The role of early-life conditions in the cognitive decline due to adverse events later in life

Serious life events, such as the loss of a relative or the onset of a chronic condition may influence cognitive functioning. We examine whether the cognitive impact of such events is stronger if conditions very early in life were adverse, using Dutch longitudinal data of older persons. We exploit exogenous variation in early-life conditions as generated by the business cycle. © 2010 TheAuthor(s). The Economic Journal © 2010 Royal Economic Society