Adult cancer survivors found to have better memory function both before and after cancer diagnosis

two elderly people standing together in a park

The findings of this new study published in JAMA Network Open could make a valuable contribution in the quest to prevent Alzheimer’s as it could lead to insight into a common pathological process in the illnesses. Authors include Harvard Pop Center faculty member M. Maria Glymour and recent Bell Fellow Lindsay Kobayashi. Other authors of the study are: Monica Ospina-Romer, Ekland Abdiwahab, Teresa Filshtein, Willa D. Brenowitz, and Elizabeth R.…

Longer compulsory education not necessarily better for cognitive & mental health outcomes; a natural experiment finds differences between genders

Emilie Courtin headshot

A new study published in the BMJ Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health examined the long-term health impacts of a policy enacted in France that extended compulsory education by two years. Lead author Emilie Courtin, PhD, a current Harvard Bell Fellow, along with Harvard Pop Center Director Lisa Berkman, and faculty members Mauricio Avendano and Maria Glymour and other colleagues, found that while the reform was linked to improved cognitive…

Does timing of socioeconomic status (SES) impact late-life memory function and decline differently?

Researchers have found that early- and later-life SES has an impact on late-life memory in differing ways. The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health doctoral student Jessica Marden, along with Harvard Pop Center faculty members Ichiro Kawachi and M. Maria Glymour.

Decreased exercise could be factor in link between PTSD and CV disease

A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine reveals that women who experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder were found to be less physically active over time. Harvard Pop Center faculty members Maria Glymour and Laura Kubzansky are authors on the study.

Exercise can delay nursing home admission for those at risk of dementia

Harvard Pop Center faculty member Maria Glymour, PhD, is an author on a paper published in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics that explores whether modifiable risk factors. like smoking, exercise and alcohol consumption, can delay nursing home admission among those suffering from the cognitive impairment associated with initial stages of dementia.

Cumulative lifetime use of marijuana found to impact verbal memory in middle age

Harvard Pop Center faculty member Maria Glymour is an author on a paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine that explores the long-term effects of lifetime marijuana use on memory and other aspects of cognitive function.

Novel use of genetic variants may shed light on link between education level & dementia in older age

A study published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology by Harvard Pop Center affiliated researchers including Ichiro Kawachi, Sze Yan Liu, and Maria Glymour introduces the use of genetic variants as instruments to help identify the causal effect of educational attainment on dementia risk. The study, based on instrumental variable (IV) analyses, suggests education is protective against risk of dementia in older adulthood.