Scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that women who have stayed at home after starting a family and never returned to work suffer 50% worse memory decline. Work, in this case, is defined as paid employment.
The researchers followed many women in the United States to determine the rates of memory decline. Their findings suggest that having paid employment keeps their memory sharp. They got older and lessens memory decline by 50% among older women who worked during their early adulthood to middle age even with gap years to raise a family.
More women than men suffer conditions related to memory decline like Alzheimer's disease. The researchers believe that their findings could help prevent such conditions.
Slower Memory Decline In Women Who Work In Paid Employment
Study author Dr. Elizabeth Mayeda said that women aged 55 and up who worked in paid employment and those who stopped for a few years then went back to work experience a slower rate of memory decline.
However, the opposite is true for those who did not go back to work after starting a family. Dr. Mayeda explained that their study suggests that engaging in paid employment may offer some protection when it comes to memory loss, perhaps due to cognitive stimulation, social engagement, and financial security gained from leaving the house to work.
When the researchers gave the women exams to test their memory, they found that decline of memory between ages 55 and 60 was at the same rate. However, women who held a paid job at some point in their life have a slower memory decline rate.
The researchers added that even when considering the educational background and age, memory decline rates are higher for those who stopped working after starting a family.
Mayeda added that the findings suggest that benefits from workforce participation extend far into adulthood. Memory decline is one of the earliest signs of dementia, but this study gives insight into the prevention of dementia.
Read Also: Electrical Pulses Found to Reverse Memory Decline Temporarily
Pregnancy Reshapes Women's Brain
Studies show that women's brain undergoes significant remodeling during pregnancy that could last for two years after giving birth. Some call it the "pregnancy brain" or the "mom brain," but whatever it is called, the remodeled brain plays a role in helping women transition into motherhood.
However, the mom's brain exhibit significant cognitive deficits in multiple domains, which are linked to excessively high hormones of late pregnancy, low hormones following the delivery, and the immense changes of hormone concentration from pregnancy to postpartum, says Dr. Chandler Marrs.
Both low and high levels of estrogen during or after pregnancy could affect memory. That means the larger the change in hormone concentration, the poorer the memory postpartum.
Perhaps it is one reason why women who did not return to work after delivery have higher chances of memory decline than those who engaged in a paid job after starting a family or taking a few years to raise their family and go back to work.
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