The Cognitive Reserve hypothesis suggests that there are individual differences in the ability to cope with the pathologic changes in Alzheimer's Disease. The proportion of elderly individuals has increased in recent years; this increase emphasizes the importance of early detection of mild cognitive impairment and the promotion of healthy ageing. The purpose of our study is to characterize cognitive reserve and occupational performance implications in people with mild cognitive impairment. 125 patients with mild cognitive impairment were enrolled. The Montreal Cognitive Assessments (MoCA) was used to evaluate cognitive status and the Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire (CRIq) as an indicator of cognitive reserve. Higher level of education was associated with higher MoCA scores (r = 0.290, p = 0.001). Positive significant correlations were observed between MoCA and total CRIq (r = 0.385, p < 0.001) as well as its three sub-domains, education (r = 0.231, p = 0.010), working activity (r = 0.237, p = 0.008) and leisure time (r = 0.319, p < 0.001). This study findings provide the importance of considering socio-behavioral factors in cognitive status. This research helps to describe the importance of engaging occupationally along the whole life-course as a potential protective factor in ageing, and includes a perspective of occupational therapy regarding the hypothesis of cognitive reserve.
Keywords: cognitive reserve; dementia; mild cognitive impairment; occupational therapy.