The modern concept of cognitive reserve

Abstract

The main forms of cognitive impairment (CI) are characterized by a significant variability in the relationship between morphological changes and clinical manifestations. One of the promising concepts, which explains these features, is a modern model of cognitive reserve. The cognitive reserve concept that is most widely used in the context of dementia is often employed to explain the mechanisms, by which the functional systems of the brain resist neuropathological changes. The mechanisms that ensure cognitive reserve function in the health and disease of the brain are to activate its neuronal connections. Therefore, individuals with more efficient neuronal connections and an ability to form alternative neural networks and, accordingly, to create cognitive strategies in response to increased cognitive load are characterized by greater cognitive reserve. The modern concept of cognitive reserve opens up prospects for explaining the causes and mechanisms of development of CI and also justifies the possibilities of using alternative strategies for their correction.

Keywords

• cognitive reserve
• brain reserve
• alzheimer's disease
• dementia