According to a study published in the journal Neurology, engaging in cognitively stimulating activities—such as reading, writing, learning a new language, visiting museums, or playing puzzle games—from youth to old age is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and a slower decline in cognitive function. The research team tracked 1,939 older adults with an average age of approximately 80 who did not have dementia at the start of the study, with a follow-up period of about 7.6 years. The results showed that individuals with higher levels of lifetime cognitive enrichment had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Compared to those with lower cognitive enrichment, individuals with higher enrichment delayed the onset of Alzheimer's disease dementia by an average of about 5 years, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by an average of about 7 years.

However, the study cautions that these findings should be interpreted with care. First, as an observational study, it demonstrates a "correlation" and cannot directly prove that lifelong learning definitively prevents Alzheimer's disease. Second, the degree of participation in cognitive activities may also be influenced by factors such as educational opportunities, income, cultural resources, and living environments. Therefore, this should not be interpreted solely from the perspective of individual behavior; the impact of social support and resource accessibility must also be recognized.

Notably, the study found that lifetime cognitive enrichment was not necessarily linked to fewer Alzheimer's-related pathological changes in the brain, but it was associated with better cognitive performance and slower cognitive decline. In other words, continuous learning and mental activity may not act as a singular method to "stop the disease from occurring." Instead, they may help the brain build better cognitive resilience, enabling individuals to maintain better daily functioning during aging or when facing pathological changes in the brain. Therefore, the public can be encouraged to create more stimulation for the brain in daily life through reading, learning new skills, participating in social and cultural activities, playing puzzle games, writing, or staying exposed to new knowledge. Concurrently, community and public policies should consider how to provide more accessible and diverse learning resources, ensuring that people of different ages, backgrounds, and living conditions all have the opportunity to participate in lifelong learning.

Source: Neurology, "Associations of Lifetime Cognitive Enrichment With Incident Alzheimer Disease Dementia, Cognitive Aging, and Cognitive Resilience."