EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026
Highlights:
New research shows that people who engage in lifelong learning such as reading, writing and learning languages have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slower cognitive decline.
The study does not prove that lifelong learning decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s; it only shows an association.
The study looked at 1,939 adults, examining cognitive enrichment including access to atlases and newspapers as children and having library cards in middle age.
People in the top 10% of lifetime cognitive enrichment had a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment compared to those in the bottom 10%.
Higher lifelong enrichment was associated with delays in dementia onset by up to five years, and mild cognitive impairment by up to seven years.
Researchers say expanding access to enriching environments, resources and activities may help keep the brain healthier as we age.
MINNEAPOLIS — Engaging in a variety of intellectually stimulating activities throughout life, such as reading, writing and learning a language, is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slower cognitive decline, according to a new study published on February 11, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that lifelong learning decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease; it only shows an association.
The study found that people with the highest amount of lifelong learning developed Alzheimer’s disease five years later and developed mild cognitive impairment seven years later than those with the lowest amount of lifelong learning.
“Our study looked at cognitive enrichment from childhood to later life, focusing on activities and resources that stimulate the mind,” said study author Andrea Zammit, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “Our findings suggest that cognitive health in later life is strongly influenced by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments.”
The study involved 1,939 people with an average age of 80 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They were followed for an average of eight years.
Participants completed surveys about cognitive activities and learning resources during three stages. Early enrichment, before age 18, included the frequency of being read to and reading books, access to newspapers and atlases in the home, and learning a foreign language for more than five years. Middle age enrichment included income level at age 40, household resources like magazine subscriptions, dictionaries and library cards and the frequency of activities like visiting a museum or library. Later life enrichment, starting at average age of 80, included the frequency of reading, writing and playing games and total income from Social Security, retirement and other sources.
Researchers calculated enrichment scores for each participant
During the study, 551 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease and 719 participants developed mild cognitive impairment.
Researchers compared participants with the highest level of cognitive enrichment, the top 10%, with those with the lowest level of cognitive enrichment, the bottom 10%. Of those with the highest level of enrichment, 21% developed Alzheimer’s. Of those with the lowest level, 34% developed Alzheimer’s.
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and education, researchers found that higher scores in lifetime enrichment were associated with a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment.
They found that people with the highest lifetime enrichment developed Alzheimer’s disease at an average age of 94, compared to age 88 for those with the lowest level of enrichment — over a five-year delay.
For mild cognitive impairment, researchers found that people with the highest lifetime enrichment developed mild cognitive impairment at an average age of 85, compared to age 78 for those with the lowest level of enrichment — a seven-year delay.
Researchers also looked at a smaller group of participants who died during the study and had autopsies. They found those with higher lifetime enrichment had better memory and thinking skills and slower decline prior to death, even when researchers accounted for early brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s, like the buildup of proteins called amyloid and tau.
“Our findings are encouraging, suggesting that consistently engaging in a variety of mentally stimulating activities throughout life may make a difference in cognition,” said Zammit. “Public investments that expand access to enriching environments, like libraries and early education programs designed to spark a lifelong love of learning, may help reduce the incidence of dementia.”
A limitation of the study was that participants reported details about their early and midlife experiences later in life, so they may not have remembered everything accurately.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Michael Urbut, former member of the Rush University Board of Governors.
Discover more about dementia at Brain & Life®, from the American Academy of Neurology. This resource offers a website, podcast, and books that connect patients, caregivers and anyone interested in brain health with the most trusted information, straight from the world’s leading experts in brain health. Follow Brain & Life® on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
The American Academy of Neurology is the leading voice in brain health. As the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals with more than 40,000 members, the AAN provides access to the latest news, science and research affecting neurology for patients, caregivers, physicians and professionals alike. The AAN’s mission is to enhance member career fulfillment and promote brain health for all. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, care and treatment of brain, spinal cord and nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, concussion, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, headache and migraine.
Explore the latest in neurological disease and brain health, from the minds at the AAN at AAN.com or find us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
END
Keeping your mind active throughout life associated with lower Alzheimer’s risk
2026-02-11
(Press-News.org)
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
TBI of any severity associated with greater chance of work disability
2026-02-11
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS — Having a traumatic brain injury, no matter how serious, is associated with a greater likelihood of qualifying for work disability up to five years later, according to a study published February 11, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove cause and effect, it only shows an association.
“Traumatic brain injury can result in disability that may ...
