Taxi Drivers Rarely Die of Alzheimer's. How Complex Mental Maps and Spatial Reasoning Protect Your Brain

Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer's. How complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain

Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than workers in almost any other job to die of Alzheimer's disease. That was the surprising result of a 2024 study examining the death certificates of nearly 9 million people in the U.S.

Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer's -- how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain

Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than workers in almost any other job to die of Alzheimer's disease.

Study finds lower rates of death from Alzheimer's disease among taxi and ambulance drivers

A new study raises the possibility that jobs that require frequent spatial processing -- such as figuring out a taxi route or the best way to navigate to a hospital -- could lead to lower rates of death from Alzheimer's disease. Researchers investigated this possibility by using national data on the occupations of people who had died to evaluate risk of death from Alzheimer's disease across 443 professions. They found that taxi driving and ambul…

Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain

Figuring out a circuitous route between point A to point B can strengthen your brain. justhavealook/iStock via Getty Images PlusTaxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than workers in almost any other job to die of Alzheimer’s disease. That was the surprising result of a 2024 study examining the death certificates of nearly 9 million people in the U.S. These findings stopped me in my tracks because those two jobs rely on the same thing as my …

Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain

by Hatim Sharif, The University of Texas at San Antonio, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely than workers in almost any other job to die of Alzheimer’s disease. That was the surprising result of a 2024 study examining the death certificates of nearly 9 million people in the U.S. These findings stopped me in my tracks because those two jobs rely on the same thin…