To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Education, Demanding Occupations Protect Against Onset of Mild Cognitive Impairment URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22F34A.htm Doctor's Guide October 21, 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn -- October 21, 2008 -- People with more education and more mentally demanding occupations may have protection against mild cognitive impairment, according to a study published in the October 21 issue of Neurology. The study involved 242 people with Alzheimer's disease, 72 people with mild cognitive impairment, and 144 people with no memory problems. Researchers tested the participants' memory and cognitive skills and used brain scans to measure the amount of brain glucose metabolism. The participants were then followed for an average of 14 months. During that time, 21 of the people with mild cognitive impairment developed Alzheimer's disease. The study found that in people with the same level of memory impairment, people with more education and more mentally demanding jobs had significantly more changes and damage in their brains from Alzheimer's disease than people with less education and less mentally demanding jobs. "The theory is that education and demanding jobs create a buffer against the effects of dementia on the brain, or a cognitive reserve," said study author Valentina Garibotto, MD, San Raffaele University and the National Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy. "Their brains are able to compensate for the damage and allow them to maintain functioning in spite of damage. There are 2 possible explanations. The brain could be made stronger through education and occupational challenges. Or, genetic factors that enabled people to achieve higher education and occupational achievement might determine the amount of brain reserve. It isn't possible to determine which accounts for our findings." The results were found in both people with Alzheimer's and people with mild cognitive impairment who developed Alzheimer's during the study, suggesting that the cognitive reserve is already in effect during the mild cognitive impairment phase before Alzheimer's begins, Dr. Garibotto said. People with Alzheimer's disease and people with mild cognitive impairment who developed Alzheimer's during the study had metabolic dysfunction in the areas of the brain consistent with Alzheimer's disease, whereas the healthy people and those with mild cognitive impairment who did not develop Alzheimer's disease had no brain metabolism problems. SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.