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can a lifetime of learning put the brakes on dementia?

mental stimulation may have a significant part to play in warding off dementia, according to a new study.

by dave yasvinski

aug 9 2022

4 minute read

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can a lifetime of learning put the brakes on dementia?

the team found that higher cognitive skills in childhood, a higher cognitive reserve index and greater reading ability in midlife were all linked to higher cognitive scores at age 69. getty

a new study has found that people who develop “mental resilience” over the course of a lifetime may be able to delay — and possibly prevent — the emergence of dementia.

the study, published in the journal neurology, found that nurturing a “cognitive reserve,” through activities such as education, employment, socializing and leisure, decreases the risk of cognitive decline, even among those with low cognitive scores as children or those who may be genetically predisposed to dementia. the study builds on previous research that found that those who score poorly on cognitive tests in childhood are more likely to experience a steeper decline later in life.

“these results are exciting because they indicate that cognitive ability is influenced by various factors throughout our lifetime and taking part in an intellectually, socially and physically active lifestyle may help ward off cognitive decline and dementia,” said dorina cadar, author of the study from brighton and sussex medical school. “it’s heartening to find that building up one’s cognitive reserve may offset the negative influence of low childhood cognition for people who might not have benefited from an enriching childhood and offer stronger mental resilience until later in life.

“considering that we struggle to successfully treat dementia, this study is promising that we could and should build our mental resilience throughout our entire life before it’s too late.”

dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of cognitive issues — such as memory loss and difficulty thinking or problem solving — that are significant enough to interfere with daily life, according to the alzheimer society . there are over 500,000 canadians living with dementia today, with another 25,000 diagnosed with the progressive disease every year. two-thirds of those diagnosed over the age of 65 are women.

it is projected that the total annual healthcare costs for canadians with dementia will rise to $16.6-billion by 2031, double the total cost from 2011.

the study consisted of 1,184 people who were born in 1946 in the uk where they took a cognitive test at age 8 and then again at age 69. researchers used a cognitive reserve index that combined subjects’ education level at age, their participation in enriching leisure activities at age 43 and their occupation up to age 53. reading ability was also scored at age 53 and used as a measure of lifelong learning distinct from education and occupation. the cognitive test that participants were given at age 69 has a maximum score of 100 and the subject pool scored an average of 92, with a low score of 53 and a high score of 100.

the team found that higher cognitive skills in childhood, a higher cognitive reserve index and greater reading ability in midlife were all linked to higher cognitive scores at age 69. for every unit increase in childhood test scores, there was a subsequent increase of 0.10 (on average) on cognitive tests at age 69. for every unit increase to the cognitive reserve index, there was a subsequent increase of 0.07 (on average) at 69. for every unit increase in reading ability, cognitive scores, on average, increased by 0.22 at age 69.

the team also found that those who achieved higher education (such as a bachelor’s degree) scored an average of 1.22 more on old-age cognitive tests than those with no formal education. people who had six or more leisure activities in midlife (such as clubs, volunteer work and gardening) scored 1.53 more on average than those with up to four leisure activities. those with a professional or intermediate level job registered 1.5 more on average than those in unskilled occupations.

notably, subjects with a higher cognitive reserve index and reading ability later in life did not decline as rapidly as those with lower scores regardless of how they performed on tests when they were eight years old.

“this long-term alzheimer’s society-funded study adds to a popular theory that the more you regularly challenge your brain, the less likely you are to experience memory and thinking problems in your later years,” said katherine gray, research communications manager at alzheimer’s society. “from childhood to adulthood, participants who kept their brain active, whether it’s in education, their career or by taking part in complex hobbies, had better thinking abilities by the age of 69.

“while there are many risk factors related to developing dementia, it is hopeful to know that engaging in mentally stimulating activities and finding ways to regularly challenge your brain can help reduce the development of memory and thinking problems in the future.”

a limitation of this research lies in the fact that the people who made it to the end of the study may be more likely to be healthier, more socially advantaged and have better thinking skills than those who did not reach the end, meaning the results may not reflect the general population.

dave yasvinski is a writer with  healthing.ca

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dave yasvinski

can a lifetime of learning put the brakes on dementia?

mental stimulation may have a significant part to play in warding off dementia, according to a new study.

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can a lifetime of learning put the brakes on dementia?

mental stimulation may have a significant part to play in warding off dementia, according to a new study.

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