Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease: Activity & education

Activity & education

Exercise may slow brain shrinkage in early Alzheimer's

Low childhood IQ linked to vascular dementia

Size of hippocampus affects dementia-related memory loss

Mental and physical exercise delays dementia

Walking and moderate exercise help prevent dementia

Effect of cognitive reserve on dementia confirmed

Not finishing high school may lead to memory problems

Brain network associated with cognitive reserve identified

Mental stimulation in old age reduces Alzheimer's risk

Enhanced environment restores memory in mice with neurodegeneration

Bilingualism has protective effect in delaying onset of dementia

Learning slows physical progression of Alzheimer's disease

How mental and physical stimulation slows Alzheimer's

Good physical function linked to Alzheimer's delay

Social networks protect against Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's progresses more rapidly in highly educated people

Use your brain, halve your risk of dementia

Exercise protects against Alzheimer's

Study links adolescent IQ/activity levels with risk of dementia

Exercise slows development of Alzheimer's-like brain changes in mice

Enriched environment delays onset of Alzheimer's in mice

More support for role of mental stimulation in protecting against Alzheimer's

Why diet, hormones, exercise might delay Alzheimer’s

Higher education or larger brain size may protect against dementia

More evidence that mental exercise helps prevent or postpone dementia

Effects of Alzheimer's disease may be influenced by education

Mentally stimulating activities may reduce Alzheimer's risk

July 2008

Exercise may slow brain shrinkage in early Alzheimer's

A study of 121 people age 60 and older, of whom 57 were in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, has found that those with early Alzheimer's disease who were less physically fit (measured by cardiorespiratory fitness) had four times more brain shrinkage when compared to normal older adults than those who were more physically fit. The findings suggest the value of physical fitness in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The association existed even after age, gender, severity of dementia, physical activity and frailty were accounted for. There was no relationship between higher fitness levels and brain changes in the group of people without dementia.
The study was published in the July 15 issue of Neurology.  Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/aaon-emp070808.php

June 2008

Low childhood IQ linked to vascular dementia

A study of 173 people from the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932 who have developed dementia has found that, compared to matched controls, those with vascular dementia were 40% more likely to have low IQ scores when they were children than the people who did not develop dementia. This difference was not true for those with Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest that low childhood IQ may act as a risk factor for vascular dementia through vascular risks rather than the "cognitive reserve" theory.
The results were published online June 25 in Neurology.  Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/aaon-lci061708.php

April 2008

Size of hippocampus affects dementia-related memory loss

Autopsies have found that those who had sharp memories and thinking skills at the time of death, despite a high amount of Alzheimer’s plaques, had a significantly bigger hippocampus than those with the same amount of plaques, and a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease before death.
The research was presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12 – April 19.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/aaon-hbi040208.php

January 2008

Mental and physical exercise delays dementia

A study using genetically engineered mice has found providing the mice with an enriched environment that enhanced their mental and physical stimulation improved performance on memory tests at an early stage of Huntington's disease, when memory impairment has begun. Specific molecular changes were also observed at the synapses in the hippocampus. Those without increased mental and physical activity showed decreased levels of specific proteins that are expressed at the synapse, but those exposed to stimulation didn’t. The finding offers hope for slowing the progression of the disease, as well as other dementias.
The report appeared online November 24 in the Neurobiology of Disease. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/ra-map012308.php

December 2007

Walking and moderate exercise help prevent dementia

A four-year study involving 749 older adults has found that the top one-third of participants who exerted the most energy in moderate activities such as walking were significantly less likely to develop vascular dementia than those people in the bottom one-third of the group. Contrary to some reports, no such association was found with Alzheimer’s disease.
The study was published in the December 19 issue of Neurology.  Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-12/aaon-wam121107.php

October 2007

Effect of cognitive reserve on dementia confirmed

Another study has come out confirming that people with more years of education begin to lose their memory later than those with less education, but decline faster once it begins. Researchers note that since the participants were born between 1894 and 1908, their life experiences and education may not represent that of people entering the study age range today.
The findings were published in the October 23 issue of Neurology.    Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/aeco-mep101707.php

Not finishing high school may lead to memory problems

A long-running Finnish study has found that compared with people with five or less years of education, those with six to eight years had a 40% lower risk of developing dementia and those with nine or more years had an 80% lower risk. Generally speaking, people with low education levels seemed to lead unhealthier lifestyles, but the association remained after lifestyle choices and characteristics such as income, occupation, physical activity and smoking had been taken into account.
The study was published in the October 2 issue of Neurology.    Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/aaon-nfh092507.php

