Over the past 25 years, scientists and physicians affiliated with medical schools and universities all over the world have followed and tested large groups of people to try to understand why some people stay mentally sharp over the span of their lives and other people don’t. As a result, we now have a significant body of scientific research in an area called “cognitive reserve.” Cognitive reserve involves the brain’s ability to create new neural pathways and connections that can be used as a mental savings account, a reserve to be drawn upon in times of need. The research supports the hypothesis that many people continue to operate at a high mental level throughout their lives by building these brain reserves.
