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Brain reserve hypothesis in dementia
Fratiglioni L, Wang HX.. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2007-08-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The concept of brain reserve refers to the ability to tolerate the age-related changes and the disease related pathology in the brain without developing clear clinical symptoms or signs. A considerable body of biological research has documented that a number of factors including education, work complexity, social network, and leisure activities may contribute to this reserve allowing cognitive function to be maintained in old ages. Epidemiological studies have also related these factors to the development of dementia, suggesting that intellectual challenges experienced across the whole life span may increase the brain reserve and be crucial for the occurrence of dementia symptoms in late life. This paper is a systematic review of the published epidemiological studies on this topic. The availability of numerous epidemiological and biological data investigating the reserve hypothesis in dementia permits some preliminary conclusions. High education, adult-life occupational work complexity, as well as a mentally and socially integrated lifestyle in late life could postpone the onset of clinical dementia and AD. The relevance of physical activity itself remains in debate, as most physical activities include also social and mental stimulation. Leisure activities with all three components--physical, mental and social--seem to have the most beneficial effect. Delaying dementia onset by five years would halve dementia prevalence and substantially decrease the number of dementia cases in the community.
Key findings
- Epidemiological studies have also related these factors to the development of dementia, suggesting that intellectual challenges experienced across the whole life span may increase the brain reserve and be crucial for the occurrence of dementia symptoms in late life.
Why it matters
This review of epidemiological studies suggests that high education, complex work, and a mentally and socially integrated lifestyle in late life could postpone the onset of clinical dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It reports associations from population studies and does not test a treatment or cure.
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Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 62/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 499 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.8 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 12.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 20 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 44 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Hui‐Xin Wang: h-index 54 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17851191) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Fratiglioni, L., & Wang, H. X. (2007). Brain reserve hypothesis in dementia. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-2007-12103
Vancouver
Fratiglioni L, Wang HX. Brain reserve hypothesis in dementia. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2007. doi:10.3233/jad-2007-12103. PMID: 17851191.
BibTeX
@article{fratiglioni2007-17851191,
author = {Fratiglioni, L. and Wang, H. X.},
title = {{Brain reserve hypothesis in dementia}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.3233/jad-2007-12103},
pmid = {17851191},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-2007-12103}
}
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