Some people suffer incipient dementia as they get older. To
make up for this loss, the brain's cognitive reserve is put to the test.
Researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela have studied what
factors can help to improve this ability and they conclude that having a higher
level of vocabulary is one such factor.
'Cognitive reserve' is the name given to the brain's
capacity to compensate for the loss of its functions. This reserve cannot be
measured directly; rather, it is calculated through indicators believed to increase
this capacity.
A research project at the University of Santiago de
Compostela (USC) has studied how having a wide vocabulary influences cognitive
reserve in the elderly.
As Cristina Lojo Seoane, from the USC, co-author of the
study published in the journal Anales de Psicología (Annals of
Psychology), explains to SINC: "We focused on level of vocabulary as
it is considered an indicator of crystallised intelligence (the use of
previously acquired intellectual skills). We aimed to deepen our understanding
of its relation to cognitive reserve."
The research team chose a sample of 326 subjects over the
age of 50 – 222 healthy individuals and 104 with mild cognitive impairment.
They then measured their levels of vocabulary, along with other measures such as
their years of schooling, the complexity of their jobs and their reading
habits.
They also analysed the scores they obtained in various
tests, such as the vocabulary subtest of the 'Wechsler Adult Intelligence
Scale' (WAIS) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test.
"With a regression analysis we calculated the
probability of impairment to the vocabulary levels of the participants,"
Lojo Seoane continues.
The results revealed a greater prevalence of mild cognitive
impairment in participants who achieved a lower vocabulary level score.
"This led us to the conclusion that a higher level of
vocabulary, as a measure of cognitive reserve, can protect against cognitive
impairment," the researcher concludes.
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