A new study demonstrates that education, occupation and wealth can significantly affect the risk of developing cognitive impairment or dementia and the chances of recovery in later life, highlighting the role of socioeconomic factors in brain health.
Socioeconomic factors, such as education, occupation and wealth, significantly influence the risk of developing cognitive impairment and the likelihood of recovery, a new study by University College London (UCL) researchers reveals.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, tracked 8,442 adults aged 50 and above in England over a decade, from 2008 to 2019. It examined how initial socioeconomic conditions were linked to shifts in cognitive health, encompassing transitions between healthy states, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Remarkably, the study also looked at the potential for reverting from mild cognitive impairment back to a healthy cognitive state.
Key socioeconomic data were gathered using self-completion questionnaires, while cognitive impairment was assessed through multiple methodologies, including doctors’ diagnoses, cognitive test results and participants’ self-reports of symptoms.
By evaluating the duration spent in each cognitive state and the likelihood of transitions to neurocognitive disorders, the researchers aimed to understand the role of socioeconomic factors in the progression of these conditions.
The findings revealed that individuals from socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds — those with post-secondary education, managerial or professional occupations and in the wealthiest third of the population — exhibited lower risks of cognitive decline. They were also more likely to recover from mild cognitive impairment.
For example, having a post-secondary education was associated with a 43% lower chance of transitioning from a healthy cognitive state to mild cognitive impairment.
Similarly, being in the wealthiest third of the population corresponded to a 26% reduced risk of moving from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.
These advantaged individuals were also more likely to recover, with wealthy participants being 56% more likely and those with post-secondary education or professional jobs 81% more likely to return to a healthy cognitive state.
“Our study 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,” senior author Dorina Cadar, an honorary senior research fellow in dementia at UCL, said in a news release.
“This potential recovery is critical for enhancing the quality of life in later years and reducing the long-term burden of cognitive impairment on health care systems, families and society as a whole,” she added. “Our findings highlight the potential protective power of financial stability and access to resources in promoting brain health and cognitive resilience, underscoring the importance of social policies that support mental and cognitive wellbeing across all income levels.”
Although the study does not specify why certain socioeconomic factors influence cognitive health, the authors suggest that education and intellectually demanding jobs may provide more mental stimulation, building a stronger brain reserve against cognitive impairment and dementia. People with higher education and wealth typically also have better access to health care and resources that support cognitive health.
“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. Additionally, people with higher education, more intellectually demanding jobs and wealth have better access to health care and health-promoting resources, such as a nutritious diet, exercise and preventive care – all of which can support cognitive health. These resources could also offer opportunities to stabilize or improve cognitive function, especially when cognitive impairment is detected early,” lead author Aswathikutty Gireesh, a doctoral candidate, said in the news release.
This pioneering research opens new avenues for further exploration into how socioeconomic factors, especially wealth, might shield against early cognitive decline.
This study’s insights underscore the broad impact socioeconomic status can have on cognitive health and recovery, promoting a deeper understanding of how to better address cognitive impairments as populations age.