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2 - Cognitive Reserve

from Part I - Models of Cognitive Aging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2020

By
Eleanna Varangis  and
Yaakov Stern
Edited by
Ayanna K. Thomas  and
Angela Gutchess
Ayanna K. Thomas
Affiliation:
Tufts University, Massachusetts
Angela Gutchess
Affiliation:
Brandeis University, Massachusetts
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Summary

The concept of cognitive reserve was proposed to account for the discrepancy between clinical outcomes and the extent of age-related brain changes, neuropathology, or brain damage. This chapter reviews the concept of cognitive reserve, the methods used to characterize it, and theoretical issues concerning its measurement and utilization. We begin with an overview of the concept of cognitive reserve, how it is distinguished from brain reserve, and how it is defined in current literature. We then explore both epidemiological and neuroimaging evidence supporting the concept of cognitive reserve and review how novel neuroimaging tools are contributing toward our understanding of the mechanisms by which cognitive reserve may operate. We conclude by addressing the future of cognitive reserve and its implications for the field of cognitive aging as a whole.

Keywords

Cognitive reservebrain reservebrain maintenanceAlzheimer’s disease
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Aging
A Life Course Perspective
 , pp. 32 - 46
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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