Scientists debunk the widespread myth about brain aging

For many years, researchers have linked the length of our education with a lower risk of experiencing cognitive decline, which can eventually lead to dementia as we get older.

The researchers’ theory was that through education you can build up a kind of “cognitive reserve” — or in other words, a kind of Buffer against cognitive decline.

But the latest research in this field, spanning 20 years, points in a different direction. Looks from a study in psychology.

Two types of intelligence were tested

In the study, researchers followed nearly 2,000 Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 79 at the start of the study.

Participants’ claimed intelligence, i.e. their ability to synthesize knowledge, facts, and skills, and their fluid intelligence, i.e. the ability to think logically and solve problems in continuously new situations, were tested.

Based on the results, the researchers’ conclusion was quite clear: The length of training had no effect on how quickly participants experienced cognitive decline.

According to the researchers, the result can give an immediate impression of that Against common sense.

to Previous studies They showed that well-educated people are less likely to develop dementia than less educated people.

But the researchers indicated that the connection could be due to other factors. First, people with higher education often already have good cognitive skills. For this reason alone, it will take longer before cognitive decline becomes so severe that it may be dementia.

The second explanation – and perhaps the most important one – is that dementia is associated with a number of socioeconomic factors such as obesity and exposure to air pollution.

People with higher education usually don’t suffer from obesity to the same degree, and thanks to their salaries, they can live in less polluted areas than people with less education. Also for this reason, the risk of cognitive decline and dementia is lower, according to the researchers.