Education - Possible Protective Factors: Alzheimers

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Education

Epidemiologists have found that a disproportionate number of people with Alzheimer's disease are poorly educated. The reason is unknown, but it raises two intriguing questions. Does education produce biological changes in the brain, actually stimulating neurons to grow and form more synapses? Or is it socioeconomic status, rather than educational level, that makes a difference?

If education causes beneficial changes in brain structure, it's possible that an educated person could lose a certain number of neurons without a noticeable change in mental ability, while an uneducated person who lost the same number would suffer mental deficits. In effect, education might delay the onset of symptoms.

Research supports this theory. Imaging studies of people with the same degree of Alzheimer's symptoms have shown that the most educated people had less brain activity and blood flow to the brain than the least educated people. In other words, it took more brain damage to cause symptoms in the people who'd had the most schooling. Autopsies of participants in an ongoing (longitudinal) study show that among people who had the same degree of brain damage from Alzheimer's, the most educated people experienced the least severe symptoms. Socioeconomic factors may be important, too. People who grow up in poverty are also likely to be poorly educated. But they might also have dietary deficiencies or exposures to more environmental toxins that would leave them vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease later in life. The interaction among these social, economic, and educational factors is complex, further muddying the waters.

Many researchers now believe that education level is less important in maintaining a healthy brain than the habit of staying mentally active as you age. A 2002 study reported an association between frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities (such as reading, doing crossword puzzles, visiting museums) and a reduced risk for Alzheimer's.

Last updated:	January 23, 2007