Education Protects the Memory

The more educated you are, the lower your risk of memory loss according to research published in the journal Neurology (10/21/2008). Researchers followed over 200 people and scanned their brains for plaques that mark a pre-Alzheimer's memory troubles. In the people with more education, the plaques that formed had less impact on brain function.

The basic idea is that the more education you have, the greater your "cognitive reserve." If you have a lot of cognitive reserve, then small plaques in the brain don't seem to manifest as memory trouble as easy.

Don't think this only has to do with a diploma on the wall. Think about how more educated people tend to think and approach problems. It could simply be that education is a marker for a particular type of problem solving or way of viewing the world.

Must Read: Education Increases Life Expectancy

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