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Further education improves cognitive reserve and triggers improvement in selective cognitive functions in older adults: The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project.

ABSTRACT: The strong link between early-life education and subsequent reduced risk of dementia suggests that education in later life could enhance cognitive function and may reduce age-related cognitive decline and protect against dementia.Episodic memory, working memory, executive function, and language processing performances were assessed annually over 4 years in 359 healthy older adults who attended university for a minimum of 12 months (intervention) and were compared against 100 healthy adult controls.Multiple group latent growth curve modeling revealed a significant improvement in language processing capacity over time in the intervention group. No changes were detected for episodic memory, working memory, or executive function.These results suggest that complex mental stimulation resulting from late-life further education results in improved crystallized knowledge but no changes to fluid cognitive functions.

SUBMITTER: Thow ME

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5633863 | biostudies-other | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Further education improves cognitive reserve and triggers improvement in selective cognitive functions in older adults: The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project.

Thow Megan E ME Summers Mathew J MJ Saunders Nichole L NL Summers Jeffery J JJ Ritchie Karen K Vickers James C JC

Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 20170919

<h4>Introduction</h4>The strong link between early-life education and subsequent reduced risk of dementia suggests that education in later life could enhance cognitive function and may reduce age-related cognitive decline and protect against dementia.<h4>Methods</h4>Episodic memory, working memory, executive function, and language processing performances were assessed annually over 4 years in 359 healthy older adults who attended university for a minimum of 12 months (intervention) and were comp ...[more]

PMID: 29034310

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Project description:BackgroundCognitive reserve is most commonly measured using socio-behavioural proxy variables. These variables are easy to collect, have a straightforward interpretation, and are widely associated with reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline in epidemiological studies. However, the specific proxies vary across studies and have rarely been assessed in complete models of cognitive reserve (i.e. alongside both a measure of cognitive outcome and a measure of brain structure). Complete models can test independent associations between proxies and cognitive function in addition to the moderation effect of proxies on the brain-cognition relationship. Consequently, there is insufficient empirical evidence guiding the choice of proxy measures of cognitive reserve and poor comparability across studies.MethodIn a cross-sectional study, we assessed the validity of 5 common proxies (education, occupational complexity, verbal intelligence, leisure activities, and exercise) and all possible combinations of these proxies in 2 separate community-dwelling older adult cohorts: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA; N = 313, mean age = 68.9 years, range = 54-88) and the Cognitive Reserve/Reference Ability Neural Network Study (CR/RANN; N = 234, mean age = 64.49 years, range = 50-80). Fifteen models were created with 3 brain structure variables (grey matter volume, hippocampal volume, and mean cortical thickness) and 5 cognitive variables (verbal fluency, processing speed, executive function, episodic memory, and global cognition).ResultsNo moderation effects were observed. There were robust positive associations with cognitive function, independent of brain structure, for 2 individual proxies (verbal intelligence and education) and 16 composites (i.e. combinations of proxies). Verbal intelligence was statistically significant in all models. Education was significant only in models with executive function as the cognitive outcome variable. Three robust composites were observed in more than two-thirds of brain-cognition models: the composites of (1) occupational complexity and verbal intelligence, (2) education and verbal intelligence, and (3) education, occupational complexity, and verbal intelligence. However, no composite had larger average effects nor was more robust than verbal intelligence alone.ConclusionThese results support the use of verbal intelligence as a proxy measure of CR in cross-sectional studies of cognitively healthy older adults.

Project description:ObjectivesSexual health includes pleasurable, safe, sexual experiences free from coercion, discrimination and violence. In the UK, many young people's experiences fall short of this definition. This study aimed to inform the development of a safer sex and healthy relationships intervention for those aged 16-19?years studying in further education (FE) settings.DesignA formative mixed-method multicase study explored if and how to implement four components within a single intervention.SettingSix FE settings in England and Wales and one sexual health charity participated between October and July 2015.ParticipantsFocus groups with 134 FE students and 44 FE staff, and interviews with 11 FE managers and 12 sexual health charity staff, first explored whether four candidate intervention components were acceptable and could have sustained implementation. An e-survey with 2105 students and 163 staff then examined potential uptake and acceptability of components shortlisted in the first stage. Stakeholder consultation was then used to refine the intervention.InterventionInformed by a review of evidence of effective interventions delivered in other settings, four candidate intervention components were identified which could promote safer sex and healthy relationships among those aged 16-19?years: 1) student-led sexual health action groups; 2) on-site sexual health and relationships services; 3) staff safeguarding training about sexual health and relationships and 4) sex and relationships education.ResultsOn-site sexual health and relationships services and staff safeguarding training about sexual health and relationships were key gaps in current FE provision and welcomed by staff, students and health professionals. Sex and relationships education and student-led sexual health action groups were not considered acceptable.ConclusionsThe SaFE intervention, comprising on-site sexual health and relationships services and staff safeguarding training in FE settings, may have potential promoting sexual health among FE students. Further optimisation and refinement with key stakeholders is required before piloting via cluster randomised controlled trial.

Dataset Information

Further education improves cognitive reserve and triggers improvement in selective cognitive functions in older adults: The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project.

Publications

Further education improves cognitive reserve and triggers improvement in selective cognitive functions in older adults: The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project.

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