Findings from the nun study neurobiology of aging 263. How one scientist and 678 sisters are uncovering the secrets of alzheimers. Jun 01, 2010 the socalled nun study was started by david snowdon at the university of minnesota in 1990 although the study participants are not officially nuns, theyre sisters. The nun study is a longitudinal study of aging and alzheimers disease. Jul 04, 2011 aging with grace reveals the cuttingedge research that has transformed scientists understanding of healthy aging and shows what everyone can do to help prevent alzheimers disease. Medical researchers like to study religious groups. Studying the risk factors and onset of ad and dementia in nuns turned out to be one of the most ideal scenarios for long term research on disease.
What the nun study teaches us about leading longer, healthier and more meaningful lives, bantam have appeared in several national publications including the may 14, 2001, issue of time magazine and the may 7, 2001, edition of the new york times. The socalled nun study was started by david snowdon at the university of minnesota in 1990 although the study participants are not officially nuns, theyre sisters. Snowdon was hopeful that he could learn why the brain deteriorated with age in some people and not others. Transitions to mild cognitive impairments, dementia, and. Jan 09, 2017 learn more about the nun study and what it is teaching us about alzheimers and dementia. The pursuit of scientific research provides the bare bones of the story. It followed 678 sisters of the school sisters of notre dame living in mankato, minnesota. The nun study refers to a wellknown study conducted at school sisters of notre dame convents by dr. In these pages, many of us will read our own futures. David snowdon, one of the worlds leading experts on alzheimers disease, embarked on a revolutionary scientific study that would forever change the way. You may have seen some of the hoopla in the media about the nun study where dr. According to snowdon, who previously studied seventhday adventists, religious group members make id. We defined three mutually exclusive levels of healthy ageing excellent, very good, and good based on measures of global cognitive function, shortterm memory. Sister esther is the oldest nun in the school sisters of notre dame order.
David snowdon began studying nuns in mankato, minnesota, 31 years ago in 1986. An ongoing project, the nun study has come to represent some of the worlds most significant research on ageing and alzheimers disease. To determine the relationship of brain infarction to the clinical expression of alzheimer disease ad. Lessons from the nun study, by david snowden phd, published in the gerontologist in 1997, begins with a warm history of a remarkable nun of the school sisters of notre dame. Christensen and colleagues refer consistently to the ability to do activities of daily living, but hardly mention joy, passion, creativity, purpose, or nonconformity. Nov 19, 2008 snowdon tells the story of his research into alzheimers and related illnesses with both clarity and compassion. Since 1986, the author, an epidemiologist, has directed a research project dubbed the nun study. One of the worlds leading experts on alzheimers disease, david snowdon is the director of the nun study, a long term research project involving 678 nuns. David snowdon, a leading expert on alzheimers disease, convinced a group of elderly nuns to take cognitive tests and allow their brains to be examined postmortem. Snowdon compares two german sisters who came to the u. The nun study public article dementia care international. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Aging with grace by david snowdon books the guardian.
Read an account of their lives, a tale of two sisters, as seen through the lens of the nun study and narrated in aging with grace, by dr. The nun or memoirs of a nun is an 18thcentury french novel by denis diderot. Early life linguistic ability, late life cognitive function, and neuropathology. How we can all live longer, healthier an snowdon, david on. In aging with grace, snowdon walks the layreader through the steps and stages that made his nowfamous nun study possible. David snowdon embarked on a revolutionary scientific study that would forever change the way we view aging and old age. You may have seen some of the hoopla in the media about the nun study where.
What the nun study teaches us about leading longer, healthier, and more meaningful livesnew york. Exploding three myths and stereotypes of aging psychology. William markesbery, director of the alzheimers disease research center at the university of kentucky, were intrigued by an idea advanced by other researchers that strokes and other brain trauma. David snowdon, an epidemiologist and professor in neurology, embarked on a revolutionary scientific study involving 678 spirited catholic nuns. The novel consists of a series of letters purporting to be from a nun, suzanne, who implores the marquis to help her renounce her vows, and describes her intolerable life in the. In 2008, with snowdon s retirement, the study returned to the university of minnesota. A guide to the unseen possibilities in our lives 2003, skylight paths publishing. Researchers danner, snowdon, and friesen 2001 from the university of kentucky sampled the nuns, perfect subjects for a study because of. Sister bernadette resistance to neuropathology level 6 alzheimers patient scored remarkably high on tests was in the 90th percentile. Linguistic ability in early life and cognitive function and alzheimers disease in late life.
