Is Preservation of Cholinergic Activation a Mechanism Underlying Cognitive Reserve?

Noriyuki Matsukawa

Abstract

The cognitive reserve, despite having abundant pathological change of Alzheimer’s disease, some patients can preserve cognitive function, is a new concept to puzzle Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. Interestingly, some recent epidemiological study has shown that diet, exercise, cognitive training and vascular risk monitoring interventions may reduce cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people in the general population. However, the mechanisms underlying this cognitive function preservation are still unknown. Our recent data suggest that differences in the persisting degree of cholinergic activity might be, at least in part, involved in the decorrelation between the extent of cognitive deterioration and AD pathological changes. This fact might raise a possibility of cholinergic modulation for hippocampal glutamatergic activity in a mechanism of “cognitive reserve”.