A new research examines whether a person is likely to recover from cognitive deficits or dementia in early life, as well as social factors like education, employment, and prosperity.
According to a new study led by UCL researchers, social factors like education, employment, and wealth affect a person’s likelihood of developing mental damage or memory in later life and whether they are likely to recover.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, followed 8, 442 people aged 50 and above in England over 10 years from 2008/09 to 2018/19, to observe how social factors at the start of the research were associated with changes in mental status.
The experts tracked how these individuals moved between different states: good, mild cognitive impairment, and memory. Additionally, they considered whether someone’s cognitive status changed from minor to good.
Information on social elements was collected through a self-completion survey. Cognitive deficits was determined using a mix of sources, including individuals ‘ information of a doctor’s examination, cognitive test results, and their own reports of symptoms and complaints, providing a complete picture of each patient’s mental health. In addition to these factors, the study also accounted for socioeconomic variables, such as age, sex, and marital status.
The researchers were able to fully understand how economic factors affect the development of a child’s condition as well as the period spent in each cerebral state over time by estimating the duration spent in each mental state and the likelihood of transitions to cognitive disorders like dementia and cognitive impairment.
The most socioeconomically disadvantaged third of the population and those with primary education ( no higher than secondary school ), working in manual or routine occupations, and those with more socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly those with post-secondary school education ( such as university or college ), managerial or professional-level occupations, were less likely to transition from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.
For instance, having a post-secondary education level was linked with a 43 % lower chance of moving from a healthy cognitive state to mild cognitive impairment.
In addition, the wealthiest third of people had a 26 % lower risk of passing from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, according to research.
In contrast to socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, these advantaged individuals were also more likely to recover from mild cognitive impairment and return to a healthy cognitive state, with wealthy people being 56 % more likely and those with post-secondary education levels or working in manual occupations 81 % more likely to improve.
Our study highlights the crucial roles that wealth, education, and occupation play in reducing the risk of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment to dementia as well as enhancing the likelihood of reverse cognitive impairment to a promising state, according to senior author Dr. Dorina Cadar of the University of California, Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
This potential recovery is necessary to enhance the quality of life in the later years and reduce the impact of cognitive impairment on society as a whole, both locally and globally.
Our findings highlight the potential protective effects of financial security and access to resources in promoting brain health and cognitive resilience, underscoring the value of social policies that promote mental and cognitive wellbeing at all income levels.
The study cannot explain in detail how specific socioeconomic variables affect cognitive health. However, the authors believe there may be several reasons behind their findings.
Aswathikutty Gireesh, lead author and PhD candidate at UCL Epidemiology & Health Care, stated:” It is possible that education and intellectually demanding jobs help 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 healthcare and health-promoting resources such as a nutritious diet, exercise, and preventive care – all of which can support cognitive health. These resources may also provide opportunities to stabilize or enhance cognitive function, particularly when cognitive impairment is discovered early.
The researchers hope that their findings will provide new avenues for research into how socioeconomic factors, particularly wealth, might prevent the early development of cognitive impairment.
The study received funding from the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute for Health and Care Research ( NIHR ), and UKRI ( Economic and Social Research Council, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ).
