Education 'can lower risk of developing dementia'

More educated people have a lower risk of developing dementia, according new scientific research.

After examining the brains of 872 volunteers, British and Finnish researchers found that more education helps people cope with the changes in the brain that come with the onset of dementia.

For each additional year of education there is an additional 11 per cent decrease in risk of developing dementia.

However, the study was unable to verify whether or not education actually protects the brain from the disease.

"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," said study lead author professor Carol Brayne of the University of Cambridge.

In a study published last week, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that an anti-ageing gene is directly linked to the build-up of the amyloid protein in the brain - previously found to be one of the causes of dementia.

Read more about Barchester's dementia care homes.