Seabird poop could have been used to fertilize Peru's Chincha Valley by at least 1250 CE, potentially facilitating the expansion of its pre-Inca society
2026-02-11
Seabird poop could have been used to fertilize Peru's Chincha Valley by at least 1250 CE, potentially facilitating the expansion of its pre-Inca society
Article URL: https://plos.io/4renTnm
Article title: Seabirds shaped the expansion of pre-Inca society in Peru
Author countries: Australia, U.S.
Funding: Funding for archaeological fieldwork and isotopic analyses of maize samples was provided to JLB by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (DGE-1144087), the Society of Fellows at Boston University, the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program, the National Geographic Young Explorers Grant Program (9347-13), and the Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid Research ...
Resilience profiles during adversity predict psychological outcomes
2026-02-11
Higher self-reported levels of resilience were linked to lower anxiety and depression and better coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published February 11, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Joseph Anthony Pettit of Bangor University, U.K., and colleagues.
Successfully managing and adapting to life’s challenges often requires resilience. Resilience has been linked to coping better with mental ill-health, lower emotional distress following adversity, and faster recovery from such experiences. However, past research has neglected individual profiles of resilience and ...
AI and brain control: A new system identifies animal behavior and instantly shuts down the neurons responsible
2026-02-11
A male fruit fly in a laboratory chamber extends his wings and vibrates them to produce his species' version of a love song. A female fly stays nearby listening. Suddenly, a green light flashes across the chamber for a fraction of a second. The male's song cuts off mid-note and his wings fold. The female, not impressed by the interrupted serenade, walks away. The culprit? An AI system that watched the male begin his courtship dance and shut down his song-producing brain cells.
Developed by scientists at Nagoya University and their collaborators from Osaka University and Tohoku University, ...
Suicide hotline calls increase with rising nighttime temperatures
2026-02-11
Suicide hotline calls increase with rising nighttime temperatures (by 168% for temperatures in the hottest 99th percentile), which could warrant temperature-triggered staffing protocols.
Article URL: https://plos.io/3Mtdju2
Article Title: Temperature extremes contribute to suicide-related help-seeking through multiple pathways: Evidence from crisis hotline data (2019–2023)
Author Countries: United States
Funding: This work was supported by the National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program (SCON-10001154 to MS and JR). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ...
What honey bee brain chemistry tells us about human learning
2026-02-11
A multi-institutional team of researchers led by Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC has for the first time identified specific patterns of brain chemical activity that predict how quickly individual honey bees learn new associations, offering important insights into the biological basis of learning and decision-making.
The findings, which were published in Sciences Advances, found that the balance between the neurotransmitters octopamine and tyramine can predict whether a bee will learn quickly, slowly, or not at all as they associate an odor with a reward.
Because the same ancient ...
Common anti-seizure drug prevents Alzheimer’s plaques from forming
2026-02-11
Scientists examined engineered mouse models, human neurons and brains of Down syndrome patients, who are at high risk of developing an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s
Decades-old, FDA-approved drug restored neuronal function, steering neurons away from producing toxic amyloid‑beta 42
Drug would need to be taken ‘very, very early,’ before brain cells die
Existing human clinical data showed drug slowed the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology
CHICAGO — While physicians and scientists have long known Alzheimer’s ...
Twilight fish study reveals unique hybrid eye cells
2026-02-11
Researchers have identified a new type of visual cell in deep-sea fish larvae that challenges a century of knowledge about vertebrate visual systems.
Dr Fabio Cortesi from The University of Queensland’s School of the Environment said the finding could lead to new camera technology and medical treatments.
“For more than 150 years, textbooks have taught that vision in most vertebrates is made of cones and rods – cones which work in bright light and rods for dark situations,” Dr Cortesi said.
“But our study of deep-sea fish larvae revealed a new cell type – a photoreceptor that optimises vision in gloomy or twilight conditions.
“It combines the ...
Could light-powered computers reduce AI’s energy use?
2026-02-11
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A key problem facing artificial intelligence (AI) development is the vast amount of energy the technology requires, with some experts projecting AI datacenters to be responsible for over 13% of global electricity usage by 2028. According to Xingjie Ni, associate professor of electrical engineering at the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the key to addressing this roadblock could lie in computers powered by light instead of circuitry.
Ni and his team recently developed a prototype device ...
Rebuilding trust in global climate mitigation scenarios
2026-02-11
A new IIASA-led study examines growing critiques of how global climate mitigation scenarios address equity and justice and identifies key conditions for fair, feasible, and politically credible climate action.
Global climate mitigation scenarios shape real-world policy choices of who cuts emissions, who pays, and who benefits from climate action. A new IIASA-led essay published in PLOS Climate identifies how these influential tools address equity and justice, with implications for perceptions of fairness and public trust in climate policy. Drawing on a broad grassroots community process, the study identifies practical ...