One more reason to go for that diploma

What benefits result from a higher education? While some seem obvious, there may be a few you never thought of.

Students often seem attracted by the prospects of a higher income, more rewarding work, and higher employment associated with earning a university degree. Educators might emphasize the value of critical thinking skills gained by graduates, their introduction to the world of ideas and the merits of preparation for a life of learning. Societal benefits might include such things as a decreased dependence upon public assistance, greater civic involvement, increased volunteerism and better health associated with higher levels of education.

A number of recent studies have demonstrated that a higher level of education may provide benefits we never anticipated, namely, protection from a decline in memory and other cognitive abilities that comes as we grow older. This month researchers at the University of Toronto published findings that shed light on how higher education helps protect older people from certain declines in mental abilities.

Melanie Springer and a team of psychologists examined patterns of brain activity in subjects performing memory tasks. The procedure involved scanning the brains of participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The scans produced pictures that reveal specific brain areas which become active in response to subjects performing memory tasks. They then examined the relationship between those brain regions used, the age of subjects, and their levels of education.

Previous studies had shown that older adults exhibit greater activity in the frontal regions of the brain as compared to younger adults. The main finding of this study was that the frontal lobes, the area of the brain directly behind the forehead, and the medial temporal lobes, the areas on each side of the brain, exhibited differing patterns of activity, depending on the age and education of the subjects.

Young adults, ages 18 to 30 with higher education, seemed inclined to rely more on the temporal lobes and less on the frontal lobes while performing memory tasks. Older adults, aged 65 and up, used more frontal lobes and less of their temporal lobes while performing the same tasks. This increase in frontal lobe activity among older adults was most pronounced among those that were more highly educated.

The authors suggested that the frontal lobes represent an available resource that can be called upon to compensate for reduced functioning of the temporal regions associated with aging. The more education a person has, the greater this effect.

Neuropsychologists have contributed dramatically to our understanding of the brain in recent years. They have demonstrated that the brain is a dynamic system of neurons capable of growing new connections in response to more complex and stimulating environments. It is speculated that education, particularly while the brain is maturing before age 30, may stimulate the formation of more connections between various brain regions. These additional connections might provide a kind of redundancy which acts to buffer the decline that comes when connections are inevitably lost due to aging.

If you are among those thinking about going back for that university diploma, there’s one more reason to take the plunge. Better do it soon though, before you forget!