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Taxi Drivers’ Brains Could Hold Key To Fighting Alzheimer’s

Taxi and ambulance drivers are known for their quick thinking and sharp reflexes, essential skills for navigating traffic efficiently. Interestingly, a recent study published on Dec. 16 in the BMJ suggests these abilities might also reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Vishal Patel, a surgical resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, explained, “The brain region responsible for creating cognitive spatial maps—used for navigating the environment—is also involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.” He hypothesized that professions like taxi and ambulance driving, which require constant spatial and navigational problem-solving, could be linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s-related deaths compared to other occupations.

The study, however, found that this protective effect did not extend to jobs involving fixed-route navigation, such as bus driving or piloting airplanes.

Researchers analyzed nearly 9 million death records from individuals in 443 different professions, covering deaths between 2020 and 2022. Across all occupations, around 4% of deaths were due to Alzheimer’s disease. However, only 1% of taxi drivers and 0.7% of ambulance drivers died from the condition. Adjusting for various factors, these two professions had the lowest Alzheimer’s-related death rates among all studied occupations.

In contrast, about 3% of bus drivers and 4% of pilots succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. The findings suggest that neurological differences, particularly in the hippocampus, may contribute to the lower rates of Alzheimer’s among taxi and ambulance drivers, according to senior researcher Dr. Anupam Jena from Massachusetts General Hospital. The hippocampus, a brain region critical for converting short-term memories into long-term ones, also plays a key role in navigation and emotional regulation.

The researchers emphasized that this was an observational study, meaning it does not establish a direct cause-and-effect link between these professions and reduced Alzheimer’s risk. “These findings are not definitive but serve as a basis for further investigation,” Jena explained. “They highlight the need to explore how occupational activities may influence Alzheimer’s risk and whether cognitive tasks could offer preventive benefits.”