– With rising life expectancies and ageing populations worldwide, preserving cognitive health is an urgent global priority. Chronotype could be a potential risk factor for cognitive decline, potentially through mediators sleep quality, alcohol intake, physical activity, and smoking.

– This study used data from participants aged 40 years and older from the Lifelines cohort study (n = 23,798). Chronotype, assessed with the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire, was included as a continuous score of mid-point sleep corrected for sleep debt on workdays. Multiple linear regression examined the association between chronotype and cognitive decline, including moderation by age, educational attainment, and sex. The KHB-method was applied to test mediation by sleep quality, alcohol intake, physical activity, and smoking.

– Cognition was assessed with the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT), measuring non-verbal fluency and executive functioning. Cognitive decline was calculated by subtracting the RFFT sum score at baseline from the 10-year follow-up score.

– Chronotype was associated with cognitive decline. Educational attainment, but not age or sex, moderated the relationship. No significant associations were observed in the low- (0.07, 95% CI: -0.44, 0.57) or middle- (-0.41, 95% CI: -0.88, 0.06) educational groups. In the high-educational group each one-hour increase in chronotype corresponded to a 0.80-point decline in cognition per decade (95% CI: -1.34, -0.26). In this group, sleep quality and current smoking mediated 13.52% and 18.64% of the association, respectively.

– Chronotype was associated with greater decline in non-verbal fluency and executive functioning among higher educated participants, highlighting the importance of targeted prevention strategies.

– This work is part of the BIRD-NL consortium funded by the Dutch Medical Research Council, ZonMw (Dementia research program) project number:10510032120005.