Home › Research › Mild cognitive impairment
Gender differences in cognitive reserve: An impact on progression in subjective cognitive decline?
Giacomucci Giulia, Valentina Moschini, Alice Ceccarelli, Sonia Padiglioni, Carmen Morinelli, Salvatore Mazzeo, Chiara Crucitti, Giulia Galdo et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 2025-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Abstract INTRODUCTION This study investigated gender differences in cognitive reserve (CR) in subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and examined the impact of gender‐CR interaction on the risk of progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS We enrolled 440 SCD patients and estimated CR using premorbid intelligence (Test di Intelligenza Breve [TIB]). To account for socio‐cultural differences, patients were stratified by birth cohort (pre‐/post‐1950). A Markov random‐field (MRF) model explored relationships between gender, CR, education, and age. Logistic regression assessed MCI progression risk. RESULTS Women showed lower TIB scores than men (p < 0.001). The MRF model revealed an inverse connection between TIB and female gender, while no link was observed between TIB and generation. Progression to MCI was predicted by age at onset (p < 0.001), apolipoprotein E (APOE) status (p = 0.002), and TIB (p = 0.018), but not gender. DISCUSSION Gender has an impact on CR, but not through socio‐economic variables. In turn, CR influenced the risk of MCI progression, whereas gender did not. Highlights Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) women presented lower cognitive reserve (CR) levels than men, despite similar education levels. Social‐cultural factors did not explain these gender differences in CR in SCD. The gender–CR interaction was not mediated by social–cultural factors. The risk of progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was influenced by CR but not by gender.
Key findings
- RESULTS Women showed lower TIB scores than men (p < 0.001).
- The MRF model revealed an inverse connection between TIB and female gender, while no link was observed between TIB and generation.
Why it matters
This study found that women with subjective cognitive decline had lower cognitive reserve scores than men, but gender itself did not predict progression to mild cognitive impairment. Cognitive reserve did influence progression risk, suggesting that building reserve might help, though no treatment is tested.
Study details
- Participants440
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring: journal h-index 86 (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 | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 440 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Valentina Bessi: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Florence: institution h-index 739 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40881583) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1002/dad2.70174
- PubMed: 40881583
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring →
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. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Giulia, G., Moschini, V., Ceccarelli, A., Padiglioni, S., Morinelli, C., Mazzeo, S., et al. (2025). Gender differences in cognitive reserve: An impact on progression in subjective cognitive decline? Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.70174
Vancouver
Giulia G, Moschini V, Ceccarelli A, Padiglioni S, Morinelli C, Mazzeo S, et al. Gender differences in cognitive reserve: An impact on progression in subjective cognitive decline? Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring. 2025. doi:10.1002/dad2.70174. PMID: 40881583.
BibTeX
@article{giulia2025-40881583,
author = {Giulia, Giacomucci and Moschini, Valentina and Ceccarelli, Alice and Padiglioni, Sonia and Morinelli, Carmen and Mazzeo, Salvatore and Crucitti, Chiara and Galdo, Giulia and others},
title = {{Gender differences in cognitive reserve: An impact on progression in subjective cognitive decline?}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia Diagnosis Assessment \& Disease Monitoring},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/dad2.70174},
pmid = {40881583},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.70174}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Mild cognitive impairment
Also tagged “cognitive-function”
1,118 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cognitive-function”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,118 tagged studies.