Why more education lowers dementia risk
Examining the brains of 872 people who had been part of three large ageing studies, and who before their deaths had completed questionnaires about their education, the researchers found that more education makes people better able to cope with changes in the brain associated with dementia.
Over the past decade, studies on dementia have consistently showed that the more time you spend in education, the lower your risk of dementia. For each additional year of education there is an 11% decrease in risk of developing dementia, this study reports.
However, these studies have been unable to determine whether or not education - which is linked to higher socioeconomic status and healthier lifestyles - protects the brain against dementia.
This is not the case, the new study lead by Professor Carol Brayne of the University of Cambridge has found. Instead, the study shows people with different levels of education have similar brain pathology but that those with more education are better able to compensate for the effects of dementia.
This is an interesting little piece of research, for it implies that mental training and use early in life, and throughout one’s life, really does make one more able to handle the negative effects of aging on the brain.
That this research showed that it is not merely the case of living a “healthier lifestyle” which makes a difference, but actual brain use (though education), strongly suggests the idea that continued learning throughout life is also important.