Key Points
By estimating the time spent in each cognitive state and the likelihood of transitions to neuro-cognitive disorders such as cognitive impairment and dementia, the researchers from University College London (UCL) were able to gain a comprehensive understanding of how socioeconomic factors impact the progression of a persons disorder, as well as the duration spent within each cognitive state over time...
Lead author Aswathikutty Gireesh from UCL Epidemiology and Health Care said that it is possible that education and intellectually demanding jobs provide more mental stimulation and help to build a stronger brain reserve to help protect individuals against cognitive impairment and dementia...
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, highlights the critical role of wealth, education, and occupation not only in reducing the risk of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment to dementia but also in increasing the likelihood of reversing cognitive impairment to a healthy cognitive state, which is promising, said senior author Dr Dorina Cadar from UCL Department of Behavioural Science and Health and Brighton and Sussex Medical School...
The team found that people from more socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds were less likely to move from a healthy cognitive state to mild cognitive impairment, or from mild cognitive impairment to dementia compared to those with primary education (no higher than secondary school), working in manual or routine occupations, and in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged third of the population...
Notably, these advantaged individuals were also more likely to recover from mild cognitive impairment and return to a healthy cognitive state, with wealthy individuals being 56 per cent more likely and those with post-secondary education level or working in manual occupation being 81 per cent more likely to improve, compared to socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals...
