I’m a neuroscientist. Here’s how to maintain good cognitive health at any age

Key Points:

• Maintaining mental sharpness while aging is achievable by cultivating lifelong habits that support brain function, particularly through building and sustaining cognitive reserve, which helps the brain resist aging and neurodegenerative effects.
• Cognitive reserve is dynamic and can be enhanced through education, intellectually stimulating activities, rich social interactions, and cognitively challenging leisure pursuits such as playing musical instruments, complex games, or volunteering.
• Scientific models of cognitive reserve include brain reserve (neuron quantity), brain maintenance (biological resilience), and cognitive reserve (functional brain flexibility), all of which contribute to maintaining cognitive health and are supported by empirical research.
• Recent studies, including those from Québec and the Canadian Consortium on Aging and Neurodegeneration, demonstrate that cognitive training and engaging activities like learning new languages or music can induce significant brain changes and improve cognitive function even in older adults.
• These findings emphasize that cognitive reserve evolves with experience and learning, highlighting the importance of accessible, motivating, and stimulating interventions for healthy cognitive aging.