Figure 2.

The concept of cognitive/synaptic resilience and pharmacology. Cognitive resilience, an individual’s overall cognitive resources at a given point in time, is about individual differences in how tasks are performed that may allow some people to be more resilient than others to cognitive adversities. It is calculated as the difference between the observed and the expected levels of cognition, after accounting for the pathological severity at the age in a linear regression method [58]. Cognitive/synaptic resilience is responsible for the preservation of memory and other cognitive functions, which are impaired by damaging neuropathology in memory disorders or reduced in aging. Potential influences are listed (Top): Intellectual enrichment, Physical activity, Sex-related factors, Diets, and Genetic factors? (not well defined) and impact on the resilience (Middle; through its four major components either negatively (−) or positively (+). The outcome is either DAD, a gradual cognitive decline and dementia years before death (Bottom left) or NDAD, a maintained cognitive health and cognitive normal at the time of death (Years before death at 0; Bottom right), although similar age-related accumulation of DRNC occurs in DAD and NDAD. Resilience pharmacology enhances the endogenous synaptic/cognitive mechanisms, so that cognitive function is maintained during an individual’s lifespan, despite similar levels of DRNC.