User:GersonCool/Lifelong learning

2023.07.14 Final Draft of My Article:

Potential Benefits of Lifelong Learning in an Aging Society (new section title)

With today’s advances in communication, travel, and medicine, many areas of the world are experiencing an increase in average life expectancy, leading to higher numbers of elderly people in the population. With these individuals living longer, it means that more people will suffer the ravages of the age-related diseases of cognitive decline. According to the Alzheimer's Society, it is estimated that worldwide cases of Alzheimer's diseases will jump from 47.5 million as of 2014 to 75.6 million by 2030.

With this many people living longer, it’s important from a socioeconomic perspective that adult healthcare and cognitive decline be addressed in order to head off a worldwide dementia crisis. The cost of caring for an elderly dementia patient is considerably higher than their healthy counterparts. With populations living longer than ever before, the implications of dementia in a growing number of older adults threatens to become an overwhelming expense.

In 2007, the US Department of Health and Human Services published a study suggesting that older people who suffer from cognitive impairment require significantly more care than healthier individuals. Those with mild impairment require about 8.5 more hours of care each week, while those with severe impairment receive about 41.5 additional hours of care. With estimates projecting over 150 million cases of dementia worldwide by the year 2050 and “and at least one new case… reported every 3.2 seconds” (Ayenigbara, 2022, p. 18), anything that can help lessen the financial and mental health burden of these diseases on patients and their families is a welcome benefit, and it’s possible that lifelong learning may provide an economical method to deal with this issue.

Research has established that "Exercising the brain may preserve it, forestalling mental decline" (Grady, 2012 – from Wiki article). It has been shown that people with higher cognitive reserves (CR), attained through lifelong learning, were better able to endure the inevitable ravages of aging, and thereby avoid the cognitive decline that often accompanies age-related neurodegenerative diseases. (Strom & Strom, 2015)

CR is an idea in the medical field postulates that people who have more education and/or have spent more time in mentally challenging situations (sports, hobbies, careers, etc.) develop additional material connections within their brains that allow them to be better equipped to deal with the loss of some of those connections due to brain damage that occurs with age-related neurodegenerative diseases (Stern, 2009, p. 1). As tissue damage appears to be an inevitable function of the aging process, working to build reserves throughout one’s life can be viewed as hedging your bets against cognitive decline.

Studies showed that even when medical testing proved biological deterioration suggestive of structural changes were occurring in subjects’ brains, individuals with higher CR proved capable of preserving cognitive function longer than those with lower CR. (Nelson et al., 2021) Put another way, even when subjects’ brains were actively being attacked by the diseases of dementia, they were able to persist in a normal mental state for a longer period than subjects who weren’t involved in some type of lifelong learning (Bennett et al., 2004)

With so much of the population destined to suffer from some type of age-related neurodegenerative disease, science has been working on possible solutions since German psychiatrist Alios Alzheimer published his first study of a diseased brain in 1906. ( https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/dementia/history-dementia-research ). While there is currently no effective treatment for slowing the progression of dementia, and with 15-20% of adults aged 65 or older affected by cognitive decline, it’s important to identify any processes that may slow the development of this disease state (Nelson et al., 2021, p. 233), and CR may prove to be a relatively cost-effective method to reduce the occurrence of dementia in elderly people.

It has been shown that an increased CR was associated with a reduction in mild cognitive impairment (Nelson et al., 2021). This offers up an interesting, relatively inexpensive, non-pharmacological intervention in the fight against age-related dementia that should prove to be accessible to all populations, regardless of socio-economic status. “In the absence of an effective treatment strategy, factors that can slow the progression to dementia are of great importance to identify, especially since delaying onset of dementia results in notable public health savings and maintaining quality of life” (Nelson et al., 2021, p. 233).

While much research has been done supporting the idea that lifelong learning and CR are beneficial tools in the fight against dementia, this field of study is not immune to the problems that often plague scientific inquiry. One of the problems in this space is the lack of large, randomized controlled trials (Hussenoeder & Riedel-Heller, 2018, p. 1296). Even though much of the evidence thus far seems to indicate a demonstrable effect of the studied preventive measures on brain health and the incidence of cognitive decline, it’s clear that more studies need to be done to validate the findings of the published research.

While much of the published work has been positive, the ideas of cognitive reserve and lifelong are not without detractors. In “Education and Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Recent International Epidemiological Studies” published in 1997 in the journal Aging and Mental Health, author Dr. C.J. Gilleard, Honorary Associate Professor, Division of Psychiatry, University College London and Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences, purports to find fault with other studies linking education to cognitive decline. Several arguments are proposed, alleging fault with the methodology of the various reviewed studies. Inconsistencies in diagnostic procedures across the years and between countries, giving rise to skewed results, are implicated in this review. An argument is made that variations in statistical analysis and their methods of correction may be responsible for some erroneous study results. It’s also suggested that variations in lifestyles could be responsible for an increase in vascular dementia, as blue-collar type workers may be less inclined to work in industries that provide mentally challenging situations (Gilleard 2017) Gilleard also argues that variations in the initial education levels of study subjects could skew the resultant test data. The author argues that the lack of formal education in the test subjects made them less familiar with the way the tests were presented during the studies, leading them to feel intimidated by the process which resulted in them putting forth less effort during testing and artificially distorting the resultant data. Ignorance of standard testing procedures, and the stress created by this unfamiliarity, can negatively impact resulting scores, thereby skewing test results simply through a lack of experience with the testing protocols.

If the test data about the benefits of lifelong learning programs proves to be true, then it would be beneficial to have full participation in the programs by the entire population. Unfortunately, given human nature, full compliance would seem to be an unrealistic goal, with individuals with lower levels of education likely to be less motivated to participate (Gilleard 2017). While studies have shown that many factors influence the likelihood of adults entering lifelong learning programs, such as gender, race, and initial educational levels, it has also been established that lifelong learning programs provide the opportunity for health benefits regardless of a person’s level of formal education. These programs have been shown to increase cognitive reserves and thereby lessen the possibility of succumbing to cognitive decline-related diseases (Hosnjak et al., 2020, p. 122).

There is also a presumption that education is something that occurs during one’s formative years, and that older adults are limited in their capacities for learning (Strom, R. D., & Strom, P. S. 2016). Studies have debunked the myth that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. It’s been shown that cognitive gains can be made by older adults, and that various methods of lifelong learning can help restore unused skills and slow mental decline (Strom & Strom, 2015).

While some normal cognitive decline is to be expected with aging, the effects of cognitive decline-related diseases like Alzheimer’s begin to take hold decades before a patient is diagnosed. While there is currently no cure for dementia and only limited pharmacological interventions available, it’s been proposed that we focus on the preservation of cognition through lifestyle modification, utilizing methods like education, mentally demanding careers, and a cognitively active lifestyle to help increase individuals’ cognitive reserves. (Hussenoeder, 2018) (Ayenigbara, 2022).

Data continues to lend credence to the idea that lifelong learning plays an important part in age-related neurodegenerative disease prevention. Some recent studies have shown a reduction in the rates of dementia in more recently born residents of Western countries, suggesting that a healthier, more active lifestyle may play a role in reduction of disease and increased public health (Hussenoeder & Riedel-Heller, 2018). In an attempt to spread these benefits worldwide, increasing free and low-cost access to online and in-person education could provide cognitive health benefits to vulnerable populations across the world, lessening the economic and social impacts of cognitive decline related diseases in communities across the globe (Hussenoeder & Riedel-Heller, 2018).

While more work needs to be done in this field, research thus far has shown that acquiring more mental capacity through lifelong learning could prove to be a relatively easy, cost-effective strategy to help lessen the likelihood that people will suffer from dementia-causing diseases in their golden years, lessening the emotional burden on the patient as well as their care-givers, and reducing the monetary impact on them and society.

2023.07.09 assignment:

This is my working draft for my article addition:

(I plan on changing the last section to this:)

Potential Benefits of Lifelong Learning in an Aging Society

According to the Alzheimer's Society, it is estimated that worldwide cases of Alzheimer's diseases will jump from 47.5 million as of 2014 to 75.6 million by 2030.[3] With today’s advances in communication, travel, and medicine, many areas of the world are experiencing an increase in average life expectancy, leading to higher numbers of elderly in the population (Newman, 2023). With these individuals living longer, it means that more people will suffer the ravages of the age-related diseases of cognitive decline.

It’s important from a socioeconomic perspective that adult healthcare and cognitive decline be addressed in order to head off a worldwide dementia crisis. The cost of caring for an elderly dementia patient is considerably higher than their healthy counterparts. With populations living longer than ever before, the implications of dementia in a growing number of older adults threatens to become an onerous expense (Wimo, 2023)

In 2007, the US Department of Health and Human Services published a study suggesting that older people who suffer from cognitive impairment require significantly more care than healthier individuals. Those with mild impairment require about 8.5 more hours of care each week, while those with severe impairment receive about 41.5 additional hours of care (USDHHS, 2007). With estimates projecting over 150 million cases of dementia worldwide by the year 2050 and “and at least one new case… reported every 3.2 seconds” (Ayenigbara, 2022, p. 18), anything that can help lessen the financial and mental health burden of these diseases on patients and their families is a welcome benefit, and it’s possible that lifelong learning may provide an economical method to deal with this issue.

Research has established that "Exercising the brain may preserve it, forestalling mental decline" (Grady, 2012 – from Wiki article). It has been shown that people with higher cognitive reserves (CR), attained through lifelong learning, were better able to endure the inevitable ravages of aging, and thereby avoid the cognitive decline that often accompanies age-related neurodegenerative diseases.” (Strom & Strom, 2015)

CR is an idea in the medical field “that individual differences in the cognitive processes or neural networks underlying task performance allow some people to cope better than others with brain damage” (Stern, 2009, p. 1). As tissue damage appears to be an inevitable function of the aging process, working to build reserves throughout one’s life can be viewed as hedging your bets against cognitive decline.

Studies showed that even when medical testing proved biological decline suggestive of structural changes were occurring in subjects’ brains, individuals with higher CR proved capable of preserving cognitive function longer than those with lower CR. (Nelson et al., 2021) Put another way, even when subjects brains were actively being attacked by the diseases of dementia, they were able to persist in a normal mental state for a longer period than subjects who weren’t involved in some type of lifelong learning (Bennett et al., 2004),

While there is currently no effective treatment for slowing the progression of dementia, and with 15-20% of adults aged 65 or older affected by cognitive decline, it’s important to identify any processes that may slow the development of this disease state (Nelson et al., 2021, p. 233).

It has been shown that an increased CR was associated with a reduction in mild cognitive impairment. This offers up an interesting, relatively inexpensive, non-pharmacological intervention in the fight against age-related dementia that should prove to be accessible to all populations, regardless of socio-economic status (Nelson et al., 2021). “In the absence of an effective treatment strategy, factors that can slow the progression to dementia are of great importance to identify, especially since delaying onset of dementia results in notable public health savings and maintaining quality of life” (Nelson et al., 2021, p. 233).

One of the problems in this space is the lack of large, randomized controlled trials (Hussenoeder & Riedel-Heller, 2018, p. 1296), and it’s clear that more studies need to be done to validate the findings of the research that has been published. The evidence thus far seems to indicate a demonstrable effect of the studied preventive measures on brain health and the incidence of cognitive decline.

While much of the published work has been positive, the ideas of cognitive reserve and lifelong are not without detractors. In “Education and Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Recent International Epidemiological Studies” published in 1997 in the journal Aging and Mental Health, author Dr. C.J. Gilleard, Honorary Associate Professor, Division of Psychiatry, University College London and Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences, purports to find fault with other studies linking education to cognitive decline.

Several arguments are proposed, alleging fault with the methodology of the various reviewed studies. Inconsistencies in diagnostic procedures across the years and between countries are implicated in this review. An argument is made that variations in statistical analysis and their methods of correction may be responsible for some erroneous study results. It’s also suggested that variations in lifestyles could be responsible for an increase in vascular dementia.

Gilleard (2017) argues that variations in the initial education levels of study subjects can skew the resultant test data. The author argues that “subjects without formal education were usually less familiar with the procedures… and they exhibited less confidence and motivation during testing” (p. 43). Ignorance of standard testing procedures, and the stress created by this unfamiliarity, can negatively impact resulting scores, thereby skewing test results simply through a lack of experience with the testing protocols.

While studies have shown that many factors influence the likelihood of adults entering lifelong learning programs, such as gender, race, and initial educational levels, it has also been established that lifelong learning programs provide the opportunity for health benefits regardless of a person’s level of formal education. These programs have been shown to increase cognitive reserves and thereby lessen the possibility of succumbing to cognitive decline-related diseases (Hosnjak et al., 2020, p. 122).

And debunking the myth that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, it’s been shown that cognitive gains can be made by older adults, and that various methods of lifelong learning can help restore unused skills and slow mental decline (Strom & Strom, 2015).

It’s been established that cognitive decline-related diseases like Alzheimer’s begin to take hold decades before a patient is diagnosed. While there is currently no cure for dementia and only limited pharmacological interventions available, it’s been proposed that we focus on the preservation of cognition through lifestyle modification, utilizing methods like education, mentally demanding careers, and a cognitively active lifestyle to help increase individuals’ cognitive reserves. (Hussenoeder, 2018) (Ayenigbara, 2022).

Some recent studies have shown a reduction in the rates of dementia in more recently born residents of Western countries, suggesting that a healthier, more active lifestyle may play a role in reduction of disease and increased public health. Increasing free and low-cost access to online and in-person education could provide cognitive health benefits to vulnerable populations across the world, lessening the economic and social impacts of cognitive decline related diseases in communities worldwide (Hussenoeder & Riedel-Heller, 2018). Acquiring more mental capacity through lifelong learning could prove to be a relatively easy, cost-effective strategy to help lessen the likelihood that people will suffer from dementia-causing diseases in their golden years.

(I still need to add in my references for this addition to my article)

This is the current lead from my chose article (Lifelong learning):

Lifelong learning is the "ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated" pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. It is important for an individual's competitiveness and employability, but also enhances social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development.

As a student, one of the questions we're instructed to ask is "Does the lead include a brief description of the article’s major sections?"

The introductory section gives a concise overview of the subject matter. It references some (but not many) of the article's sections. It would be helpful to see the lead section expounded on a bit more, with a better overview of the sections presented in the article.

I intend to better detail some of the chapters in this article in the lead section, with the hopes of providing the reader with a more concise idea of what information is included in the article (and hopefully enticing them to dive further into the information).

The last section in my article (Lifelong learning) is labeled as "Implications for an aging society", and endeavors to describe the benefits that lifelong learning may hold for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, this section comes of a bit disorganized and rambling, and could benefit from some editing and citation of secondary sources.

The text from this section currently reads as follows:

Implications for an aging society
According to the Alzheimer's Society, it is estimated that worldwide cases of Alzheimer's diseases will jump from 47.5 million as of 2014 to 75.6 million by 2030. "Exercising the brain may preserve it, forestalling mental decline" (Grady, 2012). In North America—and presumably globally—to proactively curb potential economic issues as the baby boomers continue to age, we need to look at society through a lifelong learning lens. Consider community programs to engage retirees and foster their cognitive health. Taking a proactive approach to keep our elderly population engaged through learning and their brains exercised as Grady described, the strain on the health care system and not to mention the families of the elderly would be lessened. The US Department of Health and Human Service published a study that suggests that older people with a mild cognitive impairment receive 8.5 hours more of care each week from their family and those with a severe impairment received 41.5 more hours than those without a cognitive impairment (USDHHS, 2007).

I intend to locate some additional sources that help explain the benefits of lifelong learning, as well as ones that show the cognitive (as well as potential financial) benefits. Including such reference materials, as well as editing the current verbiage, would prove to be beneficial to any reader looking for information on this valuable topic.

This is a link to my article evaluation.

Article body
The last section in my article (Lifelong learning) is labeled as "Implications for an aging society", and endeavors to describe the benefits that lifelong learning may hold for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, this section comes off a bit disorganized and rambling, and could benefit from some editing and citation of secondary sources. The text from this section currently reads as follows:

Implications for an aging society

''According to the Alzheimer's Society, it is estimated that worldwide cases of Alzheimer's diseases will jump from 47.5 million as of 2014 to 75.6 million by 2030.[3] "Exercising the brain may preserve it, forestalling mental decline" (Grady, 2012). In North America—and presumably globally—to proactively curb potential economic issues as the baby boomers continue to age, we need to look at society through a lifelong learning lens. Consider community programs to engage retirees and foster their cognitive health. Taking a proactive approach to keep our elderly population engaged through learning and their brains exercised as Grady described, the strain on the health care system and not to mention the families of the elderly would be lessened. The US Department of Health and Human Service published a study that suggests that older people with a mild cognitive impairment receive 8.5 hours more of care each week from their family and those with a severe impairment received 41.5 more hours than those without a cognitive impairment (USDHHS, 2007).''

I intend to locate some additional sources that help explain the benefits of lifelong learning, as well as ones that show the cognitive (as well as potential financial) benefits. Including such reference materials, as well as editing the current verbiage, would prove to be beneficial to any reader looking for information on this valuable topic.

New section title: Potential Benefits of Lifelong Learning in an Aging Society

Statement of research problem:

-An increase in life expectancy across most of the world's population will lead to higher numbers of elderly people, which undoubtedly means that more people will suffer the ravages of cognitive decline related diseases, placing an increasingly higher burden on families and society to care for these patients. It’s possible that lifelong learning may provide an economical method to lessen this burden.

Research question:

- Can it be shown that lifelong learning provides an economical method to reduce the physical, psychological, and societal implications of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive decline related diseases?

Describe the problem:

- the average age is rising across society (need reference here), which will lead to an increase in incidence of cognitive decline related diseases such as Alzheimer’s ([3] – from Wiki article) in our rapidly aging population

Describe the implications of the problem:

- care of individuals with cognitive decline related diseases places a higher financial burden on families and society (USDHHS, 2007 – from Wiki article) as well as a greater psychological strain on the caregivers (need reference here)

Describe how lifelong learning may help with this problem:

- begin by stating that research has shown that "Exercising the brain may preserve it, forestalling mental decline" (Grady, 2012 – from Wiki article)

- explain that while most individuals will suffer from the physical deterioration associated with cognitive decline related diseases (need reference here), studies have shown that lifelong learning can help reduce the incidence of dementia-like symptoms during a person’s life, irrespective of whether or not there was a post-mortem diagnosis of a neuropathological disease state ( http://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-013-1226-2 )

- explain the fact that even later in life, these neural-protective cognitive gains are possible ( http://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2015.1059148 )

- point out the fact that while there’s been much research published supporting the idea that lifelong learning can be neural-protective, the idea is not without its detractors ( http://doi.org/10.1080/13607869757362 )

Notes for me:

I need some additional resources to help better explain the research into the possible impact that lifelong learning has on cognitive decline.

I need something for the close of the section/discussion of the data.