Adult education in later life is not related to slower long-term cognitive decline, ELSA study finds

A 21-year analysis of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing finds no evidence that taking up continuing education in mid-to-late life is associated with long-term memory or verbal fluency trajectories.

The research, published in The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, analysed 21 years of data from 3,906 adults aged 50 to 90. It compared people who undertook continuing education with closely matched peers who did not, examining cognitive performance in the years before and after education began.

Earlier research has reported associations between adult education, stronger cognitive performance, and lower dementia risk. However, many of these studies have not been able to fully account for reverse causation, meaning that people with better cognitive health may simply be more likely to take up courses in the first place.

To address this, the research team used a matched longitudinal design. Participants who reported continuing education were matched to individuals of similar age, sex, baseline education and prior cognitive performance. The study then tracked changes in memory and verbal fluency for up to eight years after education began, comparing them with equivalent periods in the matched control group.

The authors found cognitive trajectories were similar in both groups before education began. After participation, there was no meaningful difference in the rate of memory or fluency decline between those who undertook continuing education and those who did not.

Lead author Dr Mikaela Bloomberg (UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health) said:

“When we accounted for prior cognitive performance and compared people with very similar profiles, we found no evidence that taking part in continuing education in mid-to-late life is related to slower long-term trajectory of memory or verbal fluency decline.”

The study did find a small, short-term increase in memory scores at the point when some participants reported starting education, but this effect did not persist. Over time, performance converged with that of the matched control group.

The authors note that continuing education remains valuable for many reasons, including social engagement, wellbeing, and economic opportunities. However, the findings suggest it should not yet be promoted as a strategy to prevent long-term cognitive decline or dementia.

The paper concludes that while early-life education has strong and consistent links with better cognitive outcomes across the life course, further evidence is needed before later-life education can be positioned as a long-term cognitive health intervention.

Bloomberg M, Sabia S, Bu F, Gong J, Steptoe A. Cognitive decline before and after mid-to-late-life continuing education in England: a matched longitudinal analysis of a prospective cohort study. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2026;60:101513; PMCID: PMC12605658.

Photo by Kampus Production