May 04, 2024 09:00:00Research shows that 'working with simple tasks is likely to cause cognitive decline'Some people who work jobs that require high levels of mental strain or cognitive effort on a daily basis may be envious of those who work simpler tasks. They then classified participants into either no cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, or dementia based on their results in cognitive tests administered from age 70 onwards. Edwin explains: 'The most cognitively demanding occupation group included lawyers, doctors, accountants, technical engineers and civil servants, but the most common occupation was teachers. The study also found that attending college protected against cognitive decline, but only by about 60% to offset the effect of routine work. In other words, even people who work routine jobs can prevent cognitive decline by getting more education or having entertainment that requires cognitive tasks outside of work.
