Study suggests lifelong learning reduces risk of cognitive decline
A study published in Neurology has shown a link between engaging in cognitively enriching activities – such as reading, writing and learning languages – and slower cognitive decline, including an association with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers examined cognitive enrichment – including access to atlases and newspapers in childhood and having library cards in middle age – in 1,939 people with an average age of 80 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. People in the top 10% of lifetime cognitive enrichment had a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment compared to those in the bottom 10%. Higher lifelong enrichment was associated with delays in the onset of dementia by up to five years, and the onset of mild cognitive impairment by up to seven years.
Andrea Zammit, Study Author from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says:
“Our findings are encouraging, suggesting that consistently engaging in a variety of mentally stimulating activities throughout life may make a difference in cognition. Public investments that expand access to enriching environments, like libraries and early education programs designed to spark a lifelong love of learning, may help reduce the incidence of dementia.”
You can read the study here: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214677