Could Demanding Jobs Extend Survival Rates In Some With Young-Onset Dementia?

As much as people may hate their jobs, having an intellectually demanding profession is oftentimes necessary as a means of livelihood and survival. And for some, a means to staying mentally fit. 

New findings published in the journal Neurology show that this is particularly true tor someone who is dealing with the symptoms of young-onset dementia, according to researchers at Penn State University.

Researchers examined the deterioration of the temporal parts of the brain that lead to a common form of dementia that affects people younger than 65 and how it can change personality and behavioral issues.

"[Our] study suggests that having a higher occupational level protects the brain from some of the effects of this disease, allowing people to live longer after developing the disease," researcher Lauren Massimo said in a news release. 

Previous studies have suggested that experiences such as education, occupation and mental engagement help a person develop cognitive strategies and neural connections throughout his or her life.

"People with frontotemporal dementia typically live six to ten years after the symptoms emerge, but little has been known about what factors contribute to this range," Massimo said.

For the study, researchers reviewed the medical charges of 83 people who had an autopsy following death to confirm the diagnosis of either frontotemporal dementia or Alzhiemer's disease. They also had information regarding the patients' primary occupations.

Researchers determined onset symptoms via the earliest report from family members that showed persistently abnormal behavior and survival was defined from the time symptoms began until death.

Thirty-four people autopsied with frontotemporal dementia showed an average survival time of about seven years. However, with more challenging jobs, they were more likely to survive for longer periods of time than counterparts with less challenging jobs.

However, the findings also showed that occupation level was not associted with longer survival for those with dementia. In other words, the amount of education a person had did not affect the survival time in their disease.