4 ms·

People who would pass The Knowledge test might already develop dementia at a much lower rate.

by genxy 2mo ago

inglor_cz 2mo ago
Plausible, but then you'd expect to find the same effect in other people who passed similarly demanding tests once. For example in people who studied something geometry-heavy. Also, The Knowledge Test is, IIRC, passed only once and then you do not have to retake it for the rest of your career. If a test passed in your 20s or 30s predicted accurately a much lower incidence of Alzheimer's in your 60s, that would be a remarkably strong early signal. Not impossible, but worth extra scrutiny. For the vast majority of old age conditions, we cannot predict them so long in advance.
- PaulRobinson 2mo ago
  The Test is repeated every day you get in the cab. If you get into a black cab in London and ask to be taken to any location, anywhere within 6 miles of Charing Cross, that driver will know immediately the right route to take without satnav. To get to that point they need to know 25,000 streets and many, many landmarks - statues, museums, galleries, restaurants, hotels, and so on. I used to regularly drink with a cabbie in London, and he said that every time somebody got in the back his heart rate would rise, as he'd realise he's "on" and about to have to work out where to head from scratch. Within 30 seconds he'd have every step of the way worked out, down to which lanes at which intersections, no matter where in London he was or where he was going. That's the thing that's likely going to reduce Alzheimer's.
  - genxy 2mo ago
    One of the things that seems effective in reducing Alzheimers is a "flushing action" inside of the brain (Glymphatic system). I wonder if this spatial reasoning maps into a spatial activation in the brain. It would be interesting to put London cabbies in an fMRI machine and have them plan routes. It would also be interesting to look at sleep traces of cabbies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glymphatic_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glymphatic_system
- KaiserPro 2mo ago
  The point of the test is that you know how to traverse london, and you also know and have a feel for patterns in traffic. In the same way that you have code smell. Granted, some use GPS, but most only really use it for pickup
monster_truck 2mo ago
They could also develop it at the exact same rate and mask it effectively. Had a very sharp family member who was completely lucid through all of dementia, it was like watching a tape rewind. Got to meet each decade's version of them over a couple of years. Towards the end they were completely normal
- codygman 2mo ago
  So towards the end it was like it went away?!
  - monster_truck 2mo ago
    Kind of, you could tell it took a lot of effort. Usually after a full night of sleep and a good breakfast, or after a nap. A few of us had lengthy car rides where he said everything he wanted to He told me he was so jealous of all this new computer stuff I get to play with. I think about that a lot this year
- fluoridation 2mo ago
  I don't understand. Do you mean they were lucid, but they believed they were living in a different year? Like thinking adults were still children in school and wondering when dead people were going to call? That kind of thing?
  - monster_truck 2mo ago
    More like literally rewinding through the decades. The 80s, 70s, 60s versions of him. The printing company CEO shaking my hand calling me Mr Monstertruck, the kid who just signed up for the marines wanting me to try on his fatigues because they didn't fit him right anymore but were perfect for me. Stuff like "I'm your grandson, dadsnames kid" didn't parse at all, they said not to bring up shit like that so we didn't. We had to move him into a house because he kept using his POW training to break out of the dementia ward. Pickpocketing keycards and shit, he was a badass till the end.
- Noaidi 2mo ago

People who would pass The Knowledge test might already develop dementia at a much lower rate.

by genxy 2mo ago

People who would pass The Knowledge test might already develop dementia at a much lower rate.

Plausible, but then you'd expect to find the same effect in other people who passed similarly demanding tests once. For example in people who studied something geometry-heavy. Also, The Knowledge Test is, IIRC, passed only once and then you do not have to retake it for the rest of your career. If a test passed in your 20s or 30s predicted accurately a much lower incidence of Alzheimer's in your 60s, that would be a remarkably strong early signal. Not impossible, but worth extra scrutiny. For the vast majority of old age conditions, we cannot predict them so long in advance.

PaulRobinson 2mo ago
The Test is repeated every day you get in the cab. If you get into a black cab in London and ask to be taken to any location, anywhere within 6 miles of Charing Cross, that driver will know immediately the right route to take without satnav. To get to that point they need to know 25,000 streets and many, many landmarks - statues, museums, galleries, restaurants, hotels, and so on. I used to regularly drink with a cabbie in London, and he said that every time somebody got in the back his heart rate would rise, as he'd realise he's "on" and about to have to work out where to head from scratch. Within 30 seconds he'd have every step of the way worked out, down to which lanes at which intersections, no matter where in London he was or where he was going. That's the thing that's likely going to reduce Alzheimer's.
- genxy 2mo ago
  One of the things that seems effective in reducing Alzheimers is a "flushing action" inside of the brain (Glymphatic system). I wonder if this spatial reasoning maps into a spatial activation in the brain. It would be interesting to put London cabbies in an fMRI machine and have them plan routes. It would also be interesting to look at sleep traces of cabbies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glymphatic_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glymphatic_system
KaiserPro 2mo ago
The point of the test is that you know how to traverse london, and you also know and have a feel for patterns in traffic. In the same way that you have code smell. Granted, some use GPS, but most only really use it for pickup

monster_truck 2mo ago

They could also develop it at the exact same rate and mask it effectively. Had a very sharp family member who was completely lucid through all of dementia, it was like watching a tape rewind. Got to meet each decade's version of them over a couple of years. Towards the end they were completely normal

codygman 2mo ago
So towards the end it was like it went away?!
- monster_truck 2mo ago
  Kind of, you could tell it took a lot of effort. Usually after a full night of sleep and a good breakfast, or after a nap. A few of us had lengthy car rides where he said everything he wanted to He told me he was so jealous of all this new computer stuff I get to play with. I think about that a lot this year
fluoridation 2mo ago
I don't understand. Do you mean they were lucid, but they believed they were living in a different year? Like thinking adults were still children in school and wondering when dead people were going to call? That kind of thing?
- monster_truck 2mo ago
  More like literally rewinding through the decades. The 80s, 70s, 60s versions of him. The printing company CEO shaking my hand calling me Mr Monstertruck, the kid who just signed up for the marines wanting me to try on his fatigues because they didn't fit him right anymore but were perfect for me. Stuff like "I'm your grandson, dadsnames kid" didn't parse at all, they said not to bring up shit like that so we didn't. We had to move him into a house because he kept using his POW training to break out of the dementia ward. Pickpocketing keycards and shit, he was a badass till the end.
Noaidi 2mo ago