A team of researchers from Stanford University, led by Professor Eric Hanushek, believes that honing math and reading skills should be a constant endeavor—at work, at home, everywhere possible.
This groundbreaking study suggests that keeping the mind active through math and reading can help prevent age-related cognitive decline. The scientists demonstrated that regular practice of these skills—whether it’s reading emails, crunching numbers, or even browsing articles like this one—helps keep the brain sharp. This conclusion challenges the long-held belief that a decline in mental abilities is an inevitable part of aging.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The researchers analyzed data from a language and math skills test among German citizens aged 16 to 65. After 3.5 years, they retested the same group. Simultaneously, participants were asked how often they engaged in tasks such as reading emails or calculating expenses.
The study revealed that cognitive functions typically develop actively until around age 40, after which they gradually decline. However, those who consistently engage in math and reading show no signs of deterioration, according to BBC Science Focus.
“We found that average literacy and numeracy skills significantly improve until the age of forty. After that, average skills decline slightly in literacy and significantly in mathematics,” the researchers noted in their report.
These results contradict previous studies that suggested cognitive skills begin to decline as early as young adulthood (ages 18-25). Unlike those studies, which compared different age groups at a single point in time, this research tracked the same individuals over several years. Therefore, the authors of this new work have a more accurate understanding of how cognitive abilities develop with age.
Hanushek and his team proposed that what previous studies perceived as age-related cognitive decline might actually be due to differences in skill levels between generations, rather than natural aging effects.
The study also indicated that women’s math skills tend to decline more sharply over time compared to men’s. The researchers hope that future studies will help clarify why this occurs.