Qualitative and quantitative educational disparities and brain signatures in healthy aging and dementia across global settings.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While education is crucial for brain health, evidence mainly relies on individual measures of years of education (YoE), neglecting education quality (EQ). The effect of YoE and EQ on aging and dementia has not been compared.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of the effect of EQ and YoE on brain health in 7533 subjects from 20 countries, including healthy controls (HCs), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). EQ was based on country-level quality indicators provided by the programme for international student assessment (PISA). After applying neuroimage harmonization, we examined its effect, along with YoE, on gray matter volume and functional connectivity. Regression models were adjusted for age, sex, and cognition,

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Gomez R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12018025 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature