Cognitive Reserve in Elderly and Its Connection with Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review

The cognitive reserve may delay impairments in the normal aging process, improving the resilience in cognitive functioning. The main objective of this study was to investigate, through a systematic review, which variables form the cognitive reserve. Furthermore, the association between the cognitive reserve and the cognitive functioning was also verified. Three judges searched for articles in PsycINFO, Pubmed and Scopus databases. The Cochrane recommendations, which offer directions for systematic reviews and meta-analysis, were utilized. Six surveys were gathered following the criteria of inclusion and exclusion. Studies indicate that gender, age, individual’s education, parents’ education, profession, reading activity, social engagement and humor are the main variables of the cognitive reserve. Education was the most assessed variable in the studies, followed by profession. It was concluded that the main cognitive reserve variable is education and that there is a significant correlation with a healthy cognitive maturation in the elderly.