Aging

• A large, long-running study found those with a college education maintained good cognition substantially longer than those who didn't complete high school.
• A very large online study found that higher levels of education were strong predictors of better cognitive performance across all ages (15-60 years), but this was more true for types of cognition such as reasoning and less true for processing speed.
• A large study of older men found that their cognitive ability at age 20 was a stronger predictor of cognitive function later in life than other factors, such as higher education, occupational complexity or engaging in late-life intellectual activities.

• A large study finds weaker handgrip strength is associated with a progressively greater risk of developing severe cognitive impairment.
• Another large long-running study similarly finds slow walking speeds and weak grip strength is associated with a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
• Weaker grip strength, in those older than 65, was also linked to a higher risk of stroke.

• B vitamins can help many older adults with mild cognitive impairment, but only if they have good levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

• A very large Canadian study found that older adults with chronic insomnia performed significantly worse on cognitive tests.
• A small study links older adults' increasing difficulties with consolidating memories to poorer synchronization of brainwaves during sleep.
• A fruitful study shows that oxidative stress drives sleep, and that this is regulated by a specific molecule that monitors the degree of oxidative stress.

• A clinical trial found that hypertensive older adults who took medication to keep their systolic blood pressure around 130 showed markedly fewer white matter lesions than those maintaining a level of 145.
• A large, long-running study found that higher blood pressiure was linked to more brain lesions and more tau tangles.
• A long-running study found that both higher amyloid-beta levels and higher vascular risk were linked to faster cognitive decline, with the factors interacting to be worse than additive.

• A correlation has been found between physical activity in healthy older adults and more variable resting-state brain activity.
• More variable resting-state activity in older adults has previously been linked to better cognition.
• No such correlation was found between cardiorespiratory fitness and resting-state brain activity.
• The finding supports previous evidence linking higher levels of physical activity in old age with better cognition and brain health.

• Gist processing appears to play a strong role in false memories.
• Older adults rely on gist memory more.
• Older adults find it harder to recall specific sensory details that would help confirm whether a memory is true.

• A very large study found that older adults with multiple health conditions showed much greater cognitive decline than those with fewer chronic conditions, even when the conditions weren't directly related to brain health.

The root of age-related cognitive decline may lie in a reduced ability to ignore distractors. A new study indicates that older adults put more effort into focusing during encoding, in order to compensate for a reduced ability to hold information in working memory. The finding suggests a multi-pronged approach to improving cognitive ability in older adults.

• A large study indicates that an inclination to dizziness on standing up is associated with a greater risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia decades later.