Engaging in mentally stimulating activities throughout your life, such as reading, writing, and learning a new language, may be linked to lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slower decline in cognitive function. That’s the conclusion of a recently published study. NeurologyMedical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The researchers stress that the findings show an association and are not evidence that lifelong learning directly prevents Alzheimer’s disease.
The study found that people who remained more intellectually engaged throughout their lives developed Alzheimer’s disease about five years later than those who were least mentally stimulated. They also developed mild cognitive impairment after an average of seven years.
“Our study focused on activities and resources that stimulate the mind and examined the richness of cognitive function from early childhood to late life,” said study author Dr. Andrea Zammit of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “Our findings suggest that cognitive health in later life is strongly influenced by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments.”
Research Tracks Cognitive Enhancement Over Decades
The researchers followed 1,939 adults, with an average age of 80 years, who did not have dementia at the start of the study. Participants were followed for approximately eight years.
To better understand lifelong learning, the research team investigated cognitive enhancement across three stages of life. Childhood factors before the age of 18 included how often the participants had books read to them, how often they read books, whether they had a newspaper or atlas at home, and whether they had studied a foreign language for five or more years.
Midlife enrichment included income level at age 40, access to resources such as magazine subscriptions, dictionaries and library cards, and how often participants visited places such as museums and libraries. Later life enrichment, beginning around age 80, focused on social security, retirement benefits, and other sources of income, as well as activities such as reading, writing, and gaming.
The researchers calculated an enrichment score for each participant.
Increasing wealth leads to lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease
During the study period, 551 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease and 719 developed mild cognitive impairment.
When researchers compared the top 10% of participants with the highest enrichment scores to the bottom 10%, clear differences emerged. Among the most enriched people, 21% developed Alzheimer’s disease, compared to 34% of the least enriched people.
After accounting for factors such as age, gender, and education, a higher lifespan was associated with a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment.
Brain health benefits may extend to older adults
The time of onset of the disease also varies widely. Those with the highest concentration developed Alzheimer’s disease at an average age of 94 years, while those with the lowest concentration had a 5-year lag at age 88.
For mild cognitive impairment, those with high cognition developed symptoms at an average age of 85 years, while those with low cognition developed symptoms at an average age of 78 years, a delay of seven years.
In the small group of participants who died during the study and underwent autopsies, those who were more well-rounded showed stronger memory and thinking abilities, and a slower decline in cognitive function before death. These benefits persisted even after accounting for early brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, such as the buildup of proteins called amyloid and tau.
Expanding access to enriching activities
“Our findings are encouraging and suggest that continued engagement in a variety of mentally stimulating activities throughout the lifespan can lead to changes in cognition,” Zammit said. “Public investments that expand access to rich environments, such as libraries and early education programs designed to stimulate lifelong learning, can help reduce the incidence of dementia.”
Research limitations and funding
One limitation is that participants reported in detail about early and midlife experiences later in life, which may have influenced memory accuracy.
Main highlights
- New research suggests that staying mentally active throughout life through activities such as reading, writing, and learning new languages is associated with lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slower cognitive decline.
- It is important to note that this study does not directly prove that lifelong learning prevents Alzheimer’s disease, but rather shows an association.
- Researchers followed 1,939 adults to examine how mental stimulation across different life stages, such as access to books, newspapers, and libraries, influenced their later brain health.
- The results were amazing. People in the top 10% of lifetime cognitive gains had a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment compared to those in the bottom 10%.
- Higher levels of mental engagement were also associated with significantly delayed onset of the disease, up to five years for Alzheimer’s disease and seven years for mild cognitive impairment.
- The findings of this study highlighted a promising outcome. Expanding access to learning opportunities, rich environments, and intellectual activities can play an important role in supporting healthier brains as we age.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Michael Arbut, a former Rush University board member.
