NEW YORK: A recent study showed that higher education was associated with lower age-related increases of abnormal levels of tau protein in the cerebrospinal fluid of older adults.
Scientists have known that people with higher “cognitive reserve” tend to develop dementia less frequently than those with lower reserve. But they didn’t know if cognitive reserve only masked symptoms for longer or whether it was protective against the underlying disease. Cognitive reserve is usually measured by life experiences – such as years of schooling – that help the brain resist dementia.