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Cognitive reserve and lifestyle
Scarmeas N, Stern Y.. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 2003-08-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) suggests that innate intelligence or aspects of life experience like educational or occupational attainments may supply reserve, in the form of a set of skills or repertoires that allows some people to cope with progressing Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology better than others. There is epidemiological evidence that lifestyle characterized by engagement in leisure activities of intellectual and social nature is associated with slower cognitive decline in healthy elderly and may reduce the risk of incident dementia. There is also evidence from functional imaging studies that subjects engaging in such leisure activities can clinically tolerate more AD pathology. It is possible that aspects of life experience like engagement in leisure activities may result in functionally more efficient cognitive networks and therefore provide a CR that delays the onset of clinical manifestations of dementia.
Key findings
- The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) suggests that innate intelligence or aspects of life experience like educational or occupational attainments may supply reserve, in the form of a set of skills or repertoires that allows some people to cope with progressing Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology better than others.
- There is epidemiological evidence that lifestyle characterized by engagement in leisure activities of intellectual and social nature is associated with slower cognitive decline in healthy elderly and may reduce the risk of incident dementia.
- It is possible that aspects of life experience like engagement in leisure activities may result in functionally more efficient cognitive networks and therefore provide a CR that delays the onset of clinical manifestations of dementia.
Why it matters
This review describes cognitive reserve as a concept in which innate intelligence or life experience such as education or occupation may allow some people to cope with progressing Alzheimer's disease pathology better than others. It reports epidemiological evidence that leisure activities of an intellectual and social nature are associated with slower cognitive decline and may reduce dementia risk, and that such activities may delay the onset of clinical manifestations of dementia.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology: journal h-index 179 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2003 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 871 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 34.8 citations a year over 25 year(s) since 2003 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 23 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 131 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Yaakov Stern: h-index 162 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Columbia University: institution h-index 1,824 (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 12815500) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1076/jcen.25.5.625.14576
- PubMed: 12815500
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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
Scarmeas, N., & Stern, Y. (2003). Cognitive reserve and lifestyle. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology. https://doi.org/10.1076/jcen.25.5.625.14576
Vancouver
Scarmeas N, Stern Y. Cognitive reserve and lifestyle. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology. 2003. doi:10.1076/jcen.25.5.625.14576. PMID: 12815500.
BibTeX
@article{scarmeas2003-12815500,
author = {Scarmeas, N. and Stern, Y.},
title = {{Cognitive reserve and lifestyle}},
journal = {Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.1076/jcen.25.5.625.14576},
pmid = {12815500},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1076/jcen.25.5.625.14576}
}
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