University education and mentally-tough careers may help to avoid Alzheimer’s devastating impact, a study says

A new study says that you can avoid the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s disease on memory if you go to university and then choose a mentally demanding job for yourself, as the researchers find that less intellectual stimulation often causes to quick tissue damage that leads to memory loss.

The researchers suggest that tough mental work or genes that make people have such careers may prove helpful for the brain to compensate for disease.

This Italian study has been published in the journal Neurology.

There are many other studies (based on age and symptoms) that suggest mental activities can help to avoid Alzheimer’s.

The researchers from the San Raffaele University, Milan used brain scan tests to examine the distinctive ‘tangles’ and protein deposits characteristic of Alzheimer’s in 242 old people. In these people 144 had no memory problems, while 72 had mild cognitive impairment.

With a 14-month follow up, the researchers found that people who had mild impairment were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

But, when the scans of people who had the same level of memory problems were compared, the researchers found that the damage was considerably more extensive in those who were university educated and had mentally-tough careers.

The researchers believe that it seems that brain develops a cognitive reserve to cope better with the disease among these people.

The lead author of the study, Dr Valentina Garibotta said: “In the people with university education and mentally-tough careers, the brains can compensate for the damage that allow them to keep functioning despite damage.”