Access to good education might be the key to preventing dementia and other mental problems affecting memory and thinking. This, according to Kristine Yaffe, a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco. Yaffe conducted a study looking into how poverty affects our brain and says one of the most obvious connections is that people with higher income usually get a better education than those who struggle financially.

“Even if you have the same number of years of education, the quality of education may not be as good."

And that, Yaffe says, can have a snowball effect in other areas of our lives.

“Hobbies or access to other kinds of mentally-stimulating activities maybe less. Some of these things cost money, some are neighborhood-affiliated."

Yaffe says all of these factors, over time, may weaken our cognitive power.

“So Ideally we would have better programs to fight poverty and economic hardship.”

In the meantime, Yaffe says programs improving the quality of education – especially for children - are crucial.