A new study published on February 11, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, reports that taking part in a wide range of intellectually stimulating activities throughout life may be associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a slower rate of cognitive decline. Activities such as reading, writing and learning a new language were among those examined in the research. The authors emphasised that the findings demonstrate a relationship rather than proof of cause and effect, meaning the study shows an association between lifelong learning and Alzheimer’s risk rather than confirming that such activities directly prevent the disease.
According to the findings, individuals who reported the highest levels of lifelong learning and cognitive engagement tended to develop Alzheimer’s disease later than those who reported the lowest levels. On average, Alzheimer’s disease appeared about five years later among participants with the most extensive exposure to intellectually stimulating experiences. Mild cognitive impairment, which is often considered an early stage of dementia, also appeared later, with an average delay of roughly seven years among those with the highest levels of lifelong learning.
“Our study examined cognitive enrichment from childhood through later adulthood, focusing on activities and resources that stimulate the mind,” said study author Andrea Zammit, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Zammit explained that the results suggest cognitive health in older age may be strongly influenced by the extent to which people are exposed to intellectually stimulating environments across their lives.
The study followed 1,939 participants who had an average age of 80 and did not have dementia at the beginning of the research. They were monitored for an average of eight years. During this period, researchers collected information about the participants’ learning experiences and mentally stimulating activities across three different stages of life: childhood, midlife and later adulthood.
Early-life enrichment, referring to experiences before the age of 18, included factors such as how often participants were read to, how frequently they read books themselves, and whether resources like newspapers and atlases were available in the home. It also considered whether individuals studied a foreign language for more than five years. Midlife enrichment involved measures such as income level at age 40, the presence of household resources like magazine subscriptions, dictionaries and library cards, and how frequently participants visited places such as museums or libraries. Later-life enrichment, beginning around the average age of 80, focused on the frequency of activities like reading, writing and playing games, as well as financial resources including Social Security, retirement income and other sources.
Using this information, researchers calculated enrichment scores for each participant. Over the course of the study, 551 participants developed Alzheimer’s disease and 719 developed mild cognitive impairment. When researchers compared the participants with the highest enrichment scores, representing the top 10 per cent, with those in the lowest 10 per cent, clear differences emerged. Among those with the highest enrichment levels, 21 per cent developed Alzheimer’s disease, compared with 34 per cent among those with the lowest enrichment levels.
After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and education, the researchers found that higher lifetime enrichment scores were associated with a 38 per cent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 36 per cent lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. Participants with the highest levels of enrichment developed Alzheimer’s at an average age of 94, compared with age 88 for those with the lowest levels. Mild cognitive impairment appeared at an average age of 85 among those with the highest enrichment, compared with age 78 among those with the lowest.
Researchers also analysed a smaller group of participants who died during the study and had brain autopsies performed. The results showed that those with higher lifetime enrichment maintained stronger memory and thinking abilities and experienced slower cognitive decline before death, even when early biological signs associated with Alzheimer’s disease, such as the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins, were present. Zammit said the findings suggest that consistently engaging in a variety of mentally stimulating activities across the lifespan may help support cognitive function. However, the researchers noted a limitation of the study: participants reported details about their early and midlife experiences later in life, meaning some memories may not have been completely accurate.
More information: Andrea Zammit et al, Associations of Lifetime Cognitive Enrichment With Incident Alzheimer Disease Dementia, Cognitive Aging, and Cognitive Resilience, Neurology. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000214677
Journal information: Neurology Provided by American Academy of Neurology
