We tested if cognitive and brain reserve and maintenance explain individual differences in episodic memory and other cognitive domains from late middle to early older adulthood. We used The Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging data (n=1604 men) with episodic memory measured at mean ages of 56, 62 and 68 years, and magnetic resonance imaging data for a subsample of participants (n=321). Cognitive reserve —young adult general cognitive ability at a mean age of 20 years and, to a lesser degree, educational attainment— was positively related to episodic memory performance at each assessment, but not to memory change. We found no evidence for the associations of brain reserve or brain maintenance on memory change. Results were highly similar when looking at processing speed, executive function and verbal fluency. In conclusion, higher young adult cognitive reserve was related to better episodic memory in midlife and older adulthood, but it did not confer better cognitive maintenance with respect to memory. This supports the importance of early cognitive development in dementia prevention.

中文翻译：

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衰老过程中情景记忆和其他认知功能的储备、恢复力和维持


我们测试了认知和大脑储备和维持是否可以解释从中后期到老年早期情景记忆和其他认知领域的个体差异。我们使用了越南时代双胞胎衰老研究数据（n=1604 名男性）以及在平均年龄 56、62 和 68 岁测量的情景记忆，以及参与者子样本的磁共振成像数据（n=321）。认知储备——平均年龄为 20 岁的年轻人的一般认知能力，以及较小程度的教育程度——与每次评估时的情景记忆表现呈正相关，但与记忆变化无关。我们没有发现任何证据表明大脑储备或大脑维持与记忆变化之间存在关联。在处理速度、执行功能和言语流畅性方面，结果非常相似。总之，较高的年轻人认知储备与中年和老年时期更好的情景记忆有关，但它并不能带来更好的记忆认知维持。这支持了早期认知发展在预防痴呆症中的重要性。