Could a good sense of direction be the key to protecting yourself from Alzheimer’s?

A recent study has revealed intriguing insights into maintaining cognitive function, suggesting that the skills required to be a taxi or ambulance driver may help protect against Alzheimer’s.

Scientists believe that the same cognitive processes involved in navigating the roads could help shield the brain from decline. The study found that drivers in these professions were less likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease compared to individuals in other occupations.

Researchers from Harvard University wanted to understand the connection between those who used substantial navigational skills in their job and their mortality rates from Alzheimer’s.

Using data from the National Vital Statistics System in the United States, the research team examined death certificates for workers, 18 years and over, and separated them into 443 different occupations.

The research team found that taxi and ambulance drivers recorded lower death rates from Alzheimer’s compared to all other occupations, with taxi drivers accounting for less than one cent of deaths from the disease, while ambulance drivers who died accounted for only one per cent of total Alzheimer’s deaths in the study.

In contrast, the study found that those whose jobs required less use of navigational skills were more likely to die from Alzheimer’s, such as Chief Executives who accounted for over four per cent of total Alzheimer’s deaths in the study and aircraft pilots who made up almost five per cent of all deaths from Alzheimer’s.

“Our findings raise the possibility that frequent navigational and spatial processing tasks, as performed by taxi and ambulance drivers, might be associated with some protection against Alzheimer’s disease,” the authors of the study wrote.

Both taxi and ambulance drivers need to perform complex navigational tasks on a day-to-day basis and these tasks have been shown to affect the hippocampus, the same region in the brain involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

A previous study by scientists at the University College of London (UCL) found studying to become a London cab driver changed the structure of the brain and increased the size of the hippocampus which plays an important role in navigation and spatial processing.

They also noted that it is also the first region of the brain to begin to shrink when Alzheimer’s sets in.

However, the research team warns the results are not conclusive as there were limitations to the study, namely that Alzheimer’s risk increases with age but taxi drivers die earlier than the general population.

The team also pointed out that their study assumes that an individual’s usual occupation when they die reflects a large portion of their working life, despite the fact that most people hold multiple jobs throughout their life.

They also believe that death certificates likely underestimate the number of deaths caused by Alzheimer’s disease as some workers (like taxi drivers) may avoid seeking help for symptoms out of concern for their job.

While these findings suggest a potential link between the skills used in these occupations and reduced Alzheimer’s disease risk, further study is needed.

“Further research is necessary to definitively conclude whether the spatial cognitive work required for these occupations affect risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease and whether any cognitive activities can be potentially preventive,” the research team wrote.

Although the findings are encouraging, scientists closer to home may soon develop a game-changing new therapy, giving hope to those living with Alzheimer’s and their loved ones.

A new ultrasound therapy, developed by University of Queensland’s (UQ) Prof. Jürgen Götz, will be refined through clinical trials by Ceretas and the company will aim to prove its effectiveness for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Prof. Jürgen Götz explained that the ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to stimulate the brain, which helps improve communication between brain cells and clear harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer’s.

“The therapy increases neuronal signalling and thereby restores memory and cognition by enhancing communication between brain cells,” Prof. Götz said.

The first human clinical safety trial of the new ultrasound medical device was successfully completed in 2024, led by UQ clinician-researcher Prof. Peter Nestor.

The trial results are expected to be published in early 2025.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.