Association Between Adult Learning Courses and 19% Decrease in Dementia Risk

A recent scientific investigation indicates that a 19% decrease in the likelihood of dementia onset is associated with participation in adult education courses. This study drew upon the database of the UK Biobank and proposed that adult education could have a protective effect on fluid intelligence and nonverbal reasoning as one grows older.

Engagement in adult educational activities by middle-aged and elderly individuals was found to lessen the risk of being diagnosed with dementia-related conditions like Alzheimer’s by 19% over a five-year span.

A commonly held belief posits that continuous mental stimulation—through activities such as puzzle-solving, sudoku, or specialized video games—can offer some protection against cognitive decline and conditions such as Alzheimer’s as people age. But how about those who take part in adult education courses, like acquiring a new language or skill? Is there a corresponding decreased risk of cognitive degeneration and dementia?

According to a pioneering study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, researchers from the Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, confirm this hypothesis. Dr. Hikaru Takeuchi, the lead author of the study, stated, “Our findings indicate that individuals who are involved in adult learning courses have a reduced risk of experiencing dementia five years later. Additionally, adult education is associated with a better retention of nonverbal reasoning abilities as age progresses.”

UK Biobank Data Utilized

The study conducted by Takeuchi and his co-researcher, Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, involved the analysis of data from the UK Biobank, which contains a wealth of genetic, health, and medical information from nearly half a million British volunteers. Specifically, 282,421 participants aged between 40 and 69 were evaluated for this study, who had been registered between the years 2006 and 2010. They were followed for an average period of seven years at the time of this research.

Participants were assessed for their dementia risk through individual predictive ‘polygenic risk scores,’ based on their genotype at 133 relevant single-locus polymorphisms (SNPs). Participants self-declared their involvement in adult education courses but did not elaborate on the frequency, subject matter, or academic level.

The researchers centered their analysis on data from the initial registration and the third evaluation between the years 2014 and 2018. During these visits, participants underwent a variety of psychological and cognitive evaluations, testing aspects like fluid intelligence, visuospatial memory, and reaction time.

Of the study sample, 1.1% were found to have developed dementia within the research timeframe.

Dementia Risk Reduction Noted

Takeuchi and Kawashima’s findings demonstrated that participants engaged in adult learning at the time of enrollment experienced a 19% reduction in the risk of dementia onset compared to those who were not. This observation was consistent among Caucasians and individuals of other ethnic backgrounds.

Interestingly, even after excluding participants with a history of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, or mental illness, the results remained consistent. This suggests that the lower dementia risk is not solely attributable to those with emerging dementia being hindered by symptoms of these coexisting conditions from taking adult education courses.

The findings also indicated that those involved in adult education courses maintained their levels of fluid intelligence and nonverbal reasoning better than those who did not. However, adult education did not appear to affect the retention of visuospatial memory or reaction time.

Call for Randomized Clinical Trials

“A plausible explanation might be that intellectual activities have a beneficial impact on the nervous system, which might deter the onset of dementia. However, since this is an observational longitudinal study, establishing a direct causal relationship will require further investigation,” noted Kawashima.

To substantiate any protective impact of adult education, Takeuchi recommended that randomized controlled trials be undertaken.

“A controlled experiment could involve encouraging one group of participants to engage in adult education, while another group could be encouraged to engage in a control intervention, providing the same level of social interaction but devoid of educational content,” Takeuchi added.

Funding Sources

This research was financially supported by organizations including the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council, the Department of Health, the Scottish Government, the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the Takeda Science Foundation, JST/RISTEX, and JST/CREST.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Adult Education and Dementia Risk

More about Adult Education and Dementia Risk

• Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience Original Study
• UK Biobank Database
• Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University
• Wellcome Trust Funding Organization
• Medical Research Council
• Department of Health
• Scottish Government Health and Social Care
• Northwest Regional Development Agency
• Takeda Science Foundation
• JST/RISTEX
• JST/CREST