Meta-analysis of age-related cognitive decline reveals a novel locus for the attention domain and implicates a COVID-19-related gene for global cognitive function.

Introduction: Cognitive abilities have substantial heritability throughout life, as shown by twin- and population-based studies. However, there is limited understanding of the genetic factors related to cognitive decline in aging across neurocognitive domains.

Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis on 3045 individuals aged ≥65, derived from three population-based cohorts, to identify genetic variants associated with the decline of five neurocognitive domains (attention, memory, executive function, language, visuospatial function) and global cognitive decline.