ABSTRACT: Objectives Recent studies regarding the relationships between plasma amyloid-? (A?) levels and cognitive performance had inconsistent results. In this study, we aimed to characterize the relationship between cognitive decline and plasma A? levels in a large-sample cognitively normal population. Methods This population-based, prospective cohort study included 1,240 participants with normal cognition. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function at baseline and 2 years later. Restricted cubic splines, multivariate logistic regression, and multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate the type of relationship between cognitive decline during the 2-year follow-up period and plasma A? levels (A?40, A?42, and A?42/40). Results Participants with moderate A?40 levels had the highest risk of cognitive decline during a 2-year follow-up relative to individuals with low A?40 [odds ratio (OR): 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.45–0.81, p < 0.001] or high A?40 (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.49–0.87, p = 0.004) levels. The association between A?40 and cognitive decline did not depend on sex, education level, or APOE ?4 status. There was an interaction found between age (? 65 and > 65 years) and A?40 (p for interaction = 0.021). In individuals older than 65 years, there was a positive linear relationship between plasma A?40 and cognitive decline (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00–1.04, p = 0.027). For participants ? 65 years old, the lower A?40 and higher A?40 groups had a lower risk of cognitive decline than the medium A?40 group (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50–0.94, p = 0.02; OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.45–0.86, p = 0.004). None of relationship between plasma A?42, A?42/40 and cognitive decline was found during a 2-year follow-up. Conclusion The relationship between plasma A?40 and cognitive decline was not linear, but an inverted-U shape in a cognitively normal population. The underlying mechanism requires further investigation.