Brain Reserve Capacity

Synonyms

Global reserve; Reserve

Definition

Brain reserve capacity is the brain’s resilience to pathological damage or changes. The greater the brain reserve capacity, the less likely an individual will demonstrate behavioral disturbance associated with a disease.

Historical Background

Research has attempted to understand the role of various factors involved in cognitive decline. Frequent central nervous system disorders occur in the elderly, which increase the likelihood of cognitive decline. Age, in itself, is a factor known to alter cognitive functioning. Brain reserve capacity is the brain’s ability to effectively manage the increasing changes in normal aging and to cope with pathological damage.

Postmortem examination of elderly individuals provides evidence that there is a discrepancy between the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease and the neuropathology of the disorder (Katzman et al. 1988). Specifically, this early study found that a subset of individuals whose...