Posted on 02/22/2006 3:49:16 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
THE rate of mental decline seen within patients with Alzheimer's disease is directly related to the educational level of the affected individual, according to a report in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
The new findings are based on a study of 312 patients living in New York who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and followed for an average of 5.6 years. Up to nine neuropsychological tests were performed on each subject during the course of the study.
Overall, mental agility fell by nine per cent of a standard deviation each year, lead author Dr Nikolaos Scarmeas and colleagues from Columbia University Medical Centre in New York note. For each year of added education, the decline increased by 0.3 per cent.
Memory and executive speed, which includes the ability to adapt to change and organise thoughts, were the primary areas affected by educational level, the report indicates.
Further analysis showed the link between education and mental decline was not influenced by age, mental function at the time of diagnosis, or other factors known to influence brain function, such as depression and vascular disease.
Previous studies have provided evidence high levels of education can delay Alzheimer's disease.
The "cognitive reserve" hypothesis has been put forth to explain the effects of education on Alzheimer's disease, Dr Scarmeas and colleagues said.
This theory, they explain, holds that highly educated individuals have more intellectual reserve so the onset of overt Alzheimer's disease symptoms is delayed.
However, once symptoms become apparent, more damage has accumulated than in less educated brains, so the subsequent decline in mental function is more rapid.
BTW, WHERE did they find 312 educated people in New York?
I have read the exact oppisite in other studies, as well as the more education you have the later the onset.
"I'm trying to think but nothing's happenin'" Curly Howard
Total immersion for a minimum of four years in a Socialist environment kills glial cells.
"Have you ever stopped to think....
...and forget to start again?"
Universities. That explains it; they're pseudo-educated.
The report is from Australia, second only in inaccuracies to UK.
That's cuz when the Alzheimers rolls around their brains are already done used up.
Before you put your foot further into your mouth, it's a study from Colombia University Medical Centre in New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
How educated are you?
That explains it.
This obviously means that when liberals are afflicted we may not notice it for years?
Yep, I'd heard about that delayed onset phenomenon as well.
Looks like the last two lines of this article tries to reconcile that
with the "steeper decline" in the more educated folks.
An extended family member is in decline with Alzheimers...but
she is one of the type that can talk to you, "read" you and carry on
rational talk for...awhile.
She totally suckered her daughter and son-in-law for a couple of years
until they got her in for a full diagnostic work-up.
All I know is my mom has it shes in a home for it and it sucks big time I sure miss my old mom
Ruh-roh! Sorry, this sounds more like Homer Simpson.
I am sorry for your loss.
Just lost my MIL from it. Really sad to watch them get worse and worse. Fortunately, she knew who everyone was up until the end, altho she could not communicate. At least they said it was alzheimers. I wonder if they don't toss all dementia into that same diagnosis.....
susie
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.