Analyzing brain networks demonstrates the relationship between cognitive reserve and white matter volume in older adults, suggesting adaptive mechanisms.
INTRODUCTION This study aimed to identify brain networks associated with cognitive reserve (CR), defined as the ability for a higher cognitive performance than would be predicted by white matter volume (WMV), using brain networks derived via electroencephalography (EEG). METHODS We used exact low‐resolution brain electromagnetic tomography‐independent component analysis (eLORETA‐ICA) to assess resting‐state EEG networks in community‐dwelling older adults. RESULTS The analysis included 832 individuals. An oscillatory pattern characterized by decreased beta activity in the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and increased alpha activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) appeared to reflect adaptive, and possibly compensatory, neural processes that help preserve cognitive performance of declining WMV. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that specific oscillatory dynamics within the right TPJ–IFG network may reflect adaptive neural mechanisms that help maintain cognitive function in the presence of structural brain decline. Therefore, such measures may serve as potential neurophysiological markers of CR.
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Katayama et al. (2026) studied this question.
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