People in their 90s are getting smarter

Today's 90 year olds are smarter than their counterparts 10 years ago.

In the light of all the bad news about increasing incidence of Alzheimer's, this is good to see.

At first sight it is tempting to assume that this is just the outcome of a general improvement in health resulting from improvements in nutrition & health care. However, the study showed no difference in physical health between the two groups studied.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23864-people-in-their-90s-are-getting-smarter.html#.UeCnsP0aySN / Ninety-somethings ninety somethings oldest people surviving longer appear sharper minds Kaare Christensen head Danish Aging Research Center University of Southern Denmark Odense colleagues research 5000 nonagenarians mini-mental state examination cognitive tests designed age related age-related changes mental exam study Marcel Olde Rikkert Alzheimer's centre Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Netherlands scientifically rigorous participate getting better all the time outcome underlines ageing malleable Olde Rikkert cognitive function very high age motivating people lifestyles, lifestyle environments age dementia experience cognitive decline improved education played part changes Christensen study disentangle individual effects responsible for the improvements 1915 cohort factors experienced better living working conditions radio TV newspapers earlier lives those born 10 years before no difference in the physical test results two groups authors intellectual environment physical basis improvement /