Fumihiko Yasuno1,2, Hiroaki Kazui3, Naomi Morita4, Katsufumi Kajimoto5, Masafumi Ihara5, Akihiko Taguchi5,6, Akihide Yamamoto2, Kiwamu Matsuoka1, Jun Kosaka1, Takashi Kudo7, Hidehiro Iida2, Toshifumi Kishimoto1. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan. 2. Investigative Radiology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. 3. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan. 4. Department of Radiology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. 5. Department of Neurology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. 6. Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation, Kobe, Japan. 7. Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Health Care Center, Suita, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Several epidemiological studies have found a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease in highly educated populations, but the protective mechanism of education against the disease is still unclear. Our objective was to investigate the association between education and (11) C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) uptake with positron emission tomography in participants with normal cognitive ability. METHODS: We performed (11) C-labeled PIB positron emission tomography and neuropsychological testing in 30 cognitively normal older participants. Of the participants, 16 had a period of education less than 12 years (low-education group) and 14 had more than 13 years (high-education group). Amyloid-β deposition was quantified by binding potential (BPND ) in several brain regions and was compared between the groups with different education levels. RESULTS: We found significantly higher cortical PIB-BPND in the cognitively normal participants with low education compared with the ones with high education. None of the brain regions in low-education group showed significantly lower BPND values. This finding was not affected by the inclusion of possible confounding variables such as age, sex, and general intelligence. Our findings indicated a reduced amyloid pathology in highly educated, cognitively normal, participants. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings lead to the proposal that early-life education has a negative association with Alzheimer's disease pathology. This proposal is not in opposition to the brain reserve hypothesis. People with more education might be prone to a greater inhibitory effect against amyloid-β deposition before the preclinical stage. At the same time, they have a greater reserve capacity, and greater pathological changes are required for dementia to manifest.
OBJECTIVE: Several epidemiological studies have found a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease in highly educated populations, but the protective mechanism of education against the disease is still unclear. Our objective was to investigate the association between education and (11) C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) uptake with positron emission tomography in participants with normal cognitive ability. METHODS: We performed (11) C-labeled PIB positron emission tomography and neuropsychological testing in 30 cognitively normal older participants. Of the participants, 16 had a period of education less than 12 years (low-education group) and 14 had more than 13 years (high-education group). Amyloid-β deposition was quantified by binding potential (BPND ) in several brain regions and was compared between the groups with different education levels. RESULTS: We found significantly higher cortical PIB-BPND in the cognitively normal participants with low education compared with the ones with high education. None of the brain regions in low-education group showed significantly lower BPND values. This finding was not affected by the inclusion of possible confounding variables such as age, sex, and general intelligence. Our findings indicated a reduced amyloid pathology in highly educated, cognitively normal, participants. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings lead to the proposal that early-life education has a negative association with Alzheimer's disease pathology. This proposal is not in opposition to the brain reserve hypothesis. People with more education might be prone to a greater inhibitory effect against amyloid-β deposition before the preclinical stage. At the same time, they have a greater reserve capacity, and greater pathological changes are required for dementia to manifest.
Authors: Laura B Zahodne; Elizabeth Rose Mayeda; Timothy J Hohman; Evan Fletcher; Annie M Racine; Brandon Gavett; Jennifer J Manly; Nicole Schupf; Richard Mayeux; Adam M Brickman; Dan Mungas Journal: Neurobiol Aging Date: 2019-08-14 Impact factor: 4.673
Authors: Murat Bilgel; Yang An; Yun Zhou; Dean F Wong; Jerry L Prince; Luigi Ferrucci; Susan M Resnick Journal: Alzheimers Dement Date: 2015-11-14 Impact factor: 21.566
Authors: Daniele de P Faria; Fabio L Duran; Paula Squarzoni; Artur M Coutinho; Alexandre T Garcez; Pedro P Santos; Sonia M Brucki; Maira O de Oliveira; Eduardo S Trés; Orestes V Forlenza; Ricardo Nitrini; Carlos A Buchpiguel; Geraldo Busatto Filho Journal: Braz J Psychiatry Date: 2018-12-06 Impact factor: 2.697