ArticleResearch square2025
Reevaluating the Role of Education in Cognitive Decline and Brain Aging: Insights from Large-Scale Longitudinal Cohorts across 33 Countries.
Anders Fjell, Ole Rogeberg, Øystein Sørensen, Inge Amlien, David Bartres-Faz, Andreas Brandmaier, Gabriele Cattaneo, Sandra Duzel, Håkon Grydeland, Rik Henson and 13 more
Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraphArticle in Research square, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
2 · The registryThe trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
3 · Its place in the literatureWho cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
4 · The recordCorrections and comments
5 · Who and what moneyAuthors and funding
23 authors.
Ole RogebergFrisch Center for Economic Research.
Øystein SørensenUniversity of Oslo.
Inge AmlienUniversity of Oslo.
David Bartres-FazUniversity of Barcelona.
Andreas BrandmaierMax Planck Berlin.
Gabriele CattaneoGuttman.
Sandra DuzelMax Planck Berlin.
Håkon GrydelandUniversity of Oslo.
Rik HensonCambridge University.
Simone KühnMax Planck Institute for Human Development.
Ulman LindenbergerCenter for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development.
Torkild LyngstadUniversity of Oslo.
Athanasia MowinckelUniversity of Oslo.
Cristina Sole-PadullesUniversity of Barcelona.
Markus SneveUniversity of Oslo.
Javier SolanaGuttmann.
Marie StromstadUniversity of Oslo.
Kristine Beate WalhovdUniversity of Oslo.
Didac VidalUniversity of Oslo.
Funding
Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative - SupplementU01AG024904 · NIA · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE RES &EDUC · PI WEINER, MICHAEL W · 2004 to 2015
$121.0MWU INSTITUTE OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCESUL1TR002345 · NCATS · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI William G. Powderly · 2017 to 2026
$97.8MSmartphone-Based "Burst" Cognitive AssessmentsP01AG003991 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI JOHN MORRIS · 1985 to 2026
$69.5MVascular factors, physical activity, and inflammation as modulators of neurodegenerative and cognitive trajectories (Project 2)P01AG036694 · NIA · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Hyun-Sik Yang · 2010 to 2026
$50.2MThe natural history of AB accumulation in preclinical ADP01AG026276 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI MORRIS, JOHN · 2005 to 2025
$49.5MWashington University Institute of Clinical and Translational SciencesUL1TR000448 · NCATS · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI EVANOFF, BRADLEY A · 2012 to 2016
$41.4MThe VETSA Longitudinal Twin Study of Cognition and Aging (VETSA 4)R01AG050595 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI ELMAN, JEREMY A, FRANZ, CAROL ELAINE · 2015 to 2024
$28.0MThe VETSA Longitudinal MRI Twin Study of AgingR01AG022381 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI KREMEN, WILLIAM S. · 2003 to 2019
$22.3MThe VETSA Longitudinal Twin Study of Cognition and AgingR01AG018384 · NIA · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · PI LYONS, MICHAEL J. · 2002 to 2012
$9.8MThe VETSA longitudinal twin study of cognition and agingR01AG018386 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI KREMEN, WILLIAM S. · 2002 to 2012
$9.7MTHE XNAT IMAGING INFORMATICS PLATFORMR01EB009352 · NIBIB · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Daniel Scott Marcus · 2009 to 2026
$9.3MThe VETSA Longitudinal MRI Twin Study of Aging (VETSA MRI 4)R01AG076838 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI ANDERS M DALE, Jeremy A Elman · 2022 to 2026
$8.7MNCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000448NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002345NIA NIH HHS P01 AG003991NIA NIH HHS P01 AG026276NIA NIH HHS P01 AG036694NIA NIH HHS R01 AG018384NIA NIH HHS R01 AG018386NIA NIH HHS R01 AG022381NIA NIH HHS R01 AG043434NIA NIH HHS R01 AG050595NIA NIH HHS R01 AG052527NIA NIH HHS R01 AG076708NIA NIH HHS R01 AG076838NIA NIH HHS U01 AG024904NIBIB NIH HHS R01 EB009352Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itselfAbstract
Why education is linked to higher cognitive function in aging is fiercely debated. Leading theories propose that education reduces brain decline in aging, enhances tolerance to brain pathology, or that it does not affect cognitive decline but rather reflects higher early-life cognitive function. To test these theories, we analyzed 407.356 episodic memory scores from 170.795 participants > 50 years, alongside 15.157 brain MRIs from 6.472 participants across 33 Western countries. More education was associated with better memory, larger intracranial volume and slightly larger volume of memory-sensitive brain regions. However, education did not protect against age-related decline or weakened effects of brain decline on cognition. The most parsimonious explanation for the results is that the associations reflect factors present early in life, including propensity of individuals with certain traits to pursue more education. While education has numerous benefits, the notion that it provides protection against cognitive or brain decline is not supported.
Identifiers
PMID39989967
PMCPMC11844660
What Socratic holds
Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390