The nun study of aging and alzheimers disease is a continuing longitudinal study, begun in 1986, to examine the onset of alzheimers disease. The nun study bega n as a study of su ccessful aging in 1986 with a pil ot study of 100 catholic school sisters of notre dame l iving at a s ingle convent in mankato, minne. What the nun study teaches us about leading longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives. A marriage to remember alzheimers disease documentary opdocs the new york times duration. Snowdon, author of a new book on the study called aging with grace bantam, a rare window through which to examine why some nuns thrive and others deteriorate so much. Briefly, from 1991 to 1993, all members of the school sisters of notre dame born before 1917 and living in communities in the midwestern, eastern, and southern united states were invited to join the nun study. David snowdon that revealed new understandings of alzheimers disease ad. Brain infarction and the clinical expression of alzheimer. Riley kp, snowdon da, desrosiers mf, markesbery wr.
Snowdon da, kemper sj, mortimer ja, greiner lh, wekstein dr, marksebery wr. David snowdon, the founding nun study investigator, began the research at the university of minnesota, but moved it to the university of kentucky in 1986. Cognitive function and the prevalence of dementia were determined for participants in the nun study who later died. Jan 28, 2011 the nun study is a longitudinal study of aging and alzheimers disease. The nun study the nun study is a longitudinal study of aging and alzheimers disease conducted by dr. The nun study began in 1986 and studies a group of american roman catholic sisters who.
Another crucial finding from the nun study came in 1997, by which time snowdon had accumulated some 100 brains for analysis. The design of the nun study has been described elsewhere. Completed in about 1780, the work was not published until 1796, after diderots death. Snowdon has used the school sisters of notre dame as research subjects for a variety of reasons that make them an excellent group for study. Friesen university of kentucky handwritten autobiographies from 180 catholic nuns, composed when participants were a mean age of 22 years, were scored for emotional content and related to survival during ages 75 to 95. Snowdon tells the story of his research into alzheimers and related illnesses with both clarity and compassion. Allow me to respond to the article by kaare christensen and colleagues. The nun study and the science of old age by david snowdon 256pp, fourth estate. What the nun study teaches us about leading longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives 2001, bantam books molly srode creating a spiritual retirement. Aging with grace reveals the cuttingedge research that has transformed scientists understanding of healthy aging and shows what everyone can do to help prevent alzheimers disease.
The goal of the study is to identify the risk factors for alzheimers and other brain diseases. Linguistic ability in early life and the neuropathology of alzheimers disease and cerebrovascular disease. In this house of brede by rumer godden, world without end by ken follett, sacred hearts by sarah dunant, cutting for stone by abra. Clinically silent ad, neuronal hypertrophy, and linguistic skills in early life. Learning about alzheimers from a study of nuns cbs news. May 14, 2001 another crucial finding from the nun study came in 1997, by which time snowdon had accumulated some 100 brains for analysis.
Jan 31, 2002 learning about alzheimers from a study of nuns. Bantam books, 2001 his book has been translated into spanish, japanese, german, dutch, thai, korean, and chinese. In 1986 he began what he calls the nun study, following a. Nuns offer clues to alzheimers and aging the new york times. Snowdon da, nun study 2003 healthy aging and dementia. The nun study, continued snowdon neatly combines a good story, some wellexplained science and a nicely developed spiritual sense. David snowdon epidemiologist and one of the worlds leading experts on alzheimers disease, david snowdon. In 1986 he began what he calls the nun study, following a group of aging nuns to. Learn more about the nun study and what it is teaching us about alzheimers and dementia. Agatha christie and nuns tell a tale of alzheimers. Exploding three myths and stereotypes of aging psychology today. The nun study began in 1986 and studies a group of american roman catholic sisters who are members of the school sisters of notre dame. Riley kp, snowdon da, markesbery wr 2002 alzheimers neurofibrillary pathology and the spectrum of cognitive function. The nun study is a longitudinal study of 678 catholic sisters 75 to 107 years of age who are members of the.
Jul 08, 2018 researchers danner, snowdon, and friesen 2001 from the university of kentucky sampled the nuns, perfect subjects for a study because of the profound similarities around their physical health. David snowdon, a leading expert on alzheimers disease, convinced a group of elderly nuns to take cognitive tests. What the nun study teaches us about leading longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives paperback april 30, 2002. Dubbed the nun study because it involves a unique population of 678 catholic sisters, this remarkable longterm research project remains today at the forefront of some of the worlds most significant research on aging. The nun study is a longitudinal study of 678 catholic sisters 75 to 107 years of age who are members of the school sisters of notre dame congregation. Sep 01, 2009 snowdon da, kemper sj, mortimer ja, greiner lh, wekstein dr, marksebery wr.