Sister Rita Anne

“In life and death these sisters continue to be of unique service to humanity."

One gorgeous day last June, you could stand in the Mankato valley and hear The Sound of Music echo through the basilica of Our Lady of Good Counsel:

Climb every mountain,

Ford every stream,

Follow every rainbow,

Till you find your dream.

On that day, hundreds of sisters and community members joined together to celebrate the unique service of the sisters in this order.

These are the sisters of the famed Nun Study.

Initiated by Dr. David Snowdon in the late 80's and now honorably continued under the leadership of Dr. Maggie Flanagan and collaboratively executed by the fine folks at UT Health and Rush University (Religious Order Study), the Nun Study has delivered many critical findings in neuropathology.

In short, 678 nuns volunteered to participate in the original longitudinal study, ultimately donating their brains for ongoing research.

Notably, the sisters' participation led to a greater understanding of:

• Genetic Risk: The study highlighted how the APOE-e4 gene is connected to dementia risk.
• Optimism: "Linguistic Density" is a fancy way of saying that they analyzed how the nuns used language in their diaries. The nuns who used more positive language in their diaries showed a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease. (I know. My goodness. Feel free to read that again.)
• Neuropathology: Through brain autopsy, some participants showed the physiologic signs of Alzheimer's Disease (lesions known as "plaques and tangles"). Sometimes these sisters showed outward symptoms during their lifetime and others showed no signs. To put it plainly, the study tells us that brain changes (through imaging or labs) don't always mean outward symptoms.
• Cognitive Reserve: This is an extremely cool finding that wasn't really discussed prior to the 90's. Essentially, people may be able to compensate for cognitive decline if they have a “reserve” built up through education or other indicators. Check out this handy risk chart.

I tell you all this to give context for the moment I met Sister Rita Anne Kipka.?

Following our chorale in the chapel, we filtered into the dining room to share a meal. I was blessed to be seated next to Sister Rita Anne. It was one of those moments where you just close your mouth and listen. What an opportunity to hear the wisdom of someone who has lived a completely different life than your own. She told me about her many years as an educator and her upcoming move to Shakopee. I hung on every word.

Later, I spoke to the audience, offering insight into the science of dementia. I felt nervous because Dr. Flanagan and Sister Charlene Zeisset has already spoken so intelligently about microglia and astrocytes and AMPA receptors...what value could I possibly give??

Following the presentation, I was approached by two people:

1. Dr. Flanagan. She complimented by ability to share complex research information in an accessible way to a community audience. She explained that her family often asks her questions about science or health and she finds it challenging to simplify it. She shared that she is in awe of people who can make the information more accessible. I nearly fell over.
2. Sister Rita Anne. She thanked me and told me about her experiences with memory and her beloved sisters. She thanked me for making the information understandable and said, "You should teach."

And so, here I am.

Resources:

Snowdon DA; Nun Study. Healthy aging and dementia: findings from the Nun Study. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Sep 2;139(5 Pt 2):450-4. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-139-5_part_2-200309021-00014. PMID: 12965975. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12965975/

Dhana K, Agarwal P, James BD, et al. Healthy Lifestyle and Cognition in Older Adults With Common Neuropathologies of Dementia. JAMA Neurol. 2024;81(3):233–239. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.5491.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2814688

School Sisters of Notre Dame Nun Study: https://ssnd.org/ministries/nun_study/

Sister Rita Anna Kipka: https://www.ssndcentralpacific.org/news-events/story/two-jubilarians-reflect-on-their-teaching-ministries