They call it cognitive reserve — the idea that some people are able to compensate for failing parts of the brain (memory, for example) because they’ve strengthened other parts.
The theory has been around for a while, and scientists know there is something to it… but how exactly does it relate to Alzheimer’s? That’s been a big question. Studies certainly seem to suggest that people with a healthy cognitive reserve are more likely to resist (or at least stave off) dementia-related diseases.
How do people build up a cognitive reserve, though? And when does that start? Just how much “immunity” (to use the term very loosely) does it provide?
Well, we might have just gotten the answer to one of those questions.
“Building up a dementia-resistant brain and protecting against Alzheimer’s begins as early as childhood,” TIME reports, citing a new study that was recently unveiled at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
Essentially, the study concludes that the sooner you start flexing your brain’s muscles, the better. Following thousands of people over the course of several decades, researchers found a direct correlation between childhood school performance and the development of dementia later in life.
“Those with grades in the lowest 20% showed the highest risk of developing dementia later on,” TIME says. Conversely, higher grades correspond with a reduced prevalence of dementia.
Unfortunately, the data seems to suggest that it is harder to strengthen the cognitive reserve later in life. It isn’t impossible, though. A separate body of research has shown almost conclusively that mental stimulation exercises have a pronounced dementia-fighting effect, even later in life.
There is good news here, then: dementia prevention is not a hopeless battle, nor is it merely a game of gambling. So go grab yourself a Sudoku book and get to work! (And maybe pick up a second copy for your kids and grandkids!)
