"Adult-Life Occupational Exposures: Enriched Environment or a Stressor for the Aging Brain?"

by Burzynska, Agnieszka Z; Jiao, Yuqin; Ganster, Daniel C (2018)

Abstract

Demographic changes and economic demands of aging populations are raising the age of retirement. It is common knowledge that one’s occupation is associated with socioeconomic status, and also has a significant impact on physical and mental health. However, research on the long-term effects of employment on cognition and brain health in old age is still rare. Understanding occupational factors shaping our brains is necessary to develop interventions at the workplace, aimed at optimizing neurocognitive outcomes in old age. This review outlines the emerging empirical research on the relationships between occupational characteristics and cognitive and brain aging. We propose the “brain aging: occupational stimulation and stress” (BOSS) model that outlines the long-term interplay of antiaging (occupational stimulation or environmental enrichment) and proaging factors (occupational stress) on the development and aging of the adult mind and brain. The BOSS model outlines the mechanisms of the employment–brain relationships that include immune system, cortisol responsivity, neurotrophins, hypertension, and sleep quality. Existing at the intersection of organizational psychology, developmental sciences, and neuroscience, the BOSS model offers a framework for future “occupational neuroscience” research. We argue that decisions on retirement age should be viewed not only from an economic, but also from a public health perspective. We conclude that occupational activities need to be acknowledged as an important factor in lifespan cognitive and brain development.

Key Passage

Accompanying an aging population is a major concern for age-related declines in cognitive functioning. Recent estimates of the prevalence of dementia, for example, indicate that across most of the world about 5%–7% of individuals more than 60  years are afflicted, and the number of people suffering from dementia is expected to double about every 20  years (Prince et  al., 2013). Thus, brain health in older age is of paramount concern. A variety of risk factors for dementia have been investigated, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise. Moreover, Barnes and Yaffe (2011) produced estimates from a simulation study that suggest that a 10% reduction in such risk factors might prevent over a million cases worldwide. In this article, we explore the relationship between occupational experiences and brain health in older age. We contend that many of the risk factors for dementia are associated with occupational experiences, in both positive and negative ways. On the one hand, a nourishing and stimulating environment is known to support successful aging (Hertzog, Kramer, Wilson, & Lindenberger, 2008). On the other hand, long-term, chronic exposure to stress, work–family conflict, and physical exhaustion may negatively influence health and life expectancy, as well as many of the risk factors associated with dementia (Ganster & Rosen, 2013). The purpose of this article is to review evidence for the association between long-term occupational exposure to stress and cognitive stimulation and cognitive and neural outcomes in older age, with the aim of providing future research directions on the role of occupational exposures in shaping neural and cognitive outcomes in older age. (p.3)

Keywords

Retirement, Aged Workers, Development, Healthy Work, Cognitive Development, Cognitive Maintenance, Stress, Enriched Environments

Themes

Psychological Centrality of Work

Links to Reference

• https://academic.oup.com/workar/article-abstract/5/1/3/5078555
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/workar/way007
• https://academic.oup.com/workar/article/5/1/3/5078555

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