Getting a degree slows down dementia

Updated on: Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Attending school and university not only enhances your job prospects but also helps protect you against dementia in the long run.

Cambridge University researchers say education acts as a 'protective layer' around the brain, helping to slow down the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Some of the early symptoms of dementia are memory loss, confusion and mood swings, reports the Daily Mail. Cambridge researchers looked at the brains of 872 people in Europe, donated for research after their deaths, who had all filled in questionnaires about their education.

Just over half - 56 percent - were suffering from some form of dementia at the time of their death. But the scientists found that the disease had progressed far less quickly among those who had spent more time at school or university.

Hanna Keage, a member of the Anglo-Finnish research team, said: "Our study shows that education in early life appears to enable some people to cope with a lot of changes in their brain before showing dementia symptoms."

Professor Carol Brayne, who led the Cambridge scientists, said: "Education is known to be good for population health and equity."

Getting a degree slows down dementia

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