Human Development and Family Sudies, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Clincal Thanatology and Geriatric Behavioral Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
Exp Aging Res. 2023 Jul-Sep;49(4):334-346. doi: 10.1080/0361073X.2022.2106717. Epub 2022 Aug 5.
Living a long life does not guarantee the maintenance of optimal cognitive functioning; however, similar to older adults in general, cognitive reserve may also protect oldest-old adults from cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to assess cognitive reserve among centenarians and octogenarians and to evaluate a process model of cognitive reserve.
A total of 321 centenarians and octogenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study were included in this study. Cognitive reserve components included level of education, occupational responsibility, current social engagement, past engaged lifestyle, and activity. Cognitive functioning was measured with the Mini-Mental Status Examination.
Structural equation modeling was computed, and the overall model fit well, χ2 (df = 3) = 5.02, p = .17; CFI = .99, RMSEA = .05. Education is directly and indirectly related to cognitive functioning through occupational responsibility and past engaged lifestyle. Current social engagement is related to cognitive functioning directly and indirectly through current activities. The four direct predictors (i.e., education, current social engagement, current activity, and past engaged lifestyle) explained 35% of the variance in cognitive functioning.
The results provide important information for cognitive reserve theories with implications for interventions that build cognitive reserve.
长寿并不保证能维持最佳认知功能；然而，与一般老年人一样，认知储备也可能使最年长的老年人免受认知能力下降的影响。本研究旨在评估百岁老人和 80 多岁老人的认知储备，并评估认知储备的过程模型。
本研究共纳入来自佐治亚百岁老人研究的 321 名百岁老人和 80 多岁老人。认知储备的组成部分包括教育程度、职业责任、当前的社会参与度、过去积极的生活方式和活动。认知功能通过简易精神状态检查进行测量。
结构方程模型的计算表明，整体模型拟合良好， χ 2（df=3）=5.02，p=.17；CFI=.99，RMSEA=.05。教育通过职业责任和过去积极的生活方式直接和间接与认知功能相关。当前的社会参与度通过当前的活动直接和间接与认知功能相关。四个直接预测因子（即教育、当前的社会参与度、当前的活动和过去积极的生活方式）解释了认知功能 35%的方差。
研究结果为认知储备理论提供了重要信息，对建立认知储备的干预措施具有启示意义。
