Whitepaper: Defining and investigating cognitive reserve, brain reserve, and brain maintenance

Abstract

Abstract Several concepts, which in the aggregate get might be used to account for “resilience” against age‐ and disease‐related changes, have been the subject of much research. These include brain reserve, cognitive reserve, and brain maintenance. However, different investigators have use these terms in different ways, and there has never been an attempt to arrive at consensus on the definition of these concepts. Furthermore, there has been confusion regarding the measurement of these constructs and the appropriate ways to apply them to research. Therefore the reserve, resilience, and protective factors professional interest area, established under the auspices of the Alzheimer's Association, established a whitepaper workgroup to develop consensus definitions for cognitive reserve, brain reserve, and brain maintenance. The workgroup also evaluated measures that have been used to implement these concepts in research settings and developed guidelines for research that explores or utilizes these concepts. The workgroup hopes that this whitepaper will form a reference point for researchers in this area and facilitate research by supplying a common language.

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Affiliated Institutions

• University of Wisconsin–Madison US
• Mayo Clinic US
• Johns Hopkins Medicine US
• Consorci Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi I Sunyer ES
• Université de Caen Normandie FR
• Finland University FI
• Technische Universität Dresden DE
• Cyceron FR
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München DE
• German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases DE
• Inserm FR
• Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal CA
• Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FI
• Deleted Institution
• University of California, San Diego US
• Columbia University US
• Imperial College London GB
• Université de Montréal CA
• University of Helsinki FI
• Universitat de Barcelona ES
• Johns Hopkins University US
• The University of Sydney AU
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey US
• Mayo Clinic in Arizona US
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens GR
• WinnMed US

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