Cognitive Reserve in the Prevention of Dementia - Reading and Other Cognitive Activities - A Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2026.94.73237Keywords
cognitive reserve, dementia, readingAbstract
Introduction and purpose: Dementia is a growing problem in society. A key factor in preventing dementia is cognitive reserve. The aim of this paper is to summarize knowledge regarding developing cognitive reserve through participation in reading, other cognitive leisure activities, and education.
A brief description of the state of knowledge: Higher cognitive reserve is a protective factor against cognitive decline and provides greater opportunities to compensate for brain changes occurring in the course of dementia. Numerous studies demonstrate the beneficial effect of spending leisure time on cognitive activities on the development of cognitive reserve. Furthermore, higher education also significantly contributes to higher levels of cognitive reserve. Reading is an activity that has a particularly significant impact on preventing dementia and preserving memory function. The benefits of these activities in delaying the onset of cognitive decline have been described in diseases leading to dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. Other aspects of reading, such as tests measuring cognitive reserve and the NART, as well as the impact of cognitive reserve on language function in older adults, will also be discussed.
Summary (Conclusions): Although research still needs to expand on the impact of specific types of cognitive activity on dementia prevention, reading activity is already showing promising results. The conclusions from this article demonstrate the benefits of such activities on developing cognitive reserve and may serve as a starting point for further research on developing dementia prevention programs.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Michał Brzeziński, Kacper Godyń-Müller , Klaudia Pierzyńska, Bartosz Kulak, Zuzanna Majchrzak, Mateusz Kasprzak, Michał Grześkowiak, Hanna Pelant, Martin Zeigner, Joanna Błaszczyk
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