August 2007

Brain network associated with cognitive reserve identified

An imaging study involving young (18-30) and older (65-80) adults has identified a brain network within the frontal lobe that is associated with cognitive reserve, the process that allows individuals to resist cognitive decline due to aging or Alzheimer’s disease. Those with higher levels of cognitive reserve were able to activate this network in the brain while working on more difficult tasks, while participants with lower levels of reserve were not able to tap into this particular network. The network was found more often in younger participants, suggesting the network may degrade during aging.
The findings were published online ahead of print August 3 in Cerebral Cortex.   Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/cumc-cri082007.php

June 2007

Mental stimulation in old age reduces Alzheimer's risk

Post-mortem analysis of participants in a large, long-running study has provided more support for the idea that mental stimulation protects against Alzheimer’s. The study found a cognitively active person in old age was 2.6 times less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than a cognitively inactive person in old age. This association remained after controlling for past cognitive activity, lifetime socioeconomic status, and current social and physical activity. Frequent cognitive activity during old age was also associated with reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment.
The study was published online ahead of print June 27 in Neurology. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-06/aaon-fbs061907.htm

April 2007

Enhanced environment restores memory in mice with neurodegeneration

Research involving genetically engineered mice has found that mice whose brains had lost a large number of neurons due to neurodegeneration regained long-term memories and the ability to learn after their surroundings were enriched with toys and other sensory stimuli. The same effect was also achieved through the use of a drug that encourages neuronal growth. The findings suggest not only new approaches to treatment for those with Alzheimer's or other neurodegenerative diseases, but also supports recent suggestions that "memory loss" may be an inaccurate description of the kinds of mental deficits associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The memories are still there; they are simply inaccessible.
The findings were published online ahead of print April 29 in Nature. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/hhmi-eer042507.htm

January 2007

Bilingualism has protective effect in delaying onset of dementia

An analysis of 184 people with dementia (132 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; the remaining 52 with other dementias) found that the mean age of onset of dementia symptoms in the 91 monolingual patients was 71.4 years, while for the 93 bilingual patients it was 75.5 years — a very significant difference. This difference remained even after considering the possible effect of cultural differences, immigration, formal education, employment and even gender as influencers in the results.
The study was published in the February issue of Neuropsychologia. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-01/bcfg-css011107.htm

Learning slows physical progression of Alzheimer's disease

A mouse study has found that short but repeated learning sessions can slow the development of two brain lesions that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease —beta amyloid plaques, and tau tangles. The researchers are now investigating whether more frequent and vigorous learning will have bigger and longer benefits.
The study appears in the January 24 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-01/uoc--lsp011807.htm

July 2006

How mental and physical stimulation slows Alzheimer's

A new study reveals how mental and physical activity slows the cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s. In the study, genetically engineered mice were housed in either standard cages or ones with access to an enriched environment. After five months, the mice housed in the enriched environment had fewer Ab plaques, smaller plaque size, and reduced amyloid angiopathy compared to mice housed in standard cages. However there were no differences in the levels of soluble Ab peptide or the expression levels of its precursor protein (APP). Further investigation revealed differences suggesting that an enriched environment elicits protection via pathways that prevent Ab accumulation and enhance its clearance. The data confirm that an environment rich in mental and physical stimulation slows the progression of Alzheimer-like brain pathology.
The paper appeared in the August issue of the American Journal of Pathology. Full reference
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060724002331.htm

May 2006

Good physical function linked to Alzheimer's delay

A study following 2,288 older adults for six years found that those whose physical function was higher at the start of the study were three times less likely to develop dementia than were those whose physical function was lower.
The report appeared in the May 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-05/ghcc-gpf051806.htm

April 2006

Social networks protect against Alzheimer's

Previous studies have found that older people with more extensive social networks are less likely to suffer cognitive impairment. Now a new study provides evidence that social networks, like education, offers a 'protective reserve' capacity that spares them the clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's disease. 89 elderly people without known dementia participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project underwent annual clinical evaluation and cognitive tests. To determine social network, participants were asked about the number of children they have and see monthly; about the number of relatives, excluding spouse and children, and friends to whom they feel close and with whom they felt at ease and could talk to about private matters and could call upon for help, and how many of these people they see monthly. Their social network was the number of these individuals seen at least once per month. Brain autopsy was done at the time of death. It was found that, as the size of the social network increased, the same amount of Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain (i.e., extent of plaques and tangles) had less effect on cognitive test scores. In other words, for persons without much pathology, social network size had little effect on cognition. However, as the amount of pathology increased, the apparent protective effect on cognition also increased.
The study will be published in the May issue of The Lancet Neurology. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-04/rumc-snp042106.htm

