COGNITIVE AND MOTOR RESOURCES AS POTENTIAL PREDICTORS OF COGNITIVE CHANGES IN AGING: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY.

Cognitive and Motor reserves are widely and increasingly recognized as protective factors in the context of age-related cognitive decline. Cognitive reserve (CR), shaped by lifetime intellectual engagement, and motor reserve (MR), reflecting lifelong physical activity, independently support the maintenance of cognitive functions during late adulthood. However, up to date, few studies have examined their combined role using standardized instruments in longitudinal designs. The present study investigates whether values of CR and MR at baseline can predict a better maintenance of cognitive functioning and physical strength over an average of 10-month period in an Italian sample of 92 community-dwelling older adults (M = 75.50 years). CR and MR were measured at baseline using the short Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (sCRIq) and the Motor Reserve Index questionnaire (MRIq). Cognitive performance was assessed via the Global Examination of Mental State (GEMS-A) screening tool, and manual physical strength via handgrip dynamometry, at both baseline and follow-up. Results showed significant declines in both cognition and handgrip strength over time. Higher CR was strongly associated with better levels of cognitive performance at both timepoints, but it did not significantly moderate the rate of the decline. MR did not significantly predict either baseline cognition or longitudinal cognitive change, nor was it associated with handgrip outcomes. These findings suggest that CR primarily confers an advantage in overall cognitive level, rather than moderating the slope in short follow-up studies, where MR (measured by MRIq) did not predict trajectories in this timeframe. This study highlights the importance of using multidimensional reserve frameworks, standardized tools and multi-wave longitudinal designs to capture the intricate interplay of protective and vulnerability factors in the process of cognitive aging.