Does your job protect you against Alzheimer's disease?

by Rich Bowden - Oct 21 2008, 23:30

A university education and a mentally challenging job help to protect the brain against the onslaught of dementia, a new Italian study has found.

Photo: Mother, Ann Marie/Flickr

Researchers at the San Raffaele University in Milan have said the rigours of study and a stimulating job help protect the brain against the type of memory loss that precedes Alzheimer's disease as people age. The researchers found that those with tertiary educations and mentally stimulating employment coped better with the increase in dementia, possibly through the use of a "cognitive reserve" protecting the brain against the effects of dementia."The theory is that education and demanding jobs create a buffer against the effects of dementia on the brain, or a cognitive reserve," said research leader Dr. Valentina Garibotta in a statement. "The brains are able to compensate for the damage and allow them to maintain functioning in spite of damage.""There are two possible explanations -- the brain could be made stronger through education and occupational challenges, or, genetic factors that enabled people to achieve higher education and occupational achievement might determine the amount of brain reserve," Dr. Garibotta added.The team conducted its study, published in the journal Neurology, on 242 people with Alzheimer's, 72 men and women with mild memory problems, and 144 volunteers with no memory problems whatsoever. They tested the participants to find memory skills and used brain scans to detect Alzheimer's disease. The research confirms previous tests showing people with "cognitive reserve" do cope better at managing the symptoms of dementia.

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