February 2006

Alzheimer's progresses more rapidly in highly educated people

A study of 312 New Yorkers aged 65 and older, who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and monitored for over 5 years, found that overall mental agility declined faster for each additional year of education, particularly in the speed of thought processes and memory, and was independent of age, mental ability at diagnosis, or other factors likely to affect brain function, such as depression and vascular disease. It’s suggested this may reflect the greater ability of brains with a higher cognitive reserve to tolerate damage, meaning the damage is greater by the time it becomes observable in behavior. The finding confirms earlier findings from some epidemiological studies.
The research appeared in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/bsj-adp021506.htm

January 2006

Use your brain, halve your risk of dementia

In the first comprehensive review of the research into 'cognitive reserve', which looks at the role of education, occupational complexity and mentally stimulating activities in preventing cognitive decline, researchers concluded that complex mental activity across people’s lives almost halves the risk of dementia. All the studies also agreed that it was never too late to build cognitive reserve. The review covered 29,000 individuals across 22 studies.
The paper was published online October 6 and will appear in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Medicine. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-01/uons-uyb012406.htm

Exercise protects against Alzheimer's

A study following 1,740 seniors (aged 65 and older) over a six-year period, found that those who exercised three or more times a week had a 30 — 40% lower risk for developing dementia compared with those who exercised fewer than three times per week. Even modest amounts, such as walking 15 minutes a day, appear beneficial, and the more frail the person was, the more they benefited from regular exercise.
The report appeared in the January 17 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-01/ghcc-eil011006.htm

July 2005

Study links adolescent IQ/activity levels with risk of dementia

An analysis of high school records and yearbooks from the mid-1940s, and interviews with some 400 of these graduates, now in their 70s, and their family members, has found that those who were more active in high school and who had higher IQ scores, were less likely to have mild memory and thinking problems and dementia as older adults.
The results were published in the July 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-07/cwru-sla070105.htm

April 2005

Exercise slows development of Alzheimer's-like brain changes in mice

Population-based studies have provided evidence that various lifestyle interventions might help slow the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. A mouse study now provides a clue how that might work. Physical activity enhanced the learning ability of mice genetically engineered to develop amyloid plaques and decreased the level of plaque-forming beta-amyloid protein fragments in their brains. The mice were divided into mice with access to running wheels or no access. The findings are supported by another recent study that found that beta-amyloid levels decreased in the brains of another kind of transgenic mice when they were housed in groups and in environments that were enriched with running wheels, colored tunnels, and toys.
The study appeared in the April 27 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-04/nioa-esd042605.htm

March 2005

Enriched environment delays onset of Alzheimer's in mice

A study of genetically engineered mice has found that an enriched environment, with more opportunities to exercise, explore and interact with others, can dramatically reduce levels of beta-amyloid peptides, hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The mice also showed greater activity for several genes involved in memory and learning, the growth of new nerve cells, cell survival, and the growth of new blood vessels within the brain. As with humans, mice in the enriched environment showed varying levels of activity. The most active were found to have the least beta-amyloid. Researchers suggested the reason may simply be a matter of blood flow; physical and mental activity can stimulate growth of new blood vessels and keep existing vessels open and functional.
The report appeared In the 11 March 2005 issue of Cell. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-03/uocm-eed030705.htm

August 2004

More support for role of mental stimulation in protecting against Alzheimer's

A study of 122 people with Alzheimer's and 235 people without the disease found that people with Alzheimer's are more likely to have had less mentally stimulating careers than their peers who do not have Alzheimer's. Jobs were classified as mentally stimulating based on complexity, variety of tasks, whether it involved creative thinking or manipulation of data. Less mentally demanding jobs included more routine and monotonous tasks. The association did not apply to occupations during a person’s 20s. The study did not control for socioeconomic status, and environmental demands and exposures of occupations, but did control for educational levels.
The study is published in the August 10th issue of Neurology.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-08/uhoc-tmj080904.htm
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040809/full/040809-3.html

