Studies show that changes in solar and geomagnetic activity (SGA) influence melatonin secretion and the autonomic nervous system. We evaluated associations between solar and geomagnetic activity and cognitive function in the Normative Aging Study from 1992 to 2013. We used logistic and linear generalized estimating equations and regressions to evaluate the associations between moving averages of sunspot number (SSN) and K index (a measure of geomagnetic activity) and a binary measure for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (≤25 or > 25) and six other cognitive tests as continuous measures, combined into one global composite score and considered separately. A one-IQR increase in same-day SSN and K index were associated with 17% (95% CI: 3%, 34%) and 19% (95% CI: 4%, 36%) increases in the odds of low MMSE score. We observed small increases in the global cognitive score with increasing SSN, although we observed decreases specifically in relation to the backwards digit span test. Periods of high SGA were associated with cognitive function. SGA may not equally impact all aspects of cognitive function, as evidenced by differences in associations observed for the MMSE, global cognitive score, and individual cognitive tests. Given that much of the pathology of cognitive decline in the elderly remains unexplained, studies specifically targeting decline and with longer follow-up periods are warranted.

中文翻译：

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规范衰老研究中太阳和地磁活动与认知功能之间的关联


研究表明，太阳和地磁活动 (SGA) 的变化会影响褪黑激素的分泌和自主神经系统。我们在 1992 年至 2013 年的规范老龄化研究中评估了太阳和地磁活动与认知功能之间的关联。我们使用逻辑和线性广义估计方程和回归来评估太阳黑子数 (SSN) 的移动平均值和 K 指数（一种测量方法）之间的关联。地磁活动）和简易精神状态检查（MMSE）分数（≤25 或 > 25）的二元测量以及作为连续测量的其他六项认知测试，合并为一个全局综合分数并单独考虑。当日 SSN 和 K 指数的 1-IQR 增加与低 MMSE 几率增加 17%（95% CI：3%、34%）和 19%（95% CI：4%、36%）相关分数。我们观察到随着 SSN 的增加，整体认知得分略有增加，尽管我们观察到与向后数字跨度测试相关的具体下降。高 SGA 时期与认知功能相关。 SGA 可能不会同等地影响认知功能的所有方面，MMSE、整体认知评分和个人认知测试中观察到的关联差异就证明了这一点。鉴于老年人认知能力下降的大部分病理学仍无法解释，因此有必要进行专门针对认知能力下降并进行较长随访期的研究。