What does the Nun Study give evidence about?
Overall, findings of the Nun Study indicated multiple factors concerning expression of Alzheimer’s traits. Another study reaffirmed the findings of The Nun Study that higher idea density is correlated with better cognition during aging, even if the individual had brain lesions resembling those of Alzheimer’s disease.
What did the Nun Study find?
The Nun Study is unique in that it includes a large number of brains from people who are not de- mented. Preliminary findings from the Nun Study indicate that the Khachaturian (senile plaque) crite- rion has a relatively high ability to discriminate de- mented from nondemented individuals.
What was the surprising unexpected finding of the Nun Study?
The observation of the 30% frequency of the APOE2 allele in ASYMAD, significantly higher than the MCI and AD group, was unexpected and surprising for its magnitude. Previous studies have shown that the APOE2 allele protects against the development of AD.
What is an example of the use it or lose it principle?
It turns out that many, if not most, of the new neurons can be rescued from death by learning. This is a prime example of “use it or lose it.” Cells that are already born and present during the learning experience are more likely to survive than cells that are present in an animal that is not learning [1, 2, 18, 19].
Do nuns with college degrees live longer?
At the beginning of the Nun Study in 1991, approximately 58 years later, 91% of them had earned at least a bachelors degree. During the 9-year mortality surveillance period, the 180 participants ranged in age from 75 to 95 years and 76 (42%) of them had died (Milwaukee sample = 43%, Baltimore sample = 42%).
Where do nuns study?
There are few viharas, or Buddhist nunneries, in the United States where women can become novices and learn from teachers. Some novices choose to study at monasteries in East and South Asian countries, but the role of women in monasteries can vary by each nation and culture’s tradition.
Are nuns healthy?
American Catholic nuns experience greater physical and emotional well-being at the end of life than other women and are 27 percent more likely to live into their seventies. My work is part of a growing body of research conducted during the past two decades that has begun to uncover why nuns enjoy such healthy aging.
What is neuronal hypertrophy?
neuronal hypertrophy. Definition: increased mass of any of the structural and functional units of the nervous system, which consist of the nerve cell body, the dendrites, and the axon.
Is it true if you don’t use it you will lose it?
It means that if you don’t continue to practice or use an ability, you might lose that ability. Examples: If a person doesn’t exercise his or her physical body, he or she will likely lose strength, stamina and endurance.
What happens if I dont use my brain?
Like other muscles in your body, if you don’t use the brain, you’ll eventually lose it. This means it’s crucial to exercise your brain and keep it stimulated. Good suggestions for stretching your brain muscles include learning to speak a new language, learning to play a new instrument, or even learning to juggle.
Do nuns live longer?
“They not only live much longer than their lay peers, they also are physiologically healthier and psychologically healthier — happier — at the end of life,” says Anna Corwin, an anthropologist at St.
What was the purpose of the Nun Study?
The Nun Study, begun in 1986 with funding by the National Institute on Aging, focused on a group of 678 American Roman Catholic sisters who were members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The purpose of the study was to conclude if “linguistic ability in early life is associated with cognitive function and Alzheimer’s disease in late life.”
Is it true that nuns help people live longer?
And now in a new report it is offering insight on a different subject — whether a positive emotional outlook early in life can help people live longer. ”The Nun Study has certainly been pioneering,” said Dr. Richard Suzman, chief of demography and population epidemiology at the National Institute on Aging.
Are there any nun studies on Alzheimer’s disease?
Sister Nicolette, 94, (center) and fellow elderly nun subjects at the School Sisters of Notre Dame convent in 2001 where a long-term study of Alzheimer’s disease has been conducted since 1986 and still goes on today. Steve Liss/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images
Can a nun speak more than one language?
The study found that 31 percent of nuns who spoke only one language developed dementia, compared with only 6 percent of nuns who spoke four or more languages (proficiently, but not necessarily on a daily basis). This lends further credence to the belief that extra brain use can somehow ward off dementia.