Cognitive reserve and education in adulthood and old age

Insufficient and contradictory data on the compensation of the initial manifestations of cognitive decline, a high risk of cognitive impairment at a young age, and the lack of measuring tools for identifying early markers of aging of the central nervous system together determine the urgency of developing the concept of a cognitive reserve to prevent the transformation of physiological (normative) aging in pathological. Objective: to identify the value of the “education” factor for the formation of a cognitive reserve in adulthood and the elderly. Material of research: scientific publications on the topic of the paper. The general scientific method was applied: analysis of modern scientific literature on the research problem, generalization, comparison, systematization of theoretical data in relation to the “education” factor, which contributes to the preservation of the normative parameters of cognitive functions in the late period of life. It has been revealed that the factor “education” (school, university, educational activity of an individual throughout life) is one of the determining parameters of the cognitive reserve at a late age. The data presented in this review make it possible to justify the medical and social significance of educational programs for people of mature and older ages.