Cognitive reserve in a cross-cultural population: the case of Italian emigrants in Montreal.
BACKGROUND
Cognitive reserve could be defined as the accumulation of experiences, abilities, knowledge and changes that occur throughout the lifespan. One of the most difficult changes in life is the experience of emigrating to a foreign country.


OBJECTIVE
The present investigation aimed to compare the cognitive reserve of two paired groups of elderly: Italians living in Italy and Italians who in adult age (around 20 years) emigrated to Montreal. Both groups attended the same years of school, in Italy.


METHODS
Cognitive reserve was measured in the two groups by a structured and standardised questionnaire, the cognitive reserve questionnaire.


RESULTS
Cognitive reserve showed to be significantly higher in the Italian-Canadian individuals (i.e. Italians who emigrated).


CONCLUSIONS
Emigration might act as an environmental factor that enriches people's lifestyle and reflects itself in the amount of their cognitive reserve.
Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy, sara.mondini@unipd.it.
Sara
S
Mondini
Ramona
R
Guarino
Gonia
G
Jarema
Eva
E
Kehayia
Vasavan
V
Nair
Massimo
M
Nucci
Daniela
D
Mapelli
D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D058245:Cognitive Reserve / Q000502:physiology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires