In The Best Resources For Showing Students Why They Should Continue Their Academic Career, I share a lot of research that I use with students to show them the value of not dropping out of high school and, indeed, to attend college. There is plenty of economic and health data to back that perspective up.

Now, even though teenagers are not known for long-range thinking, researchers have discovered another benefit — it lowers the risk of dementia.

Here are some excerpts from a report titled Why more education lowers dementia risk:

A team of researchers from the UK and Finland has discovered why people who stay in education longer have a lower risk of developing dementia – a question that has puzzled scientists for the past decade.

Examining the brains of 872 people who had been part of three large ageing studies, and who before their deaths had completed questionnaires about their education, the researchers found that more education makes people better able to cope with changes in the brain associated with dementia.

” Our study shows education in early life appears to enable some people to cope with a lot of changes in their brain before showing dementia symptoms….”Education is known to be good for population health and equity. This study provides strong support for investment in early life factors which should have an impact on society and the whole lifespan. This is hugely relevant to policy decisions about the importance of resource allocation between health and education,” says Professor Brayne.