Cognitive reserve: The role of occupational experience

Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between occupational skillsets and neuropsychological performance in older adults to explore the use of life-long occupational demands as a possible biopsychosocial contributor to cognitive reserve. We hypothesized that individuals' whose careers emphasized verbal skillsets would predict higher cognitive performance as compared to other occupations that emphasized visuospatial, learning and memory, or executive functioning/processing speed abilities. Method: A sample of 182 participants (79 male, 103 female; Mage = 75.75, SD = 10.72) completed full neuropsychological evaluations, with cognitive performance broken down into four domains: verbal, learning and memory, visuospatial, and executive functioning/processing speed. Their reported careers were coded based on variables provided by O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). A series of hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine if participants with higher verbal occupational skills performed better on neuropsychological testing, above and beyond well-established predictors of age, education, and gender. Results: Those who had careers with higher verbal skillsets showed better performance in verbal (r = .15) and executive functioning/processing speed (r = .18) domains over and above the robust effect of education. Other job skills (e.g. visuospatial skills, learning, and memory) did not relate. Conclusion: Our results support the potential contribution of specific occupational skillsets to cognitive reserve, especially occupations high in verbal demands. Discussion focuses on limits of the study to investigate directionality of verbal job skills and cognitive functioning, and the potentially confounding role of IQ-a critical agenda for future research requiring a longitudinal design-as well as potential implications for preservation of cognitive functioning.