VU Study: Memory Scores of Lithuania’s Older Residents Are Among the Lowest in Europe  

An analysis by researchers at the Institute of Psychology of the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University (VU) has revealed that memory scores among residents of Lithuania aged 50 and over are among the lowest in Europe. 

The analysis used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). This international survey collects information on the health, social, and economic situations, as well as other factors related to ageing among Europeans aged 50 and over, enabling comparisons across different countries. The analysis drew on data from the ninth wave of SHARE, conducted in 2021–2022, covering 65,536 participants from 27 European countries, including 1,394 residents of Lithuania. 

The greatest differences between Lithuania and other countries  

The most pronounced differences between Lithuania and other European countries were found in the ability to memorise and recall new information. Study participants were asked to memorise a set of words and to recall them immediately and after a certain interval. Residents of Lithuania had among the poorest results in immediate word recall across the 27 countries. Only participants in Poland had lower scores when recalling the same words later. 

‘The ability to memorise and later recall new information is one of those cognitive abilities that are more sensitive to age-related changes. However, language abilities and semantic knowledge accumulated over a lifetime may remain relatively more stable. This may partly explain why the results of Lithuanian residents differed so much across the different tasks,’ said Assoc. Prof. Vytautas Jurkuvėnas of the Institute of Psychology of the VU Faculty of Philosophy. 

On the other hand, in a task requiring participants to name as many words as possible belonging to a given category within a limited time, the results of Lithuanian residents were closer to the average for European countries. This task assesses verbal fluency – the ability to quickly retrieve and use knowledge stored in memory. Unlike memorising new information, this ability relies more on knowledge and language skills accumulated over a lifetime. 

The cognitive profile of Lithuanian residents is not uniformly unfavourable – in the European context, the ability to memorise and recall new information stood out the most. 

As Dr Viktorija Azuma, a researcher at the Institute of Psychology of the VU Faculty of Philosophy, explained: ‘These results are also important in the broader context of an ageing society. A decline in cognitive abilities in older age can affect people’s independence and quality of life and, at the societal level, the need for healthcare, social services, and long-term care.’ 

The differences between Lithuania and other European countries therefore raise questions not only about their extent but also about what might explain them. 

The differences persist even after accounting for demographic factors 

When assessing differences in cognitive abilities between countries, it is important to take into account the age, sex, and education of their populations. Various international studies show that all these factors are related to individual differences in cognitive ageing. Research findings are particularly consistent in highlighting the importance of education: it is linked not only to levels of cognitive abilities in older age but also to their development across the lifespan. In this analysis of SHARE data, Lithuania’s results remained among the lowest even after accounting for these factors. This means that Lithuania’s position among other European countries cannot be explained solely by differences in the demographic composition of their populations. 

The differences that have emerged raise an important question: what factors could explain them? According to the VU researchers, further studies will seek to assess the importance of health, lifestyle, social and economic conditions, and other factors for cognitive abilities in older age. 

Previous research shows that cognitive ageing depends not only on biological processes – experiences accumulated over a lifetime and the circumstances of a person’s life may also play a role. These include the nature of their work, social activity, and engagement in activities that support cognitive abilities. 

Similar differences across European regions have been observed in earlier studies: lower cognitive indicators are more common in Eastern European and Mediterranean countries, and higher ones in Northern and Western Europe. 

‘These differences are linked to unequal social and economic conditions, education systems, access to healthcare, and other circumstances experienced over a lifetime. These can be very specific life experiences and opportunities – how many years a person spent in education, what kind of work they did, whether they had opportunities to be physically and socially active or to engage in intellectual activity, and also what their physical and, especially, mental health was like, as well as whether they had access to healthcare services,’ said Assoc. Prof. Jurkuvėnas. 

The important role of cognitive reserve 

Cognitive reserve, built up over a lifetime, also plays an important role. It is linked to a person’s ability to maintain cognitive abilities for longer and to better compensate for age-related changes. The accumulation of cognitive reserve may be influenced by how long a person spent in education and whether they led an active and socially rich personal or professional life. Other experiences gained throughout life may also be important. 

‘It is important to stay cognitively active throughout life. This does not necessarily require special memory training – learning a new language, playing a musical instrument, or acquiring another new skill that requires effort can challenge the brain. Research shows that such activity in older age may help maintain some cognitive abilities, although we cannot claim that it will protect against dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases,’ said Dr Azuma. 

Further analysis of data from Lithuania will be important for determining not only what the cognitive indicators of Lithuanian residents are but also which life circumstances may be associated with them. This would allow for a better understanding of why cognitive ageing differs between European countries and which factors may be especially important for Lithuanian residents. 

The article was prepared as part of the project ‘Factors of Cognitive Ageing in Lithuania: A Comparative Analysis of International SHARE Data’ (Lithuanian: ‘Pažintinio senėjimo veiksniai Lietuvoje: tarptautinių SHARE duomenų lyginamoji analizė’), funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (RCL), contract No. S-LISm-26-2. The researchers working on the project are Dr Viktorija Azuma, Dr Vytautas Jurkuvėnas, and Dr Olga Zamalijeva.