It is well known that education helps to protect cognitive functioning. By reading, engaging the brain with social and mental challenges, learning and building new skills a person builds what is referred to as a cognitive reserve. Researchers now think that this reserve helps aid in the recovery process after a traumatic head injury has occurred.

Research has established a strong cognitive benefit from education. Creating a mental reserve prevents cognitive decline, including decline associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Practices related to building up the cognitive reserve allow the brain to maintain plasticity, or its ability to adapt when circumstances require it. In the event of a moderate to severe injury to the brain, this plasticity allows the brain to regain function and reduce disability. In fact, it has even been demonstrated that sufferers of multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS will often experience improved living conditions if their brain power has been regularly exercised.

At least that is what the newest study to explore the relationship between cognitive reserve and brain health preservation has demonstrated. Researchers have found that the number of years of education completed plays a major role in the recovery of individuals with serious head trauma. For the study, 769 patients hospitalized for a brain injury were tracked for a year to determine how their recovery went. They found that 214, over 27 percent, made a full recovery, with no remaining disability. Of this 214, 9.7 percent received less than 12 years of education, 30.8 percent went to school for 12-15 years and 39.2 percent had an advanced degree, totaling 16 or more years of schooling.

There are other factors that contribute to the outcome of recovery after a serious head injury. Personal drive, discipline and socio-economic status play major roles in determining how well a person recovers functionality after injury. Regardless, there is a measurable increase in probability of living without disability with each year of education acquired.