Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40447721›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Longitudinal relationships between pet ownership and cognitive functioning in later adulthood across pet types and individuals' ages.

Adriana Rostekova, Charikleia Lampraki, Jürgen Maurer, Clément Meier, Maud Wieczorek, Andreas Ihle

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Adriana RostekovaDepartment of Psychology, University of Geneva, Chemin de Pinchat 22, Carouge, Geneva, 1227, Switzerland. adriana.rostekova@unige.ch.
Charikleia LamprakiDepartment of Psychology, University of Geneva, Chemin de Pinchat 22, Carouge, Geneva, 1227, Switzerland.
Jürgen MaurerSwiss Centre of Excellence in Life Course Research LIVES, Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland.
Clément MeierSwiss Centre of Excellence in Life Course Research LIVES, Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland.
Maud WieczorekSwiss Centre of Excellence in Life Course Research LIVES, Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland.
Andreas IhleDepartment of Psychology, University of Geneva, Chemin de Pinchat 22, Carouge, Geneva, 1227, Switzerland.

Funding

Enhancing the Comparability of SHARE with HRS and ELSAR01AG052527 · NIA · MAX PLANCK INST/SOCIAL LAW/SOCIAL POLICY · PI BOERSCH-SUPAN, AXEL H · 2016 to 2020
$2.1M
NIA NIH HHS HHSN271201300071CNIA NIH HHS R01 AG052527
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pet ownership has been shown to have a positive influence on cognitive functioning and cognitive decline in late adulthood. However, there is limited understanding of how different species of pets are associated with these outcomes in different age groups. This study employed a multilevel modelling approach using data from eight waves of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to longitudinally examine: (1) the relationship between pet ownership and cognitive decline over 18 years among adults aged 50 and older, (2) The moderating role of younger vs. older age subgroups on this relationship, and (3) the distinct role of owning dogs, cats, birds, and fish. The targeted cognitive domains were executive functioning and episodic memory. Results confirmed that pet ownership is associated with slower decline in both cognitive domains. While age group did not moderate this relationship, differences emerged in the relationship between cognitive decline and individual pet species. Dog and cat ownership was associated with slower cognitive decline compared to no pet ownership; bird and fish ownership showed no such association. These findings suggest that dog and cat ownership might act as a protective factor aiding to slow down cognitive decline, thus contributing to healthy cognitive ageing.

Indexed as

CognitionCognitive DysfunctionOwnershipPetsAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsAgingAnimalsCatsDogsFemaleFishesHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleCognitive ageingEpisodic memoryExecutive functioningHuman-animal interactionOld agePet ownership

Identifiers

PMID40447721
PMCPMC12125269

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.