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A study published by UT Health San Antonio showed more than 30 years of aging and dementia patterns in nuns.
In a statement, officials said their study analyzed patterns in dementia and aging from 678 nuns from the School Sisters of Notre Dame. They were part of the "Nun Study," now overseen by the Glenn Biggs Institute.
The UT Health San Antonio study is titled "The Nun Study: Insights from 30 years of aging and dementia research" and was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The Nun Study, spanning over 30 years, provides key insights into cognitive resilience and dementia, highlighting the role of early-life linguistic ability and the potential of AI in neuropathology research.
— Science X / Phys.org (@sciencex.bsky.social) 2025-02-26T15:33:01-05:00
Though all the nuns from the study have since died, the Biggs Institute is using donated brain autopsy material and data from the nuns' lives to study in depth their resilience to a dementia diagnosis.
The findings significantly advanced the understanding of the brain disease, explained Dr. Margaret Flanagan, the senior author — from different lifestyles leading to better cognitive outcomes (even with advancement of the disease) to investigating biomarkers that help develop better prevention into cognitive declines.
The statement explained that the "cohort of American nuns 75 years of age or older at the School Sisters of Notre Dame, a worldwide institute of Roman Catholic sisters, proved ideal for study, minimizing variables like smoking or differences in access to health care that may have confounded similar research."
Flanagan, as quoted in the statement, added that the “findings from the Nun Study have significantly advanced our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorder neuropathologies. ... As all the studies comprehensively described in this review have indicated, there is still a need for ongoing investigation into the multifactorial nature of cognitive decline, particularly in aging populations."
She added: “However, we also highlight promising opportunities for biomarker development and providing us with the opportunity to identify and delineate potential targets for preventive intervention in cognitive decline.”
