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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
08:29
Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
Published on: December 18, 2016
Aging, brain disease, and reserve: implications for delirium
Richard N Jones1, Tamara G Fong, Eran Metzger
1Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, USA.
Summary
Cognitive reserve and brain reserve are crucial for understanding dementia but understudied in delirium. Researching reserve in delirium may lead to new prevention strategies for this acute condition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Cognitive and brain reserve are established concepts in age-associated cognitive impairment and dementia research.
- However, their role in delirium, an acute condition, remains under-investigated.
- Existing reserve indicators face challenges due to delirium's acute onset versus Alzheimer's disease's prodromal phase.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review original research on cognitive and brain reserve across central nervous system conditions.
- To specifically focus on the application and indicators of reserve within the context of delirium.
- To identify future research directions for understanding reserve in delirium.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of original articles concerning cognitive and brain reserve.
- Analysis of reserve indicators used in previous studies.
- Discussion of these indicators in relation to delirium.
Main Results:
- Paucity of research examining cognitive or brain reserve in delirium.
- Challenges in applying traditional reserve indicators to acute conditions like delirium.
- Identification of reserve as a potentially modifiable characteristic.
Conclusions:
- Studying reserve in delirium is essential for developing effective prevention strategies.
- This research can enhance understanding of reserve in aging and neuropsychiatric diseases.
- Further investigation into reserve indicators for acute conditions is warranted.
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