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Cognition & social

Cognitive reserve

DEKognitive Reserve

Cognitive reserve is your brain's functional adaptability. Yaakov Stern developed and formalized the concept. He built on earlier 'brain reserve' work by Katzman and colleagues in the late 1980s. You build cognitive reserve through education, complex work, speaking several languages, and lifelong learning. It is distinct from brain reserve. Brain reserve is the structural, biological capacity, often gauged by brain size and integrity. Higher cognitive reserve means better thinking for a given amount of brain pathology. In longevity science, it is a central, modifiable target of brain-health efforts. And it helps postpone the symptoms of dementia.

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Sources

  1. Stern Y. (2002). What is cognitive reserve? Theory and research application of the reserve concept. *Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society*doi:10.1017/S1355617702813248
  2. Stern Y. (2012). Cognitive reserve in ageing and Alzheimer's disease. *Lancet Neurology*doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(12)70191-6