, Murray AD, Ahearn TS, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Cortex. 2011 Apr;47(4):441-50.
2010
Brain volume and survival from age 78 to 85: the contribution of Alzheimer-type magnetic resonance imaging findings. Staff RT, Murray AD, Ahearn T, Salarirad S, Mowat D, Starr JM, Deary IJ, Lemmon H, Whalley LJ. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Apr;58(4):688-95. Human intelligence and polymorphisms in the DNA methyltransferase genes involved in epigenetic marking. Haggarty P, Hoad G, Harris SE, Starr JM, Fox HC, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. PLoS One. 2010 Jun 25;5(6):e11329. Brain volume and survival from age 78 to 85: the contribution of Alzheimer-type magnetic resonance imaging findings. Staff RT, Murray AD, Ahearn T, Salarirad S, Mowat D, Starr JM, Deary IJ, Lemmon H, Whalley LJ. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Apr;58(4):688-95. Caffeine, cognition, and socioeconomic status. Kyle J, Fox HC, Whalley LJ. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;20 Suppl 1:S151-9. Solvent Exposure and Cognitive Ability at Age 67: A Follow-Up Study of the 1947 Scottish Mental Survey. Dick FD, Bourne VJ, Semple S, Fox HC, Miller BG, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Occup Environ Med. 2010 Jun;67(6):401-7.
2008
All-cause mortality in the Aberdeen 1921 birth cohort: effects of socio-demographic, physical and cognitive factors. Starr JM, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. BMC Public Health. 2008 Sep 10;8:307. Is retaining the youthful functional anatomy underlying speed of information processing a signature of successful cognitive ageing? An event-related fMRI study of inspection time performance. Waiter GD, Fox HC, Murray AD, Starr JM, Staff RT, Bourne VJ, Whalley LJ, Deary IJ. Neuroimage. 2008 Jun;41(2):581-95. n-3 Fatty acid erythrocyte membrane content, APOE varepsilon4, and cognitive variation: an observational follow-up study in late adulthood. Whalley LJ, Deary IJ, Starr JM, Wahle KW, Rance KA, Bourne VJ, Fox HC. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Feb;87(2):449-54. Quality of life and its correlates in octogenarians. Use of the SEIQoL-DW in Wave 5 of the Aberdeen Birth Cohort 1921 Study (ABC1921). Seymour DG, Starr JM, Fox HC, Lemmon HA, Deary IJ, Prescott GJ, Whalley LJ. Qual Life Res. 2008 Feb;17(1):11-20.
2007
Blood pressure and cognition in the Aberdeen 1936 birth cohort. Starr JM, Deary IJ, Fox H, Whalley LJ. Gerontology. 2007;53(6):432-7. A genetic association analysis of cognitive ability and cognitive ageing using 325 markers for 109 genes associated with oxidative stress or cognition. Harris SE, Fox H, Wright AF, Hayward C, Starr JM, Whalley LJ, Deary IJ. BMC Genet. 2007 Jul 2;8:43. COMT genotype and cognitive ability: a longitudinal aging study. Starr JM, Fox H, Harris SE, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Neurosci Lett. 2007 Jun 21;421(1):57-61. The ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM and Microcephalin is not explained by increased intelligence. Mekel-Bobrov N, Posthuma D, Gilbert SL, Lind P, Gosso MF, Luciano M, Harris SE, Bates TC, Polderman TJ, Whalley LJ, Fox H, Starr JM, Evans PD, Montgomery GW, Fernandes C, Heutink P, Martin NG, Boomsma DI, Deary IJ, Wright MJ, de Geus EJ, Lahn BT. Hum Mol Genet. 2007 Mar 15;16(6):600-8. Smoking and cognitive change from age 11 to 66 years: a confirmatory investigation. Starr JM, Deary IJ, Fox HC, Whalley LJ. Addict Behav. 2007 Jan;32(1):63-8.
2006
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism is associated with age-related change in reasoning skills. Harris SE, Fox H, Wright AF, Hayward C, Starr JM, Whalley LJ, Deary IJ. Mol Psychiatry. 2006 May;11(5):505-13. Generality and specificity in cognitive aging: a volumetric brain analysis. Staff RT, Murray AD, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Neuroimage. 2006 May 1;30(4):1433-40.
2005
