Pixabay.com I'm inclined to dismiss the latest research into the subject of a link between school test results and dementia as rubbish. The reason being my own history. But lets look at the evidence of research presented at a conference on Alzheimer’s in Washington DC.
Good grades at primary school and a challenging job have been linked to a lower risk of dementia after one Swedish study of 440 people aged 75 or over. Those who had been in the bottom fifth for school grades at age ten had a 50% increase in the risk of developing dementia.
Being only slightly younger than those participating, I'm not sure I ever knew which bottom rung of the ladder I clung to. Perhaps the Swedish keep records of such things, but my Australian primary school never recorded the scale of a student's failure.
The older women involved in the nine-year study who had complex jobs involving working with people recorded a 60 per cent lower risk of dementia. Let's see—that takes their age to 84. Not many women are still working at that age. You have to wonder how these results were achieved.
Anyway, the outcome of the research stand to reason because complexities of figures, data and relating to other people requires a flexibility of mind.
Good grades at primary school and a challenging job have been linked to a lower risk of dementia after one Swedish study of 440 people aged 75 or over. Those who had been in the bottom fifth for school grades at age ten had a 50% increase in the risk of developing dementia.
Being only slightly younger than those participating, I'm not sure I ever knew which bottom rung of the ladder I clung to. Perhaps the Swedish keep records of such things, but my Australian primary school never recorded the scale of a student's failure.
The older women involved in the nine-year study who had complex jobs involving working with people recorded a 60 per cent lower risk of dementia. Let's see—that takes their age to 84. Not many women are still working at that age. You have to wonder how these results were achieved.
Anyway, the outcome of the research stand to reason because complexities of figures, data and relating to other people requires a flexibility of mind.
A second Swedish study looked at 7,500 people aged at least 65 over 20 years. Dementia rates in this younger group were 21% higher in those whose school grades had been in the bottom fifth of the population.
Conversely, among those with complex jobs involving data and numbers, they were 23% lower.
Source: Mail Online.
As for me, I didn't do well academically in primary school. My sister, three years behind me, was classed one of the brightest children in the school. She loved to study and achieve good grades. What makes two people from the same gene pool differ this way?
I gave no importance to my lessons. I couldn't be bothered figuring out complex sums or learning the times tables by route. I'd rather concentrate on subjects like English and art. Or maybe sit and dream. Every now and again, a teacher would shock me awake with a sharp rap on the knuckles, or I'd be called to the front of the class, asked to hold out my hand, and a leather strap would come down on my palm, leaving me stinging and demoralized.
Conversely, among those with complex jobs involving data and numbers, they were 23% lower.
Source: Mail Online.
As for me, I didn't do well academically in primary school. My sister, three years behind me, was classed one of the brightest children in the school. She loved to study and achieve good grades. What makes two people from the same gene pool differ this way?
I gave no importance to my lessons. I couldn't be bothered figuring out complex sums or learning the times tables by route. I'd rather concentrate on subjects like English and art. Or maybe sit and dream. Every now and again, a teacher would shock me awake with a sharp rap on the knuckles, or I'd be called to the front of the class, asked to hold out my hand, and a leather strap would come down on my palm, leaving me stinging and demoralized.
My low grades have no effect on my ability to reason, or to communicate, or to love the company of other like-minded individuals. However, I don't abide fools with limited ability to think about deep subjects, who would rather follow the latest behaviour of celebrities and spend all their time glued to their phone. Perhaps they did well at school. Who knows?
The way a person lives and thinks is the full measure of their intelligence. Say two individuals faced the same threat. One would work out how to cope and the other would panic and scream, drawing unwanted attention to themselves.
'I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.' ~ Dr. Seuss
I don't fear dementia. Imagination is a fine thing in the end. I'll go on writing novels and following news stories to give my views. That'll keep me sane.
How about you?
The way a person lives and thinks is the full measure of their intelligence. Say two individuals faced the same threat. One would work out how to cope and the other would panic and scream, drawing unwanted attention to themselves.
'I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.' ~ Dr. Seuss
I don't fear dementia. Imagination is a fine thing in the end. I'll go on writing novels and following news stories to give my views. That'll keep me sane.
How about you?
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