Can intellectual activity protect against Alzheimer's disease?

[flippy]

I have looked for information on this and haven't found anything substantial.
Does Alzhemiers generally affect people with higher IQs? What abt types of intelligences? I don't think intellegence types are genetic but I knew Alzheimer's is. It would be interesting to see a parallel that supports this.

 

[Marijn]

Although i can't come up with figures.
I've got quite a lot of (to bad) experience with alzheimer.
Spending some years visiting you grandmother in a home does show that alzheimer doesn't discriminate in intelligence.

The people i saw suffering from alzheimer's are as diverse as Holland is.
The only thing i saw was that there were in general more white people in the home.
This however is te be explained by the fact that it is a private home, and non-whites (again in general) have nu recources to pay it (and they tend to take more care of their family where as white people shove them in home whenever money allows)

In my granny's home people varied from professors to people who barely had the intelect to clean latrines, and virtually all professions in between.

So i'd tend to think alzheimer isn't Iq bound.
But i'd love to see prove for it should anyone have it, I've only had one home for comparison and that makes my statement not to accurate.

 

[False Prophet]

One factor among others like genetics, is how much mental stimulation you get. Intelligence really isn't a factor, but a lot of people retire, fish and chill and watch TV all day. Maybe do a crossword puzzle, play along to Jeopardy or write some books.

This is just one thing though, there's lots of variables. It is sad to have a loved one with Alzheimers.

 

[Monique]

This belongs in the Biology forum *moves*

Read the following http://www.alz.org/Research/Theories.asp for an overview of theories on the process of Alzheimer development. Alzheimer is a disease with the hallmark sign of amyloid plaque aggregates. These plaques damage the brain. The brain is a dynamic organ and can re-route itself. Keeping the brain active probably aids in keeping an healthy mind.

Flippy, why do you think that people with a higher intelligence are at increased risk of Alzheimers?

 

[ryokan]

Does Alzhemiers generally affect people with higher IQs?

It seems that the lifetime intellectual activity could have a certain protective function on the development of Alzheimer's disease.
This is an interesting work concerning your question:
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/98/6/3440.pdf