Adjustments for demographic and lifestyle factors still showed a 66% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment in those with least cognitively demanding jobs.
Engaging in intellectually stimulating work throughout life linked to lower rate of cognitive decline later on.
First study involved 7,000 individuals aged 70+ with cognitive job demands assessed across their lives.
Participants in highest cognitive demand jobs had significantly lower rate of mild cognitive impairment (27%) compared to lowest demand jobs (42%).
Second study analyzed job demands of over 7,000 people across 305 occupations in Norway.
Teaching, a high cognitive demand job, showed lower rates of mild cognitive impairment compared to less demanding roles.
Two studies published in Neurology and Neuroscience News report this finding.
In recent studies, it has been discovered that engaging in intellectually stimulating work throughout one's life can serve as a protective factor against cognitive decline later in age. Two separate studies, one published in Neurology and the other in Neuroscience News, have reported on this finding. The first study involved 7,000 individuals aged 70 and above with cognitive job demands assessed across their lives. Participants in the highest cognitive demand jobs had a significantly lower rate of mild cognitive impairment (27%) compared to those in the lowest demand jobs (42%).
The second study, conducted by researchers at Oslo University Hospital, analyzed job demands of over 7,000 people across 305 occupations in Norway. They found that teaching, a high cognitive demand job, showed lower rates of mild cognitive impairment compared to less demanding roles like mail carrying. Adjustments for demographic and lifestyle factors still showed a 66% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment in those with the least cognitively demanding jobs.
These findings highlight the importance of engaging in thought-provoking work throughout one's career as a means to maintain cognitive function later in life. The studies also emphasize that education and intellectual stimulation play a crucial role in reducing the risk of cognitive impairment.
It is important to note that these studies only show an association between job demands and mild cognitive impairment, not a cause-and-effect relationship. Further research is required to pinpoint the specific cognitively challenging occupational tasks that are most beneficial for maintaining thinking and memory skills in older adults.
A study published in Neurology found that cognitive stimulation at work during different stages of life is linked to a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment after the age of 70.
Jobs with higher cognitive demands, such as teaching, may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline later in life.
People working jobs with the lowest cognitive stimulation had a 66% greater risk of mild cognitive impairment compared to those who worked jobs with higher cognitive demands.
Study involved 7,000 individuals aged 70 and above with cognitive job demands assessed across their lives.
Participants in highest cognitive demand jobs had a significantly lower rate of mild cognitive impairment (27%) compared to those in lowest demand jobs (42%).
Intellectually stimulating work can serve as a protective factor against cognitive decline later in life, according to the study.
