Using your brain at work may ward off cognitive impairment

The harder your brain works at your job, the less likely you may be to have memory and thinking problems later in life. That’s according to a new study published in the journal Neurology, which examined 7000 people and 305 occupations in Norway.

Researchers measured the degree of cognitive stimulation that participants experienced while on the job, including routine manual, routine cognitive, non-routine analytical, non-routine interpersonal and non-routine cognitive tasks. Participants were divided into four groups based on the degree of cognitive stimulation that they experienced in their jobs — the most common job for the group with the highest cognitive demands was teaching, while the most common jobs for the group with the lowest cognitive demands were mail carriers and custodians.

After age 70, participants completed memory and thinking tests to assess whether they had mild cognitive impairment. Of those with the lowest cognitive demands, 42% were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Of those with the highest cognitive demands, 27% were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. After adjustment for age, sex, education, income and lifestyle factors, the group with the lowest cognitive demands at work had a 66% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment compared to the group with the highest cognitive demands at work.

“We examined the demands of various jobs and found that cognitive stimulation at work during different stages in life — during your 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s — was linked to a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment after the age of 70,” said study author Dr Trine Holt Edwin, from Oslo University Hospital. “Our findings highlight the value of having a job that requires more complex thinking as a way to possibly maintain memory and thinking in old age.”

A limitation of the study was that even within identical job titles, individuals might perform different tasks and experience different cognitive demands. The study also does not prove that stimulating work prevents mild cognitive impairment; it only shows an association.

Nevertheless, Edwin said the study results “indicate that both education and doing work that challenges your brain during your career play a crucial role in lowering the risk of cognitive impairment later in life”. He added that “further research is required to pinpoint the specific cognitively challenging occupational tasks that are most beneficial for maintaining thinking and memory skills”.

Image credit: iStock.com/mediaphotos