Journal of Clinical Medicine · 4 authors, 2 centres
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This systematic review analyzed ten studies to investigate whether cognitive reserve (CR) protects against mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The main finding is that high CR is significantly associated with a reduced risk of MCI and better cognitive functioning. A key limitation is the significant methodological heterogeneity across studies, including varied diagnostic criteria for MCI and different ways of measuring CR.
This systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, examined the protective role of cognitive reserve (CR) against mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and associated cognitive decline. The background posits CR as the brain's ability to adaptively use cognitive processes and networks to compensate for pathology, potentially mitigating cognitive decline in aging. The methods involved a search of four databases (Psycinfo, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science) up to December 2022, with strict inclusion criteria for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies involving adults ≥50 years with MCI and healthy controls. Key results consistently showed that high CR is significantly associated with a reduced risk of MCI and better cognitive functioning. However, the review highlights major limitations: significant heterogeneity in MCI diagnostic criteria, CR assessment methods (e.g., education, leisure activities, IQ), and cognitive functioning measures. The evidence supports theoretical models suggesting CR acts through neural capacity and efficiency to compensate for decline.
