AUTHOR=McQuail Joseph A. , Dunn Amy R. , Stern Yaakov , Barnes Carol A. , Kempermann Gerd , Rapp Peter R. , Kaczorowski Catherine C. , Foster Thomas C. 

TITLE=Cognitive Reserve in Model Systems for Mechanistic Discovery: The Importance of Longitudinal Studies

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2020.607685

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2020.607685

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<p>The goal of this review article is to provide a resource for longitudinal studies, using animal models, directed at understanding and modifying the relationship between cognition and brain structure and function throughout life. We propose that forthcoming longitudinal studies will build upon a wealth of knowledge gleaned from prior cross-sectional designs to identify early predictors of variability in cognitive function during aging, and characterize fundamental neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the vulnerability to, and the trajectory of, cognitive decline. Finally, we present examples of biological measures that may differentiate mechanisms of the cognitive reserve at the molecular, cellular, and network level.</p>