Use it or lose it

According to the NIH "Brain reserve refers to the amount of damage that can be sustained before a threshold is reached for clinical expression."

Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia found that

All the studies assessed agreed that mentally stimulating leisure activities, even in late life, are associated with a protective effect.

"This suggests that brain reserve is not a static property, nor that it is determined by early life experiences such as level of education, socio-economic deprivation or poor nutrition," said Dr Valenzuela. "It is never too late to build brain reserve."