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posted by azrael on Wednesday June 25 2014, @04:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the one-last-book-before-I-go dept.

Pacific Standard reports that higher education may stave off dementia for as long as 8 years, even among those with a high genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease; and mid to late life cognitive endeavors may work just as well.

A study by the Mayo Clinic evaluated about 2000 individuals, 70-89 years old, 20% of whom had the APOE4 allele which strongly increases one's risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer's Disease.

All participants then underwent a battery of neuro-psychological tests designed to measure a variety of cognitive skills, including executive functioning, language, and memory. Higher levels of educational, occupational, and cognitive activity are independently associated with a lower risk of dementia.

Among people with the APOE4 variant, who are at relatively high risk for dementia, the difference is huge: The onset of cognitive impairment was delayed, on average, by more than eight and one-half years for people who ranked in the top 25 percent in terms of lifetime intellectual enrichment, compared to those in the bottom 25 percent.

They also found that the number of years of "protection" provided by higher educational attainment (keeping cognitive activity constant) is at least five years, irrespective of sex and APOE4 carrier status. That part about keeping cognitive activity constant means that the delay was associated with the college early in life, not the later cognitive activity.

But continued intellectual activity in mid to late-life is also correlated with staving off dementia onset by up to 7.3 years for non APOE4 carriers, as well as 3.2 years for those having the allele.

Examples of activities the researchers considered cognitively stimulating (if performed at least three times per week) included reading, playing games, music, and participating in arts and crafts. So even for those of us in the geezer crowd, it might not be too late to learn a new language, start designing that software project, writing the next great novel.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Alfred on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:09PM

    by Alfred (4006) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:09PM (#59963) Journal

    >executive functioning
    is that an oxymoron? or pointy-haired-boss quotient?

    More seriously now. I would like to see a histogram of cognitive impairment delay ad a function of lifetime intellectual enrichment rather than just being told two of the quartiles. How much skew is there in that plot? I would like to know how much I need to do something smart instead of my video games to avoid going crazy ya know. These are important things, people!

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:13PM

      by Freeman (732) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:13PM (#59967) Journal

      Did you miss the part where it said "Examples of activities the researchers considered cognitively stimulating (if performed at least three times per week) included ... playing games ...". That looks like a resounding endorsement for Playing Video Games to me.

      --
      Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:36PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:36PM (#59976)

        It's not really clear what they mean by "games". I think puzzle and strategy games would be a lot more stimulating than Twitch Shooter 2014. Or go they mean more traditional things like Chess or Go?

        • (Score: 2) by Alfred on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:13PM

          by Alfred (4006) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:13PM (#59998) Journal

          I think the AC is right. This is not a "resounding" thumbs up for video games. But then again my kind of video games are not twitch shooters. I have been playing through Manufactoria again and having much mental stimulation.

          • (Score: 1) by Freeman on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:54PM

            by Freeman (732) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:54PM (#60014) Journal

            Twitch shooters still require a certain amount of skill and planning for you to be effective. The latter becomes much more necessary as you age, if you actually play FPS games at all. Any game that makes you think is cognitively stimulating. I would say that a twitch FPS game for a first timer would also be cognitively stimulating as they would at the very least have to learn the mechanics. On the other hand a veteran FPS gamer who is just playing to blow off some steam may not get as much cognitive stimulation.

            --
            Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
  • (Score: 4, Informative) by VLM on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:23PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:23PM (#59971)

    "cognitively stimulating"

    Note to the uneducated, this doesn't mean pr0n. Maybe with a good plot it would be OK.

    Personally I don't understand the comment. All I remember of college as a 19 yr old was a lot of drinking. Night school later in life I certainly didn't learn anything just getting the paper to make HR happy. Then again I am highly self educated, and I never let school get in the way of my education.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:42PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:42PM (#59982)

      > Then again I am highly self educated, and I never let school get in the way of my education.

      Or your ego.

    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Preston on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:28PM

      by Preston (4) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:28PM (#60006)

      The dangerous assumption that this study makes is that all that attend a higher education institution are actually engaging in some sort of intellectually stimulating activities. As someone that's attended University and has always been an autodidact, I'd have to say that my best studies have been outside of an institution. The most clueless people I've ever encountered have been at Universities, and no one field seems to be exempt, be it Math, Physics, Law, History, or even Medicine.

    • (Score: 2) by tibman on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:52PM

      by tibman (134) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:52PM (#60012)

      Not only that but typically higher education is done in the early to mid-twenties. TFS points out that is is middle years that prevent dementia. If mental stimulation isn't a regular part of your life, i doubt that attending school for a few years in your forties will save you. Forced mental stimulation is very different than seeking it out.

      --
      SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
  • (Score: 2) by tempest on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:42PM

    by tempest (3050) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:42PM (#59983)

    So even for those of us in the geezer crowd, it might not be too late to learn a new language, start designing that software project, writing the next great novel.

    I'd say it is too late. Realistically, who is going to suddenly pick up those things (and stick with it) to postpone the onset of dementia? These activities are a part of a lifestyle. If you're life revolves around TV, it's unlikely you'll change once you've been in that groove for decades. If you want to invest in the future of your kids, encourage them to learn and create things. When they're 80 and still sharp they won't think of anything you contributed to that, but their life will reflect the kinds of activities they'd done as long as they can remember.

    • (Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:58PM

      by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday June 25 2014, @05:58PM (#59993)

      Given

      "If you're life revolves around TV"

      It might be extremely difficult to detect

      "the onset of dementia"

      until its too late.

      Like stereotypical heart attack dude who doesn't exercise for 60 years, then decides to make up for 60 years of inactivity in about 3 months. Doesn't necessarily work out well. Might have been better starting that stuff at age 10 not 70.

  • (Score: 1) by Acabatag on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:45PM

    by Acabatag (2885) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @06:45PM (#60011)

    Are we talking about 'Lifetime Intellectual Enrichment' or 'People who go to college'? Because most of the people who I know who went to college just did what they were told to do while in college and now just watch television and are duffs like most other people.

    College is a test, conducted to sort out and identify people who will follow the direction of authorities compliantly. Follow the directions well, get a good grade. It's hardly an intellectual pursuit.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by captain normal on Wednesday June 25 2014, @07:58PM

    by captain normal (2205) on Wednesday June 25 2014, @07:58PM (#60029)

    Use it or lose it.

    --
    When life isn't going right, go left.
    • (Score: 1) by freetown on Thursday June 26 2014, @12:42AM

      by freetown (3917) on Thursday June 26 2014, @12:42AM (#60157)

      Yes and that is not dependent on a college education. If you find joy in learning, you will keep your brain plenty busy whether or not you went to college. The real problem is that the world today is full of entertainment designed to just make you passive, and not just mentally, so that you can be more easily fleeced even if you have a college education but drank the kool-aid.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 09 2014, @04:01PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 09 2014, @04:01PM (#66579)

        The real problem is that the world today is full of entertainment designed to just make you passive, and not just mentally, so that you can be more easily fleeced even if you have a college education but drank the kool-aid.

        By kool-aide do you mean Jesus-juice, sorry communion wine?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 26 2014, @04:52AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 26 2014, @04:52AM (#60222)

    this article sounds like a ponzi scam done by college educated people: make some study that college is good for health and we will reduce the life threatening cost of stress that college tuition fees (and dedt) bring to to your life, sayz college marketing department.