An online population-representative longitudinal cognitive dataset from the Understanding America Study

Cognitive epidemiology explores cognitive ability as a risk factor for various health and disease-related outcomes. To support research in this area, the Understanding America Study (UAS)-a nationally representative online probability sample-has developed and collected longitudinal assessments of multiple cognitive domains (e.g., fluid intelligence, executive function, processing speed, verbal episodic memory). These assessments have been compiled into the Cognitive Comprehensive File (CogCF), a publicly available resource of cognitive test data for over 21,000 adults aged 18 years and older. While valuable on its own, the CogCF may also be linked to an extensive range of other publicly available data collected in the UAS, including the complete Health and Retirement Study survey instrument and additional surveys on topics such as job history, personality, financial and psychological wellbeing, healthcare usage, and physical and mental health. These data enable researchers to examine critical questions such as the associations of cognitive ability with everyday life outcomes and factors associated with cognitive changes over the life course.