About this Research Topic
Cognitive reserve (CR) refers to the capabilities that the individual develops during his or her life that may allow some people to be more resilient than others to the decline associated with aging. The most studied proxies related to the concept of CR include years of schooling, lifetime cognitive activity, premorbid intelligence quotient, occupational complexity, leisure activities, physical activity, etc. The concept of cognitive reserve suggests forms of intervention that could slow cognitive aging or even reduce the risk of dementia.
The purpose of this collection is to include cross-sectional studies exploring the effects of static and dynamic proxy variables of cognitive reserve (CR) on the cognitive performance of older adults. It also aims to incorporate longitudinal research evaluating changes in cognition over time in relation to these CR variables, to better understand the evolution of underlying brain mechanisms and cognitive trajectories associated with cognitive reserve. Our goal is to provide a platform for research that addresses these crucial aspects, highlighting recent advances through the use of electroencephalographic and neuroimaging techniques to understand the mechanisms underlying cognitive reserve, as well as research on non-pharmacological interventions such as physical exercise and cognitive stimulation. This collection seeks to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of cognitive reserve in old age, benefiting researchers, health professionals, and policymakers.
We welcome original research, with exploratory or inferential objectives, and review manuscripts across the full spectrum of cognition in older adults. We are particularly interested in featuring articles that approach brain function using methods such as EEG, ERPs, MRI, fMRI, neuropsychological methods, PET, etc.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Physiological and pathological changes produced by aging, highlighting the effect that cognitive reserve has on them.
• Other protective factors or predictors of cognitive decline not commonly included among CR proxies (e.g., environment, nutrition, emotions), and how they affect brain functioning.
• Interventions that improve cognitive functions in the elderly population, emphasizing the brain functional correlates associated with these interventions.
• Animal models elucidating the brain mechanisms involved in aging, as well as the development of treatments to enhance cognition.
Keywords: Cognitive reserve in old age
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.