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Study Links Teen IQ, Activity Levels With Risk of
Dementia as Seniors
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
July 1, 2005 – A study released today says your IQ
and extracurricular activities as a teenager may forecast your memory
and thinking abilities as a senior citizen. They found those who were
active and had high IQ scores were less likely to have mild memory
problems and dementia as older adults. They reason may be that these
active, bright young people stay active as they grow older, which most
studies say reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
"We found that, controlling for gender and
education level, higher adolescent IQ and greater activity level were
each independently associated with a lower risk for dementia and mild
cognitive impairments. Conversely, those who were lower on the IQ
continuum and who participated in fewer activities in high school had a
higher risk of cognitive impairments," said Thomas Fritsch, Ph.D., the
study’s lead author.
Dementia broadly refers to neurological conditions
that cause decline in memory and thinking abilities (cognition) and the
ability to perform activities of daily living. Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
is the most common cause of dementia in persons 65 years and older.
According to estimates from the Alzheimer’s Association, 4.5 million
people have Alzheimer’s nationally.
The study is by researchers at the University
Memory and Aging Center, affiliated with Case Western Reserve University
(Case) and University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC), and is published in
the July 2005 issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
"The findings may help scientists in their efforts
to understand the earliest roots of dementia," said Fritsch. "The
knowledge gained from our research may also be useful to those who are
developing models of AD. Such models might provide clues as to when it’s
best to try to intervene with new therapies and treatments for persons
with memory problems. The findings may also help those who are seeking
ways to prevent the development of memory problems in adulthood."
The Case researchers used historical data from high
school records and yearbooks from the mid-1940s to create a picture of
the students’ abilities and interests as teens.
In 2002, interviews with the graduates, now in
their 70s, and their family members were conducted to learn about the
adult cognitive status of each subject. The research team reported on
data collected from nearly 400 graduates.
"We found some very interesting associations
between our early-life and late-life measures," said Fritsch. The
article was written by Fritsch, an instructor of neurology at the Case
School of Medicine and collaborators in the University Memory and Aging
Center and at John Carroll University.
A particular strength of the Case study, the
authors say, is the use of objective measures of cognitive ability (IQ)
collected in the teen years. Also, no study has yet reported on
associations between teen activity levels and dementia risk using
objective measures (i.e., extracurricular activity participation).
According to Fritsch, "Our findings confirm that
markers for dementia risk can be found early in life. However, while our
research implicates a role for IQ and activity level in youth, many
other factors, alone or in combination, also influence who will and will
not develop dementia. As we know, some very bright and active people
develop dementia, while others who are less gifted and who were inactive
as teenagers, do not. This indicates that the causes of dementia are
complex and are determined by a host of factors."
What the researchers failed to address was the
activity levels of these senior citizens. Were those who were bright and
active as teens, continue to be active and use their minds as seniors?
Did those less bright and less active continue their lifestyles into old
age?
Fritsch did say, "It’s a safe bet that being
intellectually engaged, physically active, and socially connected has
many health benefits across the lifespan and is to be recommended."
According to the Case research team, it is
premature to make lifestyle recommendations to teenagers based only on a
single study.
The research was supported by grants from the NIH-NIA
and the American Health Assistance Foundation.
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