Intellectually engaging and stimulating activities like reading, writing, and learning new languages are linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment in later life. The corresponding study was published in Neurology.

“Our study looked at cognitive enrichment from childhood to later life, focusing on activities and resources that stimulate the mind. Our findings suggest that cognitive health in later life is strongly influenced by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments,” said study author, Andrea Zammit, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in a press release.

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 1939 adults with an average age of 80 years old who were dementia-free at the start of the study. They were followed for around eight years.