A new study published in the medical journal Neurology® suggests that individuals who engage in more cognitively stimulating work throughout their careers may have a lower risk of experiencing memory and thinking problems later in life. The study, conducted by researchers at Oslo University Hospital in Norway, looked at 7,000 participants and 305 different occupations to assess the impact of job demands on cognitive health.
The researchers measured the degree of cognitive stimulation participants experienced in their jobs, including routine manual tasks, routine cognitive tasks, non-routine analytical tasks, and non-routine interpersonal tasks. Jobs that required more complex cognitive skills, such as analyzing information and engaging in creative thinking, were associated with a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment later in life.
Participants were divided into four groups based on the level of cognitive demands in their jobs. The group with the highest cognitive demands included occupations such as teaching, while the group with the lowest cognitive demands included jobs like mail carriers and custodians. After age 70, participants underwent memory and thinking tests to assess if they had mild cognitive impairment.
The results showed that individuals with the lowest cognitive demands at work had a 66% higher risk of mild cognitive impairment compared to those with the highest cognitive demands. This suggests that both education and engaging in mentally challenging work throughout one’s career may play a significant role in maintaining cognitive health in older age.
The study also highlighted the importance of identifying specific cognitively challenging tasks within occupations that are most beneficial for maintaining thinking and memory skills. Further research is needed to better understand how different types of cognitive stimulation impact cognitive health over time.
One limitation of the study is that individuals within identical job titles may perform different tasks and experience different levels of cognitive demands. However, the findings provide valuable insights into the potential benefits of engaging in mentally stimulating work throughout one’s career for maintaining cognitive health in later life.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and underscores the importance of considering the cognitive demands of a job when evaluating the potential impact on memory and thinking skills over time. These findings may have implications for individuals seeking to protect and preserve cognitive function as they age.
