More Years Spent On Education Can Protect Against Memory Loss In Older Age

The number of older citizens growing all over the world, the number of studies investigating Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and neurological diseases, are also on the rise. The latest research explored how dedicating more years to education can affect one’s memory.

Key points:

• Researchers tested the memory performance of over 700 older Taiwanese adults.
• Participants who spent more time on education had a better memory.
• This association was 2,5 times stronger in women than in men.

New research assesses 704 Taiwanese adults, aged between 58-98, with different stages of education, from university graduates – no education at all. Participants’ memory function was measured, once they saw drawings of several objects. 

Unsurprisingly, researchers found that aging negatively influenced a person’s memory. However, the more time participants, especially women, spent in education, the more efficient they were at recalling the objects shown. “In men, the memory increase associated with each year of education was two times larger than the losses experienced during each year of aging. However, in women, the increases were five times larger.”

For example:

The research team discovered the memory function of a 60-year-old woman, with high school education, was similar to the memory capabilities of an 80-year-old woman, with a bachelor’s degree. Proving, 4 Additional years in education can significantly improve cognitive health later in life.

Source:

Early-life education improves memory in old age — Especially for women