Study hard and you could reduce your risk of dementia

Each year, hundreds of older students gather in Toronto for a convocation, in person or online, in anxious expectation of their diplomas. Some are in the nineties; some have dementia.

One graduate, who has completed 15 courses taught by Ryerson University faculty, was a former entertainment manager at Madonna. She explained in clbad that the Prussian philosopher Emmanuel Kant had a vision of art superior to that of David Hume, the Scottish philosopher. Kant said the art was based on the intention, Hume said that it was a skill.

During the course, this student might well maintain her rational argument. What she remembered the following week was small. But when patients with dementia find themselves, like all of us, existentially, she was present.

And the benefits go beyond presence. Participation in higher education can also reduce the loss of cognitive function badociated with aging and Alzheimer's disease.

Gill Livingston and his team, who head the Lancet Commission on Dementia, have shown that resilience can help slow the progression of dementia or delay its onset. The idea behind resilience is a concept called cognitive reserve. Lifestyle factors such as diet and fitness – but also learning – increase cognitive reserves. Greater cognitive reserve means fighting memory loss.

From philosophy to neuropsychology

Over the past four years, Ryerson University, in partnership with Baycrest Health Sciences, has offered up to 20 courses per year to seniors. Some have dementia, some do not – they sit side by side in the clbadroom.

Clbades are intensive, eight weeks intensive and two hours long. Titles include: Socrates philosophy, astronomy, neuropsychology, romance and great artists, clbadical music, great directors, French literature and archeology.

David Lipovitch, a Harvard-trained archaeologist, teaches at the Middle East excavation sites he works on. Top writers for the Globe and Mail and Broadway history experts attend clbades of up to 30 students.

The key is commitment – optimize learning to reduce social isolation and increase self esteem. These offers are not "edutainmental", but compete with the content of undergraduate offers.

The difference is that students do not finish their work. They are known to make the effort to attend. A student with advanced, but still consistent, dementia said, "It's hard for me to remember things and that's the highlight of my week, so do not forget to come here with me next week!

This kind of comment is common. And the very idea that organized learning led this patient to perform a "metacognitive act" – knowing that she was suffering from dementia and that she needed to compensate – is impressive in itself.

Social bond and mental stimulation

The Lancet Commission report also explored the role of early childhood education in the development of dementia. The data suggest that lack of education leads to higher incidence of dementia due to a decrease in cognitive reserve.

This highlights the value of educating older people for long periods of time – not only for people with dementia, but also for those who are healthy and at risk of developing dementia.

George Rebok's landmark 2014 study of the effect of education for the elderly followed participants for 10 years, exploring many aspects of cognitive function. Minor effects were observed on increased thinking ability and more impressive effects with respect to personal hygiene, personal effectiveness and other measures of well-being.

Learning seems to create both social connections and mental stimulation, eventually leading to resilience by increasing cognitive reserve. Reasoning and reflection speed improved in Rebok's results, but not in memory.

We still do not understand if a mental rehearsal focused on learning can prevent or improve dementia. Studies by Julia Spaniol at Ryerson University show that increasing the engagement and motivation of older people helps to free up memory. But until recently, there was no research focused on the role of in-depth learning, such as university-led intensive courses, on the outcomes of dementia or quality of life.

"Eudamonia" for an aging society

However, this is about to change. This summer, the Center for the Innovation of Aging and Brain Health (CABHI) awarded a grant to our team to study the use of learning technologies such as multimedia streaming versus face-to-face sessions for people with dementia and those at risk of developing. he.

The goal of the program is to create better access to lifelong learning opportunities for older people, regardless of their place of residence, whether it is about long-term care or in the community. Clinical studies will begin in September 2018 and we will report our data in late spring 2019.

Life expectancy is increasing and it is expected that at least half of the human population will be over 50 years old by 2050. We will have to keep our spirit alive and our senses eager to truly benefit from these precious elder years.

Socrates spoke of an idea called "eudaimonia," which means "flourishing in life." Too much fun and we wilt. Too much purpose and we stress. However, when Deborah Fels, one of Canada's leading experts in aging and accessibility, reaches a high level of pleasure and purpose, we realize this state of eudaimonia.

Learning is clearly what humans do best. We have neither the agility of the tigers nor the longevity of the redwoods, but we are constantly learning and it distinguishes us. Learn more about ourselves and the world could be the key to happiness and health during our golden years.