Educated people who develop dementia lose their memory faster

01/11/2007

Some startling new research has shown that people with more years of education lose their memory faster than those with less education in the years prior to a diagnosis of dementia. Whilst higher levels of education delay the onset of dementia, once it begins, the memory loss is around 4% faster.

The researchers, led by Charles B. Hall, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology and population health at Einstein, studied 117 people who developed dementia out of an original cohort of 488 for an average of six years using annual cognitive tests. The participants ranged from formal education levels of less than three years of elementary school to individuals with postgraduate education.

For each additional year of formal education, the rapid accelerated memory decline associated with oncoming dementia was delayed by approximately two and one half months. However, once that accelerated decline commenced, the people with more education saw their rate of cognitive decline accelerate 4% faster for each additional year of education. The latter portion of this finding corroborates previous research, which had shown that people with more education had more rapid memory loss after diagnosis of dementia.

For example, a college graduate with 16 years of education, whose dementia is diagnosed at age 85, would have begun to experience accelerated memory decline 3.8 years earlier, at age 81, while a person with just four years of education, who is diagnosed at the same age, would have begun to experience a less rapid rate of decline around age 79, 6.3 years before diagnosis.

Dr. Hall said: “Our study showed that a person with 16 years of formal education would experience a rate of memory decline that is 50% faster than someone with just four years' education. This rapid decline may be explained by how people with more education have a greater cognitive reserve, or the brain’s ability to maintain function in spite of damage.

"So, while they’re often diagnosed with dementia at a later date - which we believe may be because of their ability to hide the symptoms - there’s still damage to their brain.”

Dr Hall added that the study was limited since the participants were born between 1894 and 1908 and their life experiences and education may not be representative of people entering the study age range today.

To find out more visit The Albert Einstein College of Medicine at the link below.

http://www.aecom.yu.edu/home.

Relevant links

• The Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Opens a new window)