The mechanisms of the protective effect of education in cognitive aging

Abstract

Frequent cases of pathological brain aging are an important scientific and social problem. Some people have the ability to compensate for the initial manifestations of pathological aging and delay the development of the clinical phenomena of the disease. The concept of “cognitive reserve” allows us to study the possibilities of increasing brain stability in conditions of pathological aging. The identification of the dominant form of thinking, converging or diverging, reveals possible neurophysiological mechanisms of the cognitive reserve. Understanding the mechanisms of formation of individual cognitive styles actualizes the contribution of the “Education” factor to the development of the cognitive reserve. The research material was scientific publications on the topic of work. It was revealed that the “education” factor can realize its protective effect on the pathological aging of the brain due to the formation of an adaptive form of thinking. The data presented in this review make it possible to substantiate the medical and social significance of educational programs for people of mature and older age.