The Study Of The Nuns And The Findings On Alzheimer’s

The study of the nuns is one of the most ambitious, interesting and fruitful of all that has been done on Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, it is a true research model due to the large number of features that make it reliable.

Everything related to the study of the nuns was recorded in the book 678 nuns and a scientist. The story of the biggest find about old age  and Alzheimer’s . It was written by David Snowdon, creator and director of the research.

Being a professor at the University of Minnesota, in 1986 he began this work. 16 years later (2002), I already had the book ready. The nuns’ study collects valuable information about Alzheimer’s that would otherwise have been very difficult to obtain. Without further ado, let’s get down to business.

The study of the nuns

David Snowdon chose a group  of nuns from the Sisters of Notre Dame congregation to conduct his research. The initial group lived in a convent in Mankato, Minnesota. Later it was extended to groups that inhabited other convents and the study continued in Kentucky.

The aim of the research was to analyze the  mental and physical disability that occurs with aging and how it was related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The sisters who participated in the study of the Nuns were 678. They were between 75 and 102 years old; the average age was 83. They agreed to be part of the research for a moving reason: they believed it was a way to help women around the world.

All of them agreed to provide information when requested, to undergo an annual physical examination, to undergo cognitive tests every year and to have blood samples taken for genetic and nutritional analysis. They also donated their brains to be studied after their death.

Why a group of nuns?

The study of the nuns is unique and very interesting from a methodological point of view. Few groups of people in the world are as homogeneous as a religious congregation. There women share activities, the same nutrition and the same general environmental conditions.

In studies of this type, the variations between one and the other volunteers imply a certain complexity. The differences between the participants mean that many variables must be considered before drawing conclusions. This was not the case in the nuns’ study.

Also, it is often not easy to collect information about the past of a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Your relatives, if you have them, don’t always accurately remember milestones in that person’s life. In the study of the nuns, the researchers not only had the information provided by the congregation, but also each religious had made an autobiography upon entering the community.

To complete, the brain donation was a fundamental element. Having the organ allowed us to contrast the observations made on the person in life, with the constitution of the brain, which could be verified after death. All together made this study group ideal.

The conclusions of the study

The study of the nuns contains much information and many valuable conclusions. One of the first to be drawn was obvious: nuns have a longer life expectancy than average women. It is clear that not smoking, not drinking and living a more peaceful life are factors that affect longevity.

Another of the most interesting findings had to do with the autobiographies of the nuns. On average, they had written them at 22 years of age, upon entering the Congregation. A direct relationship with Alzheimer’s was found: the more fluid the autobiography was, the less likely it was to suffer from it, and vice versa.

It was established that 80% of the nuns who made a laconic autobiography developed Alzheimer’s disease five or six decades later. Among those who made a very rich narration, only 10% presented that evil. Likewise, a clear relationship was found between positive mood and mental health at advanced ages.

The study of the nuns has led to the question of the biological or behavioral basis of Alzheimer’s. The most active and happy nuns did not develop the disease. Were they like this because they had no predisposition to suffer from it or did their behavior protect them from that evil? There is still no conclusive answer for this. Meanwhile, this research will remain as an immense contribution to all humanity.