I was wondering what the name of the article is that you are basing this article off of? I would love to read, what the full methods were of this study.
People who never learned to read and write may be susceptible to believing TV advertising and as a result self-medicate with anticholergeric remedies, have poorer nutrition, engage in risky behaviors or have untreated medical conditions that could lead to developing dementia. It's good to know the different ways researchers are approaching this but we must acknowledge there are many factors that can cause dementia.
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people at an increased risk for dementia may be at an increased risk for dementia. people who are alive and have a brain are at an increased risk for dementia. people who write about people who may have an increased risk of dementia may have an increased risk of dementia.
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As a librarian I've always touted the benefits of reading. Even if it's shown later that reading does not stave off dementia, it's still a worthwhile activity for your brain.
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Once again, we have causality versus correlation. The Dominican Republic has a literacy rate of 94%. The argument is that being literate fortifies your brain against the onslaught of Alzheimers. Just read Dickens, Chaucer, or Keats everyday and you will never get the disease. Or could it be the other way around?---those with non-diagnosed cognitive issues, leading to dementia, are less likely to acquire literacy.
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I fully agree with your comment about the study not showing any definite relation between illiteracy and cognitive decline. There are so many more factors as well: those who are illiterate often grow up in less affluent neighborhoods, which also tend to have poorer schools. Poorer communities are also more prone to live in or near toxic environments (such as lead in the water in Flint, MI), and these toxins are known to alter developing brains. And those with less access to education have lower rates of literacy, lower paying jobs that often require working in more hazardous environments, more stress (meaning higher levels of cortisol flooding the brain), less access to preventative medical care, and so many other potential factors that could lead to an increase of degenerative effects in the brain. It seems more likely to me that, rather than being causative, illiteracy is more of a tag-along byproduct of many environmental, biological and societal conditions that may lead to increased risk of dementia. In any case, there are far too many possible contributing factors to declare that illiteracy in and of itself has a significant effect on cognitive decline.
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Portions of the brain used for higher level skills will probably be pruned away to conserve energy without consistent use. I remember the experiment on highly literate nuns and their amazing capacity to conserve memory into ripe old age
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@Marion Francoz Would those have been nuns who taught in schools? What high-level skills would be employed? Cloistered nuns?