Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Education, occupation, and dementia: the Bavarian school sisters study
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, München, Germany. h.bickel@lrz.tum.de
Background/Aims:
An inverse association of educational level with the occurrence of dementia has been repeatedly demonstrated. The mechanism of this relationship is not yet clear. Studies on populations with different educational and occupational levels but uniform living conditions throughout adult life may serve as a natural experiment and may help to rule out lifestyle and environmental factors as possible explanations.
Methods:
We studied the relationship of education, occupational training, and appointment to a leading position with dementia in a cross-sectional study of older female members of a religious order.
Results:
Out of 517 eligible sisters, 442 (85.5%) with an average of 54 years membership in the order participated in the study, among which 104 cases of dementia were identified. We found a strong association of low educational and occupational attainment with dementia. The increased risk of dementia was attributable to sisters being poorly educated (age-adjusted OR = 4.5; 95% CI: 2.0-9.9), not having received any vocational training (OR = 9.1; 95% CI: 3.9-20.9), and never having been appointed to a leading position (OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 2.0-7.0).
Conclusion:
In a setting which largely excludes the influence of lifestyle and environmental factors, we observed a strong association between educational variables and dementia. Our findings support the hypothesis of a reserve capacity against the consequences of brain diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Dementia l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
