A new study suggests a link between antibiotic use in midlife and small decreases in cognitive test scores later in life.

The study, led by researchers from Harvard Medical School and Rush Medical College, found that women who reported at least 2 months of antibiotic exposure in their mid-50s had lower mean scores on a standard cognitive assessment 7 years later compared with those who weren't exposed to antibiotics. The relationship persisted after adjustment for other lifestyle risk factors.

The results were published this week in PLOS One.

Participants tested 7 years after antibiotic exposure

To investigate a potential link between midlife antibiotic exposure and subsequent cognition, the researchers conducted a population-based cohort study among participants in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS2), an ongoing prospective study that began in 1989 with the enrollment of 116,430 female nurses ages 25 to 42.

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