Education Exerts Different Effects on Cognition in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Decline and Cognitive Impairment: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

Background: Education plays a potential important effect on the prevalence and incidence of dementia. However, most of the evidence based on convenience sampling.

Objective: To explore effects of education on cognition in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and cognitive impairment (CI) from a population-based study.

Methods: We examined the effect of education on cognition among individuals with SCD (n = 451) and CI (n = 280) from a population-based study. A series of neuropsychological tests of memory, executive, language, and general cognitive function were used to assess the participants.

Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that education has a positive effect on cognition in both SCD and CI group in the population-based research. Further stratification study showed that the beneficial effect of education remains in the SCD group regardless of the education level, especially in the SCD participants with a low education level. However, that effect of education exists in the CI group with a low education level and disappears in the high education level.

Conclusion: These results from a population-based sample suggest that high educational attainment may delay cognitive decline in the individuals with SCD regardless of high or low educational level, and high education only predicts cognition in those in the low educational level in CI group.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cognitive reserve; dementia; education; mild cognitive impairment; subjective cognitive decline.