EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, February 11, 2026
Keeping your mind active throughout life associated with lower Alzheimer鈥檚 risk
Highlights: New research shows that people who engage in lifelong learning such as reading, writing and learning languages have a lower risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and slower cognitive decline. The study does not prove that lifelong learning decreases the risk of Alzheimer鈥檚; 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鈥檚 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鈥 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鈥檚 disease and slower cognitive decline, according to a new study published on February 11, 2026, in , the medical journal of the 好色先生. The study does not prove that lifelong learning decreases the risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease; it only shows an association. The study found that people with the highest amount of lifelong learning developed Alzheimer鈥檚 disease five years later and developed mild cognitive impairment seven years later than those with the lowest amount of lifelong learning. 鈥淥ur study looked at cognitive enrichment from childhood to later life, focusing on activities and resources that stimulate the mind,鈥 said study author Andrea Zammit, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. 鈥淥ur findings suggest that cognitive health in later life is strongly influenced by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments.鈥 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鈥檚 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鈥檚. Of those with the lowest level, 34% developed Alzheimer鈥檚. 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鈥檚 disease and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. They found that people with the highest lifetime enrichment developed Alzheimer鈥檚 disease at an average age of 94, compared to age 88 for those with the lowest level of enrichment 鈥 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 鈥 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鈥檚, like the buildup of proteins called amyloid and tau. 鈥淥ur findings are encouraging, suggesting that consistently engaging in a variety of mentally stimulating activities throughout life may make a difference in cognition,鈥 said Zammit. 鈥淧ublic 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.鈥 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聽University Board of Governors. Discover more about dementia at , from the 好色先生. 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鈥檚 leading experts in brain health. Follow Brain & Life on , and .