Nuns & Alzheimer's—a Study Of The School Sisters Of Nd

[Gabriela]

You may already have heard of this, but I just heard of it for the first time:

 

 

The Nun Study of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease is a continuing longitudinal study, begun in 1986, to examine the onset ofAlzheimer's Disease. David Snowdon, the founding Nun Study investigator, originally began his research at the University of Minnesota, but moved it to the University of Kentucky in 1986. In 2008, with Dr. Snowdon's retirement from the University of Kentucky the study returned to the University of Minnesota. Similar environmental influences and general lifestyles make the nuns an ideal population to study, and although it is ongoing it has yielded several findings.^[1]

 

 

Origin[edit]

The Nun Study, begun (officially) in 1986 with funding by the National Institute on Aging, focuses on a group of 678 American Roman Catholic sisters who are members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Studying a relatively homogeneous group (no drug use, little or no alcohol, similar housing and reproductive histories, etc.) minimizes the extraneous variables that may confound other similar research.

 

Current findings[edit]

Researchers have also accessed the convent archive to review documents amassed throughout the lives of the nuns in the study. Among the documents reviewed were autobiographical essays that had been written by the nuns upon joining the Sisterhood; upon review, it was found that an essay's lack of linguistic density (e.g., complexity, vivacity, fluency) functioned as a significantpredictor of its author's risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in old age. Crucial to note, with respect to this finding, is that the approximate mean age of the nuns at the time of writing was merely 22 years. Roughly 80% of nuns whose writing was measured as lacking in linguistic density went on to develop Alzheimer's disease in old age; meanwhile, of those whose writing was not lacking, only 10% later developed the disease.^[2]

Overall, findings of the Nun Study suggest "that traits in early, mid, and late life have strong relationships with the risk of Alzheimer's disease, as well as the mental and cognitive disabilities of old age."^[3]

 

See also a video of the sisters discussing the study here: http://sciencehack.com/videos/view/nw2lafKIEio

Edited March 7, 2014 by curiousing

[OnlySunshine]

We discussed this in my Aging class while studying about Alzheimer's.  Very interesting that the nuns with plaque in their brain showed no signs of ALZ while the nuns with ALZ had supposedly healthy brains.

[Nunsuch]

The book, Aging with Grace, is a wonderful account of this study. It's about 10 years old, but definitely worth reading.  I visited the Mankato, MN, SSND province shortly after it was published, and had breakfast with the sister in the study (and book--including pictures) who was the oldest member of the community--106 when the book was written.  She was AMAZING.  Very sharp, very funny, and totally impressive.

 

I definitely recommend the book. And it does NOT require any scientific knowledge to appreciate it (I have none). 

[Pia Jesu]

I personally knew a religious sister--a brilliant university math professor--who possessed incredibly sophisticated linquistic and analytical skills.  Unfortunately (and according to this study), she was in the 10% of nuns who had such abilities, yet still developed

Alzheimers. 

 

So, it's difficult for me to accept the overall conclusion that a person with high idea/linguistic density has some sort of resistance to the

disease.  Bravo to the SSND province for participating in the study!

 

[maximillion]

Want to Alzheimer proof yourself?

 

 

Avoid any contact sport that causes knocks to the head.

Don't use aluminium pans or deodorants bases on aluminium.

Get a good education, those with college and further Ed  backgrounds are less likely to develop A. There seems to be a correlation between the higher degrees and less A.

Keep your mood up and your stress levels down. Cortisol and excess cortisol production are a sure fire way to have the kind of brain damage that pre-disposes A.

 

These are all well researched and accepted. Just google 'avoiding Alzheimers'

 

Some of this research was part of the study mentioned.

[Antigonos]

Want to Alzheimer proof yourself?

 

 

Avoid any contact sport that causes knocks to the head.

Don't use aluminium pans or deodorants bases on aluminium.

Get a good education, those with college and further Ed  backgrounds are less likely to develop A. There seems to be a correlation between the higher degrees and less A.

Keep your mood up and your stress levels down. Cortisol and excess cortisol production are a sure fire way to have the kind of brain damage that pre-disposes A.

 

These are all well researched and accepted. Just google 'avoiding Alzheimers'

 

Some of this research was part of the study mentioned.

 

And, I suspect, have good genes. :-)

[OnlySunshine]

Want to Alzheimer proof yourself?

 

 

Avoid any contact sport that causes knocks to the head.

Don't use aluminium pans or deodorants bases on aluminium.

Get a good education, those with college and further Ed  backgrounds are less likely to develop A. There seems to be a correlation between the higher degrees and less A.

Keep your mood up and your stress levels down. Cortisol and excess cortisol production are a sure fire way to have the kind of brain damage that pre-disposes A.

 

These are all well researched and accepted. Just google 'avoiding Alzheimers'

 

Some of this research was part of the study mentioned.

 

The aluminum theory has been disproved, though.  Read Myth 4 on the link:

 

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp

[marigold]

This might be hogwash but I've been told that nuns avoid memory degeneration because they 'live in the present moment'. Is that backed up by the study?

 

Very interesting, thanks for posting!

[Nunsuch]

No, unfortunately; Alzheimer's is physiological.  So "living in the present moment" has nothing to do with it  They are as susceptible as anyone else.  Unfortunately, many communities, particularly small ones, cannot provide memory care in their own facilities, so sisters with such ailments must be sent elsewhere to receive proper care.  But it is certainly the case that many sisters, like any other group in the population, are susceptible to such ailments.

[marigold]

No, unfortunately; Alzheimer's is physiological.  So "living in the present moment" has nothing to do with it  They are as susceptible as anyone else.  Unfortunately, many communities, particularly small ones, cannot provide memory care in their own facilities, so sisters with such ailments must be sent elsewhere to receive proper care.  But it is certainly the case that many sisters, like any other group in the population, are susceptible to such ailments.

 

Thank you for clarifying that - it did seem a little too 'airy-fairy' to be true. The nun who told me seemed to think it was a nice bonus that her chosen way of following Christ also had health benefits :) 

 

It is fascinating that some of the sisters in the study were shown to have the full-blown disease but no symptoms - and it was attributed to factors in the lifestyle such as being very active and having a strong support system. Now maybe that's closer to what might be helping them avoid degeneration?

[TheresaThoma]

I would think that other variables, like being active (both physically and mentally) plus the support system and potentially lower stress, or just better ways to deal with stress would help them avoid degeneration.

[Nunsuch]

Interestingly, as the book notes, one suggestion made to the SSNDs was that their traditional diet (German) was not the healthiest. So, in the early 2000s, they introduced some healthier options. Now, both lunch and dinner include a salad bar (the food is served buffet style), and there is fresh fruit at all meals.

Many communities are now providing exercise facilities even in their retirement/nursing centers. The latest quarterly newsletter from the Benedictine nuns at St. joseph's, MN, for instance, notes a new exercise room, with some weights and machines, at the retirement center; they also offer exercise classes, including seated ones, for the elderly sisters.

Offering such classes, by the way, might be a great volunteer activity for someone qualified who lives near a motherhouse or provincialate....