Challenging the Brain Benefits Cognitive Function

Previous studies have shown that completing more formal education benefits brain function as we age, with those having a college degree generally retaining cognitive skills better than those with less schooling.  Margie Lachman, from Brandeis University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues completed The Midlife in the United States study, which assessed 3,343 men and women, ages 32 and 84 years, 40% of whom had at least a 4-year college degree. Evaluating how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal memory and executive function, the team found that those with higher education engaged in cognitive activities more often and performed better on the memory tests.  Additionally, some subjects with lower education performed just as well; the researchers found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference.  Specifically, among individuals with low education, those who engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once or week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education.  The researchers urge that: “For those with lower education, engaging frequently in cognitive activities showed significant compensatory benefits for episodic memory, which has promise for reducing social disparities in cognitive aging.”