February 2004

Why diet, hormones, exercise might delay Alzheimer’s

A theory that changes in fat metabolism in the membranes of nerve cells play a role in Alzheimer's has been supported in a recent study. The study found significantly higher levels of ceramide and cholesterol in the middle frontal gyrus of Alzheimer's patients. The researchers suggest that alterations in fats (especially cholesterol and ceramide) may contribute to a "neurodegenerative cascade" that destroys neurons in Alzheimer's, and that the accumulation of ceramide and cholesterol is triggered by the oxidative stress brought on by the presence of the toxic beta amyloid peptide. The study also suggests a reason for why antioxidants such as vitamin E might delay the onset of Alzheimer's: treatment with Vitamin E reduced the levels of ceramide and cholesterol, resulting in "a significant decrease in the number of neurons killed by the beta amyloid and oxidative stress.
The study was published in the February 17 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-02/aaft-nsm021004.htm

July 2003

Higher education or larger brain size may protect against dementia

More findings from the Nun Study, a longitudinal study of aging and Alzheimer's disease. It was found that nuns who completed 16 or more years of formal education or whose head circumference was in the upper two-thirds were four times less likely to be demented than those with both smaller head circumferences and lower education. (Head circumference is a good indicator of the volume or size of the brain.) It was not that these nuns were less likely to have the brain abnormalities characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, but that the larger brain size and more education provided extra reserve, allowing them to function normally in the presence of such brain abnormalities.
The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-07/uosf-heo071003.htm

June 2003

More evidence that mental exercise helps prevent or postpone dementia

Another study provides support for the idea that mentally demanding activities can help stave off dementia. The study involved 469 people aged 75 and older. Over the course of the study, dementia developed in 124 of the participants (Alzheimer's disease in 61, vascular dementia in 30, mixed dementia in 25, and other types of dementia in 8). Those who participated at least twice weekly in reading, playing games (chess, checkers, backgammon or cards), playing musical instruments, and dancing were significantly less likely to develop dementia. Although the evidence on crossword puzzles was not quite statistically significant, those who did crossword puzzles four days a week had a much lower risk of dementia than those who did one puzzle a week. Most physical activities, like group exercise or team games, had no significant impact. The only exception - ballroom dancing - possibly occurred because of the mental demands of remembering dance steps, responding to music and coordinating with a partner. Although the study was careful to include only those who showed no signs of dementia at the start, it cannot be ruled out that people in very early, pre-clinical stages of dementia may be less likely to participate in mentally demanding activities.
The study was published in the June 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Full reference
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/24/opinion/24TUE4.html?th

Effects of Alzheimer's disease may be influenced by education

New findings from the Religious Orders Study (ROS), a long-running prospective study of aging and cognitive function in Catholic clergy, provides evidence that formal education may provide a cognitive reserve or a "neuroplasticity" that can reduce the effect of AD brain abnormalities on cognitive function in later life. A post-mortem study of the brains of 130 participants who had all undergone cognitive testing some months before death, found that the relationship between cognitive performance and the number of amyloid plaques in the brain (characteristic of Alzheimer’s) changed with level of formal education. The more years education you had, the less effect the same number of plaques had on actual cognitive performance. For example, an 84-year-old woman in the most highly educated group (postgraduate work after college) might score 98.1 (on a scale where the average participant scores 100) in the absence of any plaques. The same age woman with the least education (some college attendance) would score 96.8. In the presence of about 18 plaques (more than the number required for a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s), the more highly educated woman's score would drop about two points, to 96.2, while the score of the woman with less formal education would drop more than 14 points, to 82. It’s worth noting that this considerable difference was observed in a population where even the least educated had some college attendance; presumably the difference would be even more marked in the general population.
The research was published in the June 24 issue of Neurology. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-06/rpsl-rrf062303.htm

February 2002

Mentally stimulating activities may reduce Alzheimer's risk

A study of 700 seniors over several years found that more frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities, such as reading books, newspapers or magazines, engaging in crosswords or card games, was significantly associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Over the period, 111 participants developed AD. In comparing levels of cognitive activity with the risk of developing AD, it was found that a one-point increase in cognitive activity (on a 5-point scale) corresponded with a 33% reduction in the risk of AD. On average, compared with someone with the lowest activity level, the risk of disease was 47% lower for those whose frequency of activity was highest. General cognitive decline was also less among people who did more cognitively stimulating activities.
The study appeared in the February 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Full reference
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-02/nioa-io020802.htm

Return to top