Cognitive reserve is a concept born in the context of neuropsychology and refers to the ability of brain structures to respond to loss of capacity or negative changes in this organ.
In other words, cognitive reserve refers to the brain’s ability to respond functionally to a disease that affects it or to old age and deterioration, a capacity that compensates, to some extent, for any damage.
- High cognitive reserves can.
- In some cases.
- Make the brain function normally after a disease; it also maintains this function fully active.
- Even in cases of natural deterioration due to age; as you can see.
- This is a very important skill that deserves to be developed.
- Be cultivated and maintained.
“As long as the brain is a mystery, the universe will remain a mystery. ” – Santiago Ramón y Cajal-
Cognitive reserve begins to form as soon as the brain begins to develop within the uterus, we know that the experiences of the first years of life are decisive, they largely define the direction that the process of intelligence development will take.
There is reason to believe that the genetic factor influences the formation of a cognitive reserve, but this aspect is not definitive. There are ways to stimulate the brain to increase this capacity throughout life, in fact, it is possible to increase it even in a damaged brain.
Intellectual, recreational and sports activities have been shown to be effective in increasing cognitive reserve; In particular, reading, mind games, language learning, dance, sport and any intellectually stimulating activity contribute to increasing this capacity.
When you have a good cognitive reserve, the brain is able to establish new connections between neurons, to replace those that may be damaged or impaired, this process is much easier for those who have already performed any of these activities or who have any of these. Features:
A healthy diet also helps maintain brain strength. Tobacco, alcohol or other psychoactive substances should be avoided. Hiking, walking and traveling are also among the favorable factors.
David Snowdon, Ph. D. in Epidemiology and Professor of Neurology at the University of Kentucky, conducted an impressive study in 1986. He took as a research group a group of 678 Catholic nuns from the United States. It was a very uniform group. They ate the same thing, lived in the same environment and performed similar activities.
His cognitive reserve was monitored for 17 years, during this period he had regular, genetic, intellectual or psychological examinations, all agreed that, when they died, his brain would be studied to supplement the information of the experiment.
The most surprising thing is the case of Sr Bernadette, this nun died at the age of 85, her brain was studied and she was discovered to have Alzheimer’s disease, however, she had never shown symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in her life. The researchers were able to conclude that the nun’s cognitive reserve clearly compensated for her flaws.
Researchers were also able to see another interesting fact: religious women with richer vocabulary have shown less cognitive decline over the years, a vocabulary that, in turn, stems from the fact that they were good readers during their childhood. This experience is one of the most important. The most compelling evidence in favor of intellectual, social and physical exercise as a valid means of delaying the natural degradation of our cognitive functions.
Illustrations courtesy of Tomasz Alen Kopera.