Brain white matter hyperintensities: relative importance of vascular risk factors in nondemented elderly people. Murray AD, Staff RT, Shenkin SD, Deary IJ, Starr JM, Whalley LJ. Radiology. 2005 Oct;237(1):251-7. KLOTHO genotype and cognitive ability in childhood and old age in the same individuals. Deary IJ, Harris SE, Fox HC, Hayward C, Wright AF, Starr JM, Whalley LJ. Neurosci Lett. 2005 Apr 11;378(1):22-7. Childhood IQ, smoking, and cognitive change from age 11 to 64 years. Whalley LJ, Fox HC, Deary IJ, Starr JM. Addict Behav. 2005 Jan;30(1):77-88.
2004
Cognitive aging, childhood intelligence, and the use of food supplements: possible involvement of n-3 fatty acids. Whalley LJ, Fox HC, Wahle KW, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6):1650-7. Age at natural menopause and cognition. Whalley LJ, Fox HC, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Maturitas. 2004 Oct 15;49(2):148-56. What provides cerebral reserve? Staff RT, Murray AD, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Brain. 2004 May;127(Pt 5):1191-9.
2003
Quality of Life in healthy old age: relationships with childhood IQ, minor psychological symptoms and optimism. Bain GH, Lemmon H, Teunisse S, Starr JM, Fox HC, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2003 Nov;38(11):632-6. Dietary supplement use in old age: associations with childhood IQ, current cognition and health. Whalley LJ, Fox HC, Lemmon HA, Duthie SJ, Collins AR, Peace H, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2003 Sep;18(9):769-76. Plasma vitamin C, cholesterol and homocysteine are associated with grey matter volume determined by MRI in non-demented old people. Whalley LJ, Staff RT, Murray AD, Duthie SJ, Collins AR, Lemmon HA, Starr JM, Deary IJ. Neurosci Lett. 2003 May 8;341(3):173-6. Brain white matter lesions detected by magnetic resonance [correction of resosnance] imaging are associated with balance and gait speed. Starr JM, Leaper SA, Murray AD, Lemmon HA, Staff RT, Deary IJ, Whalley LJ. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003 Jan;74(1):94-8.
2002
Homocysteine, B vitamin status, and cognitive function in the elderly. Duthie SJ, Whalley LJ, Collins AR, Leaper S, Berger K, Deary IJ. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 May;75(5):908-13.
2001
Neuropsychologic correlates of brain white matter lesions depicted on MR images: 1921 Aberdeen Birth Cohort. Leaper SA, Murray AD, Lemmon HA, Staff RT, Deary IJ, Crawford JR, Whalley LJ. Radiology. 2001 Oct;221(1):51-5. Longitudinal cohort study of childhood IQ and survival up to age 76. Whalley LJ, Deary IJ. BMJ. 2001 Apr 7;322(7290):819.
2000
Mental ability age 11 years and health status age 77 years. Starr JM, Deary IJ, Lemmon H, Whalley LJ. Age Ageing. 2000 Nov;29(6):523-8. Childhood mental ability and dementia. Whalley LJ, Starr JM, Athawes R, Hunter D, Pattie A, Deary IJ. Neurology. 2000 Nov 28;55(10):1455-9.

Grants

Zero-Field MRI to Enhance Diagnosis of Neurodegeneration. Lurie D, Broche L, Counsell CE, Murray AD, Riedel G. EPSRC, £988,625 (FEC £1,247,106) 2013-2016.

Occupational profile and contribution to cognitive reserve. Murray AD, Staff RT, Whalley LJ & Phillips L. Pathways to a healthy life: Pump priming, £2,092, 2013-14.

Life-course determinants of resilience to cognitive decline and mood disorders. Murray AD, Phillips L, Black C, McArdle K. PhD Studentship, £54,570, 2013-2016.

Follow-up of dementia outcomes in the Aberdeen Birth Cohort of 1936 - Secondment for Professor LJ Whalley. Murray AD, £4,020, 2012-2013.

Retinol binding protein 4, brain imaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease, and cognitive decline. Murray AD, Delibegovic M, Staff RT, McNeil C. Tenovus Scotland, £9,839, 2012-2013.

Novel and Collaborative Approaches to Knowledge Exchange in Translational Imaging. SINAPSE, Pfizer, TMVS, Varian, GE healthcare, Siemens, GSK, ReNeuron, LUX Innovate, Propeller, NHS R&D, SHIL. SFC SPIRIT £2,249,194, 2010-2013.