Table 3.

Results of p-values for partial f-tests, comparing each represented life course models to a saturated model.

	ACE-III		Verbal memory		Letter search speed		Letter search accuracy
Hypothesis	f	p	f	p	f	p	f	p
Saturated model	Reference		Reference		Reference		Reference
No effect	2.42	0.02	1.86	0.04	2.11	0.03	1.86	0.04
Accumulation	0.91	0.49	1.63	0.13	0.82	0.55	0.91	0.49
Time period
t1 (ages 13–15)	2.81	<0.01	1.78	0.11	1.19	0.31	1.51	0.17
t2 (ages 36–53)	1.96	0.07	1.45	0.19	1.12	0.36	1.72	0.07
t3 (ages 60–69)	1.46	0.19	1.37	0.22	0.98	0.44	1.27	0.27
Best model*	Accumulation		Sensitive period t3 (ages 60–69)		Accumulation		Accumulation

To reduce multi-collinearity of repeated measures, categories at three age spans were chosen to represent case-level affective symptoms in the life course; adolescence (ages 13–15), adulthood (ages 36–53) and later-life (ages 60–69). A higher P-value (or lower f statistic) for the life course model equals a better model fit. The ‘saturated model’ is the most complicated model that contains affective case-level symptoms at all three ages, all two-way interactions and the three-way interaction. The ‘accumulation’ model proposes that the impact of exposure is cumulative over the life course and that the longer an individual is exposed to case-level symptoms, the greater the adverse impact on cognitive function at age 69. A ‘time period’ model proposes that exposure to case-level symptoms during a particular stage in life (e.g., t1, t2 or t3) has an adverse effect on cognitive function at age 69 with little or no influence of exposure to symptoms outside this specified time period. Bold values indicate p-value > 0.05.

*The best model in this case was determined by the lowest f value.