Cognitive reserve: the association between lifestyle enrichment and incident dementia

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundWhether socially and mentally stimulating activities in older age can contribute to cognitive reserve and influence dementia risk remains unclear. This study investigated the association between lifestyle enrichment and dementia risk in older individuals, after adjusting for education, socioeconomic status and a range of health‐related factors.MethodData came from a cohort of community‐dwelling adults aged 70+ recruited in Australia, who were generally healthy and without major cognitive impairment at baseline. Exploratory factor analysis was performed using 19 individual measures of leisure activities and social networks. The adjusted association between seven composite factors of lifestyle enrichment and incident dementia was examined using Cox proportional hazards regression.ResultAmong 10,318 participants, more frequent engagement in adult literacy (writing, computer usage and education classes) and active mental activities (games/cards/chess, crosswords/puzzles) was associated with an 11% (95% CI: 0.85‐0.93) and a 9% (95% CI: 0.87‐0.95) lower risk of dementia respectively. To a lesser extent, participation in creative artistic (craftwork/woodwork/metalwork, painting/drawing) (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88‐0.99) and passive mental activities (reading, watching television, music/radio listening) (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86‐0.99) were also associated with reduced dementia risk. In contrast, interpersonal networks, social activities and external outings were not associated with dementia risk in this sample.ConclusionThese findings may guide policies for geriatric care and interventions targeting dementia prevention for older adults. Engagement in adult literacy, creative art, as well as active and passive mental activities, may help reduce dementia risk in late life.