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Alzheimer's memory loss faster among well-educated
A new study, recently published in the journal Neurology, sheds more light on the relationship between education and Alzheimer's disease. Started in the 1980s, the study tracked almost 500 people born from 1894 and 1908; eventually 117 of them developed Alzheimer's or another dementia. Looking at these folks they found that every year of education delayed the accelerated memory decline that precedes dementia by about 2-1/2 months.
"Someone with 16 years of schooling might experience memory decline 50 percent more quickly than another person with just four years education," said Charles B. Hall, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology and population health at Einstein. In short, the more formal education you have, the greater your "cognitive reserve" and because of this the later the diagnosis of Alzheimer's. But once the condition begins to take hold, better-educated people decline more rapidly.
The researcher was done at Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and was reported by Reuters.
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Tags: research | memory | lifelong education | brain health | Alzheimer's disease
Type: Briefly Noted
This doesn't make sense and
This doesn't make sense and is contrary to everything I've heard concerning education and memory loss. I thought, as I'm sure many people do, that the more educated you are, the less likely you are to develop any cognitive problems. I just don't know what to think any more. I think it's just a matter of chance. I also believe that every study that is done is followed by one that completely contradicts it. God help us.
Alzheimer's Studies
It is certainly confusing (which is ironic when you think of it) and you are right that studies often contradict each other. However this one area has a fair amount of consistency. Basically, the more educated you are the "further you have to fall" (so to speak) but you are starting with a greater reserve. So yes you are correct that education has a positive associated with less memory loss, but at the same time has a positive association with the rate of loss. You just don't see the loss as quickly because of the "cognitive reserve". At least that's the theory.
Wesley Wesley [at] lifetwo [dot] com Sign up for the LifeTwo Newsletter!
dementia cause of death
my mother recently died, age 93 and pretty good health. no cancer, heart, diabetis or other conditions. dementia, memory loss, but not extreme. on her death ctf, the dr noted cause of death dementia. i never thought of dementia as a death causing condition. she had a cough at the end and thats all. i just questioning sighting dementia in stead of natural causes as cause of death. can you enlighten me?
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