Research suggests that social, physical, and cognitively challenging activities during lifetime, could mitigate the negative effects of aging on cognitive function. This effect is explained by the increased cognitive reserve (CR) resulting from such factors; in fact, such activities, by altering structural and functional properties of the human brain, equip one with more effective compensatory mechanisms to resist brain damage before the presentation of severe clinical symptoms. Therefore, applying appropriate modifications in one's lifestyle and activities may be effective in lowering the risk of developing dementia and cognitive dysfunction in old age, especially in brain areas that are susceptible to aging. In this paper, we are going to review relevant studies discussing the association between important modifiable factors, known as CR proxies (i.e., educational attainment, occupational complexity, physical activity, social engagement, bilingualism, leisure activities, and Mediterranean diet), and different domains of cognitive function, which are affected either in the process of healthy aging or neurodegenerative diseases.
K E Y W O R D Saging, cognitive reserve, dementia, neural compensation, neural plasticity Edited by Yoland Smith F I G U R E 1 Mechanisms involved in life-time cognitive ability. Brain reserve, the intrinsic brain ability to maintain cognitive function which is dependent on brain structure, and cognitive reserve, which comprises the compensatory changes in brain structure and function and is promoted by several activities How to cite this article: Amanollahi M, Amanollahi S, Anjomshoa A, Dolatshahi M. Mitigating the negative impacts of aging on cognitive function; modifiable factors associated with increasing cognitive reserve.
