New dementia research conducted at the University of Cambridge finds that the brains of people with more education appear to be better equipped to deal with the effects of dementia. The announcement from the university reviews a number of past brain research results that connect education level with dementia, and then describes the new research appearing in the journal Brain. The University of Cambridge research finds that, while people often have the same brain pathology that leads to dementia, education makes a difference in the way people (and their brains) cope with the manifestations of the disease. A PDF of the article, Education, the Brain and Dementia: Neuroprotection or Compensation, is freely available at the journal website.
A BBC article, Education Helps Brain Compensate for Dementia Changes, provides additional information as well as a terrific graphic. At the bottom of the article is a short, three-minute interview with lead researcher, Carol Brayne.
As Our Parents Age So Do We 