TY - JOUR

T1 - Towards an understanding of healthy cognitive ageing

T2 - The importance of lifestyle in Cognitive Reserve Theory and the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition

AU - Oosterhuis, Elise

AU - May, Patrick

AU - Slade, Kate

AU - Nuttall, Helen E

PY - 2022/5/6

Y1 - 2022/5/6

N2 - The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to improve our understanding of the factors that promote healthy ageing and combat dementia. Both ageing and dementia are accompanied by cognitive changes, however, some people experience more cognitive difficulties than others. Therefore, ageing theories that consider individual ageing trajectories are of paramount importance to meet the WHO’s aim. Both the revisited Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC-r) and Cognitive Reserve theory (CR) offer a theoretical framework for the mechanisms of healthy cognitive ageing and argue for the positive influence of an engaging lifestyle on cognitive ageing. STAC-r additionally considers factors, such as depression, that have adverse effects on late-life cognition. Currently, it is unclear which of the two theories best explains the compensation mechanism of age-related cognitive decline. This narrative review provides an essential discussion of the similarities and differences between these two prominent cognitive ageing theories, their implications for intervention methods and neurodegenerative disease, and significant shortcomings to both theories that have not yet been addressed. This review will direct researchers to common insights in the field and to intervention targets and testable hypotheses for future research. Future research should investigate the potential use of STAC-r in neurodegenerative diseases and provide clarity as to what combination of factors build CR, including their relative importance and when in life they are most effective.

AB - The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to improve our understanding of the factors that promote healthy ageing and combat dementia. Both ageing and dementia are accompanied by cognitive changes, however, some people experience more cognitive difficulties than others. Therefore, ageing theories that consider individual ageing trajectories are of paramount importance to meet the WHO’s aim. Both the revisited Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC-r) and Cognitive Reserve theory (CR) offer a theoretical framework for the mechanisms of healthy cognitive ageing and argue for the positive influence of an engaging lifestyle on cognitive ageing. STAC-r additionally considers factors, such as depression, that have adverse effects on late-life cognition. Currently, it is unclear which of the two theories best explains the compensation mechanism of age-related cognitive decline. This narrative review provides an essential discussion of the similarities and differences between these two prominent cognitive ageing theories, their implications for intervention methods and neurodegenerative disease, and significant shortcomings to both theories that have not yet been addressed. This review will direct researchers to common insights in the field and to intervention targets and testable hypotheses for future research. Future research should investigate the potential use of STAC-r in neurodegenerative diseases and provide clarity as to what combination of factors build CR, including their relative importance and when in life they are most effective.

KW - cognitive ageing

KW - cognitive reserve

KW - compensatory mechanisms

KW - Neurodegenerative disease

KW - scaffolding theory of aging and cognition

KW - Healthy ageing

U2 - 10.31234/osf.io/5d9fv

DO - 10.31234/osf.io/5d9fv

M3 - Journal article

JO - PsyArXiv

JF - PsyArXiv

ER -