Having studied would slow down the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Indeed, the time between the first disorders and dementia is 15 to 16 years on average among people with a diploma and seven years among those who have not studied according to the results of a study by the Institut national body for health and medical research (Inserm).
Inserm researchers studied information from the PAQUID cohort. This medical database was established 25 years ago. It includes follow-up and cognitive and neurological assessments every two or three years of people over the age of 65 who are in good health.
The disease takes longer to develop
The scientists analyzed the cognitive evolution of 442 participants with Alzheimer’s disease. Among them, 171 had a low level of education and 271 a high level of education. The researchers noticed that the first signs of cognitive decline appear 15 to 16 years before the diagnosis of dementia in educated people compared to 7 years on average in individuals with the lowest level of education. They also found that these educated volunteers suffered fewer disorders and genes in their daily lives.
“Among people who have not studied, cognitive symptoms are more marked from the outset and the repercussions on daily life are immediate. The first phase of decline without functional repercussions does not seem to exist,” explains Helene Amieva, co-author of the study.
Educated people have a more active neural reserve that helps compensate for disorders related to cognitive decline.
“A lot of arguments go in this direction. Imaging data clearly show that the volume of gray matter is greater in people who have studied than in those who have not. This difference corresponds to more neurons, and more synaptic connections. Other work also shows that at the same level of cognitive deficits, people who have studied have a greater cerebral lesion burden than others, reinforcing this hypothesis of cognitive reserve and compensation,” concludes the researcher.
